Paper 1, Section II, C
A one-dimensional lattice has sites with lattice spacing . In the tight-binding approximation, the Hamiltonian describing a single electron is given by
where is the normalised state of the electron localised on the lattice site. Using periodic boundary conditions , solve for the spectrum of this Hamiltonian to derive the dispersion relation
Define the Brillouin zone. Determine the number of states in the Brillouin zone.
Calculate the velocity and effective mass of the particle. For which values of is the effective mass negative?
In the semi-classical approximation, derive an expression for the time-dependence of the position of the electron in a constant electric field.
Describe how the concepts of metals and insulators arise in the model above.