Paper 1, Section II, C

Applications of Quantum Mechanics
Part II, 2017

A one-dimensional lattice has NN sites with lattice spacing aa. In the tight-binding approximation, the Hamiltonian describing a single electron is given by

H=E0nnnJn(nn+1+n+1n)H=E_{0} \sum_{n}|n\rangle\langle n|-J \sum_{n}(|n\rangle\langle n+1|+| n+1\rangle\langle n|)

where n|n\rangle is the normalised state of the electron localised on the nth n^{\text {th }}lattice site. Using periodic boundary conditions N+11|N+1\rangle \equiv|1\rangle, solve for the spectrum of this Hamiltonian to derive the dispersion relation

E(k)=E02Jcos(ka)E(k)=E_{0}-2 J \cos (k a)

Define the Brillouin zone. Determine the number of states in the Brillouin zone.

Calculate the velocity vv and effective mass mm^{\star} of the particle. For which values of kk 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.