Exploring Semiconductors: Understanding Excitons and their Bohr Radius

In summary, excitons are electron-hole pairs that are bound together by a significant Coulomb interaction energy, and the Bohr radius for a silicon exciton refers to the mean distance between the electron and the hole. This can be seen in studies such as the Near-field Optical Mapping of Exciton Wave Functions in a GaAs Quantum dot by K. Matsuda et al. in Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 177401.
  • #1
timmyeatchips
6
0
With regards to semiconductors - am I correct in thinking the term 'exciton' refers to an electron/hole pair?
Also what does it mean when I am told that the Bohr radius of a silicon exciton is 5nm - how can such an entity have a set radius?
 
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  • #2
Yes, this is correct. See http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Exciton for instance.
The radius correspond to the mean distance between the electron and the hole I guess.

www.iapp.de/~mi-hoffm/spex/ExModels/exmodels.html[/URL]
[url=http://focus.aps.org/story/v12/st15]The Travels of An Exciton[/url] about
Near-field Optical Mapping of Exciton Wave Functions in a GaAs Quantum dot
K. Matsuda, T. Saiki, S. Nomura, M. Mihara, Y. Aoyagi, S. Nair, and T. Takagahara
Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 177401
 
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  • #3
This should have been posted in Atom, Molecules, and Solids, since it's a condensed matter problem.

An exciton is indeed an electron-hole pair. The reason why there is a "Bohr radius" for it is because this is simply a hydrogenic "atom", i.e. you have an negative charge (the electron) being bound by a central positive charge (the hole). So the Rydberg-type model applies to such exciton as far as the energy-orbital states are concerned.

Zz.
 
  • #4
Excitons

Excitons are indeed an electron-hole pair, and the important feature here is that they are correlated. I.e., there is a significant Coulomb interaction energy, and they are bound such that to separate them, one must supply an energy equivalent to the "exciton binding energy".
 

FAQ: Exploring Semiconductors: Understanding Excitons and their Bohr Radius

1. What are semiconductors?

Semiconductors are materials that have properties in between those of conductors (such as metals) and insulators (such as rubber). They are able to conduct electricity to a certain degree, making them useful in a variety of electronic devices.

2. What are excitons?

Excitons are quasiparticles that are formed when an electron is excited from its ground state to a higher energy state. They consist of an electron and a positively charged hole, which are bound together by the attractive force between them.

3. What is the Bohr radius?

The Bohr radius is a measure of the distance between the electron and the hole in an exciton. It is named after physicist Niels Bohr and is calculated using the mass and charge of the electron and the dielectric constant of the material.

4. How do excitons affect the properties of semiconductors?

Excitons play a crucial role in determining the optical and electrical properties of semiconductors. They can affect the absorption and emission of light, as well as the conductivity of the material. Understanding excitons is important for developing new and improved semiconductor technologies.

5. How are excitons studied and explored?

There are various experimental techniques used to study excitons, such as photoluminescence spectroscopy and time-resolved spectroscopy. Theoretical models and simulations are also used to explore the behavior of excitons in different materials. These methods help scientists gain a deeper understanding of the properties of semiconductors and their potential applications.

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