Light and heavy holes and e-k diagrams

[Mayukh]

heavy holes

what are heavy and light holes???? and what's crystal momentum???? and can sumone tell me this.... is it possible to have an an e-k diag where E=0 when k=0? ok now i've seen that diag....now E's K.E,ok?? But then in some other diags,they show that when k=0,E=Ec(Energy at the c.b edge). But then THIS 'E' cannot be K.E...it has to be K.E+P.E..by energy conservation!! Sumone,plz help!!!![/b][/i]

 

[timof]

ek diagram heavy

Heavy and light holes (also - holes in so-called split-off band) are just different types of holes (like different types of atoms or molecules occupying the same volume). Concentration of heavy holes is much higher than that of light holes, due to their larger mass and thus density of states.

The energy-wavevector (E-k) relationship is shows the dependence of total energy (i.e. kinetic plus potential energy) on the wavevector. Wavevector k is defined as particle (electron, hole,...) momentum divided by Planck's constant (hbar). Since the absolute value of the potential energy is unimportant, you can change the scale so that E=0 at k=0.