High School The Mystery of Excited Electrons: Are They Moving Away from the Nucleus?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the behavior of excited electrons in the conduction band, emphasizing that these electrons are not bound to a specific nucleus and can move freely over long distances. It is established that while higher-energy electrons are generally found farther from the nucleus, their exact position cannot be precisely determined due to quantum mechanics. The conversation highlights the distinction between classical and quantum mechanical interpretations of electron behavior, particularly in relation to band structure and conductivity.

PREREQUISITES
  • Quantum mechanics fundamentals
  • Understanding of conduction band theory
  • Basic principles of electron behavior in solids
  • Familiarity with band structure diagrams
NEXT STEPS
  • Research quantum mechanics and electron localization
  • Study the properties of conduction bands in semiconductors
  • Explore band structure calculations using tools like VASP or Quantum ESPRESSO
  • Learn about the implications of electron mobility on electrical conductivity
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, materials science, and electrical engineering who are interested in the behavior of electrons in solid-state systems and the principles of conductivity.

Mustafa Bayram
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when an electron is excited to the conduction band is it move further from the nucleus?
Are free electrons in the conduction band further from valence electrons?
I saw this picture that seems problematic to me. what do you think?

conduction band.png
 
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I am not sure what that picture represents, but (1) it looks like a very classical-minded picture and (2) the band structure is a feature in energy, not in space.

Generally speaking, higher-energy electrons are farther away from the nucleus, and therefore further away from core electrons. But the proper description is quantum mechanical, so you can't assign a precise position to an electron. Even high-energy electrons have a non-zero probability of being found near the nucleus.

In the conduction band, electrons are no longer tethered to a particular atom and are free to move over long distances.
 
DrClaude said:
I am not sure what that picture represents
Me neither, but for some reason I remember that I need to pick up some thing at Target.
DrClaude said:
In the conduction band, electrons are no longer tethered to a particular atom
This is key. Can you write it again?

If all the electrons were strongly localized to a nucleus, you wouldn't have conduction!
 
Time reversal invariant Hamiltonians must satisfy ##[H,\Theta]=0## where ##\Theta## is time reversal operator. However, in some texts (for example see Many-body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics an introduction, HENRIK BRUUS and KARSTEN FLENSBERG, Corrected version: 14 January 2016, section 7.1.4) the time reversal invariant condition is introduced as ##H=H^*##. How these two conditions are identical?

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