Hi people,
I dont understand why when we apply the electric field to the metal Ef remains the same. Ef as translation energy of electrons remains the same but we accelerate the electrons with applied electric field so the translation energy increases too? In other hand according the formula for Ef(m*,N/L^3), where m* is the effective mass depends only on material, N/L^3-number of electrons in unit volume-depends on material too. So it turns out that the Ef actually depends only on properties of the metal.
Please take a look at the attached picture.
Thank you.
Electric potential changes Fermi level of charged particles. But ststic electric field can not almost penetrate to metals. Because the concentration of free electrons in metals is very high. The curent density is proportional to elementary charge, mobility, concentration of carge carriers and GRADIENT of FERMI LEVEL. So, even the curent density in metals is not zero, the gradient of Fermi level is close to zero.
Thank you for your answer. But if this is not the static field and it penetrates the metal (X-Rays or part of UV range) how the fermi sphere would react in concept of my attached figure? The sphere will be shifted and then what?
Thank you.
Soft X-Rays or a part of UV range cases are neither equilibrium nor uniform as produced during the energy absorption photoelectrons and Compton electrons lead to a sharp attenuation in metals. Probably the "Disturbed sphere" notion is not really applicable here.
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