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Lecture6

The document explains electrical conduction, focusing on the Drude model which describes the behavior of conduction electrons in metals under an electric field. It details concepts such as drift velocity, mean free time, and drift mobility, emphasizing their relationships to current density and conductivity. Ohm's Law is also introduced, highlighting the dependence of conductivity on both electron mobility and concentration.

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Atia Afsana
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1 views

Lecture6

The document explains electrical conduction, focusing on the Drude model which describes the behavior of conduction electrons in metals under an electric field. It details concepts such as drift velocity, mean free time, and drift mobility, emphasizing their relationships to current density and conductivity. Ohm's Law is also introduced, highlighting the dependence of conductivity on both electron mobility and concentration.

Uploaded by

Atia Afsana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Electrical Conduction
• Electrical conduction involves the motion of charges in a material under
the influence of an applied electric field.
• Metals  the valence electrons from form a sea of electrons that are free
to move within the metal  conduction electrons.
• Drude model describes electrical conduction in solids.

• The Drude model of electrical conduction was proposed


in 1900 by Paul Drude to explain the transport
properties of electrons in materials (especially metals).
• Drude model assumes the microscopic behavior of
electrons in a solid classically and looks much like
a pinball machine, with a sea of constantly jittering
electrons bouncing and re-bouncing off heavier,
relatively immobile positive ions.

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The Drude Model
∆𝑞
• The electric current density: 𝐽=
𝐴∆𝑡

q: net quantity of charge flowing through an


area A in time t.

• Conduction electrons move around randomly in the metal  no net flow of


charge.
• When an electric field Ex is applied, conduction electrons acquire a net
velocity in the x direction.
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Random Motion of Conduction Electrons

• The kinetic energy originates from the electrostatic interaction of these


electrons with the positive metal ions and with each other.
• Conduction electrons move about randomly (with a mean speed u) being
frequently and randomly scattered by thermal vibrations of the atoms.
• In the absence of an applied field there is no net drift in any direction.
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2
Under Applied Electric Field

• Conduction electrons experience a force of eEx in the opposite direction of Ex.


• A net drift along the x direction is superimposed on the random motion of the
electron.
• The electron accelerates along the x direction under the action of the force eEx,
and then it suddenly collides with a vibrating atom and loses the gained
velocity  there is an average velocity in the x direction
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Drift Velocity
• The average velocity of electrons in the x direction or the drift velocity, vdx:

1
𝑣 = 𝑣 +𝑣 +𝑣 + ⋯+ 𝑣
𝑁

vxi : x direction velocity of the


ith electron
N : number of conduction
electrons

• Assume n = N∕V  number of electrons per unit volume


• In time Δt, electrons move a distance Δx = vdx Δt, and Δq crossing A is enA Δx.
∆𝑞 𝑒𝑛𝐴𝑣 ∆𝑡
• The current density in the x direction: 𝐽 = = = 𝑒𝑛𝑣
𝐴∆𝑡 𝐴∆𝑡
• Time-dependent current: 𝐽 𝑡 = 𝑒𝑛𝑣 (𝑡)
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Drift Velocity
Let uxi be the velocity of electron
i in the x direction just after the
collision (initial velocity). Since
eEx/me is the acceleration of the
electron, the velocity vxi in the x
direction at time t will be

𝑒𝐸
𝑣 =𝑢 + (𝑡 − 𝑡 )
𝑚

1
𝑣 = 𝑣 + 𝑣 + 𝑣 + ⋯+ 𝑣
𝑁
𝑒𝐸
= (𝑡 − 𝑡 )
𝑚
(𝑡 − 𝑡 ) : average free time between collisions.

Mean Free Time


𝑡−𝑡 ≡𝜏

𝜏: Mean free time, mean time between collisions, or mean scattering time

𝑒𝜏𝐸
𝑉 =
𝑚

• τ is directly related to the microscopic processes that cause the scattering of


the electrons in the metal — lattice vibrations, crystal imperfections, and
impurities, to name a few.
• 1∕τ represents the mean frequency of collisions or scattering events. During a
small time interval δt, the probability of scattering will be δt∕τ.

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Drift Mobility
𝑉 =𝜇 𝐸

𝜇 : drift mobility
𝑒𝜏
𝜇 =
𝑚

• 𝜇 represents the ease of electron conduction under an electric


field.
• If the electron is not highly scattered, then the mean free time
between collisions will be long, τ will be large, and 𝜇 will also
be large; the electrons will therefore be highly mobile and be
able to “respond” to the field.

Ohm’s Law and Conductivity


𝐽 = 𝑒𝑛𝑣

• Using the expression for drift velocity vdx : 𝐽 = 𝑒𝑛𝜇 𝐸

• Ohm’s Law: 𝐽 = 𝜎𝐸

• 𝜎 = 𝑒𝑛𝜇  Conductivity

• A large 𝜇 does not necessarily imply high conductivity,


because σ also depends on the concentration of conduction
electrons n.

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