Q:How to interpret band structure?

In summary: The curvature (second derivative) of the band is a measure of the effective mass of the particle.In summary, the book "A chemist's view of bonding in extended structures" by Roald Hoffmann explains the link between the slope of the energy curves versus the DOS and PDOS. It also has a great section on symmetry analysis.
  • #1
leoant
35
0
Dear all:
I've been tortrued by this problem for a long time, please help me as possible as you can.
1. I want to know, after one get a dispersion picture of E(k), how to judge one of those curves stems from, say, px/py/pz sigma/pi (bond?)? That is to say, how to judge the curve's charater, which is very important in electronic structure analysis.
2. How to perform symmetry ananlysis in dispersion curves of E(k) and omega(k)-phonon dispersion relation? For phonon dispersion, how to judge their mode, for instance, A1g, E2g?
please refer me to some books or papers or links. Thank you in advance.

Bests
 
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  • #2
The book 'A chemist's view of bonding in extended structures' by Roald Hoffmann is a great read on this. I have it and i can really recommend it.
It also explains the link between the slope of the energy curves versus the DOS

marlon
 
  • #3
The curvature (second derivative) of the band is a measure of the effective mass of the particle.
 
  • #4
leoant said:
Dear all:
I've been tortrued by this problem for a long time, please help me as possible as you can.
1. I want to know, after one get a dispersion picture of E(k), how to judge one of those curves stems from, say, px/py/pz sigma/pi (bond?)? That is to say, how to judge the curve's charater, which is very important in electronic structure analysis.
2. How to perform symmetry ananlysis in dispersion curves of E(k) and omega(k)-phonon dispersion relation? For phonon dispersion, how to judge their mode, for instance, A1g, E2g?
please refer me to some books or papers or links. Thank you in advance.

Bests
This is an entirely non-trivial question - one that I'm not qualified to answer authoritatively. There's a whole host of information contained in a band diagram (Why do alkali and alkaline Earth metal valence bands look so much like free electrons bands when transition metal valence bands do not ? Why then, is the same also true for Zn and Cd ? How do I extract information about the orientations of crystal directions with respect to orbital directions from the varying degeneracies along different crystal directions ? Where is the effective mass high, low, positive or negative ? What are the optical properties I can expect for a material, given its band structure ?), and extracting good portion of it is a skill that takes work to hone (one, I do not claim to possess).

My starting point was Ashcroft & Mermin. But to do a good job, you will need a good spectroscopy text. This, I believe, is the best way to go, and as far as I'm aware, the chemists do a better job of documenting this (especially, when it comes to "vibration spectra" ) than the physicists. There are very good spectroscopy/analytical chemistry texts that could help.

http://www.spectroscopynow.com/Spy/basehtml/SpyH/1,,6-5-3-0-1-book_list-0-0,00.html
 
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  • #6
i know the prof thit wrote this book. I have tutored some of his tudents here in Ghent, Belgium.

http://www.spectroscopynow.com/Spy/basehtml/SpyH/1,1181,6-5-3-0-1-book_detail-0-141,00.html

very good stuff
marlon
 
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Q: What is band structure in materials?

Band structure refers to the arrangement of energy levels for electrons in a solid material. It shows the relationship between the energy and momentum of electrons in the material, and is important for understanding the electronic properties of the material.

Q: How is band structure measured or calculated?

Band structure can be measured experimentally using techniques such as photoemission spectroscopy or scanning tunneling microscopy. It can also be calculated theoretically using quantum mechanical models.

Q: What information can be obtained from band structure?

Band structure provides information about the electronic properties of a material, including its conductivity, optical properties, and other electronic behaviors. It can also reveal the presence of energy bands, gaps, and other features that affect the material's properties.

Q: How do you interpret the shape of a band structure diagram?

The shape of a band structure diagram can vary depending on the material and its properties. Generally, a band structure diagram shows the energy levels of electrons in the material, with the horizontal axis representing momentum and the vertical axis representing energy. A flat line indicates a band gap, while a curved line indicates an energy band. The width of the band or gap can also provide information about the material's properties.

Q: How does band structure affect a material's properties?

The band structure of a material directly affects its electronic properties, such as its conductivity and optical properties. For example, a material with a large band gap is an insulator, while a material with a small band gap is a semiconductor. The shape and width of the bands can also affect a material's thermal and mechanical properties.

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