Question on Hall Effect and magnetic force

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the Hall Effect, specifically the behavior of charge carriers in a magnetic field. When a positive current flows upward in a wire while a magnetic field is directed into the screen, both positive and negative charges deflect to the left. This results in a net negative charge on the left side of the wire and a positive charge on the right, creating a Hall Voltage with an electric field pointing from right to left. The Lorentz force equation is used to explain the relationship between electric and magnetic fields, highlighting that the Hall voltage can indicate the type of charge carriers present, whether they are electrons or holes in semiconductors.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Hall Effect and its implications in physics.
  • Familiarity with the Lorentz force equation: $$\vec{F}=q (\vec{E}+\vec{v} \times \vec{B})$$.
  • Knowledge of charge carriers in conductors and semiconductors.
  • Basic concepts of electric and magnetic fields and their interactions.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation and applications of the Hall Effect in various materials.
  • Explore the differences between metallic conductors and semiconductors regarding charge carriers.
  • Investigate the role of drift velocity and mobility in determining Hall voltage.
  • Learn about practical applications of the Hall Effect in sensors and electronic devices.
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, electrical engineers, and researchers interested in semiconductor technology and magnetic field applications will benefit from this discussion.

dainceptionman_02
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so with a Hall Voltage, you have positive current traveling upwards in a wire in the +y-direction and a magnetic field into the screen in the -z-direction. the right hand rule has positive charge deflecting to the left. now if you look at the drift velocity of electrons moving downward in the -y-direction, the negative of the right hand rule has the electrons deflecting to the left. if both positive and negative charge deflect to the left, then why is it assumed that there is a net negative charge on the left hand side of the wire and a positive charge on the right causing a Hall Voltage with an electric field pointing from the right to left?

with magnetic forces, the force is perpendicular to the direction of the field. if this is so, then why do permanent magnets stick together or repel in a direction that seems parallel to the direction of the field. same with solenoids or whatever creates a constant magnetic field that uses a magnet to pick up cars in the dump lot.
 
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The force on a charge carrier is given by the Lorentz force
$$\vec{F}=q (\vec{E}+\vec{v} \times \vec{B}).$$
Now if you have a DC, then ##\vec{F}=0##, i.e., the electric field is given by
$$\vec{E}_{\text{perp}}=-\vec{v} \times \vec{B}.$$
Now you have the driving voltage such that
$$\vec{j}=q v \vec{e}_y, \quad q v>0.$$
If now ##q>0## you have thus ##v>0## and thus (according to your description)
$$\vec{E}_{\perp}=-v B \vec{e}_y \times (-\vec{e}_z)=v B \vec{e}_x,$$
i.e., the potential is
$$V_{\text{H}}=-v B x.$$
If ##q<0##, then ##v<0## and thus
$$\vec{E}_{\text{perp}}=-v B \vec{e}_x,$$
i.e., the Hall voltage is
$$V_{\text{H}}=+v B x,$$
i.e., it's in the opposite direction as if the charge carriers are positive. Thus, with the Hall effect you can check, whether the conducting particles are positive or negative. For usual metallic conductors these are electrons and thus negatively charged. In some semiconductors the conduction is due to the motion of positively charged "quasiparticles", i.e., "missing electrons"/"holes", and for them the Hall voltage is opposite than in metallic conductors.
 
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If you have both types of carriers they have different drift velocities (different mobilities) so the Hall voltages don't cancel out even if they have the same concentration. In doped semiconductors they have both different concentrations and different mobilities
 
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