{{page>wiki:headers:hheader}} =====Differences Between Vibrating Atoms and Electrons in a Crystal (5 minutes)===== * Vibrations of atoms in a crystal: - Involves analyzing discrete periodic system with many springs and masses. The movement of the masses is described using envelope functions. {{courses:lecture:pplec:pplecdifferencesfig1.png|(Add image: pplecdifferences1)}} - Boundary conditions result in normal modes (envelope functions where all atoms move with the same frequency). - Time dependence: $e^{i \omega t}$. * Electrons in a crystal: - Involves analyzing a periodic system with one electron and many atoms. The probability of finding one electron somewhere amongst the atoms is described using envelope functions. {{courses:lecture:pplec:pplecdifferencesfig2.png|(Add image:pplecdifferences2)}} - Boundary conditions result in eigenstates (eigenstates are the analog of normal modes). - Time dependence evolves from the Schrodinger Equation: $e^{i\frac{E}{\hbar}t}$. {{page>wiki:footers:courses:ppfooter}}