Jan 24
Zephyr Lucas' Comps Presentation
Zephyr Lucas’s Comps Presentation
Wednesday, January 24th
3:10 pm in Olin 141
Diodes
Diodes are deceivingly complex and fascinating electronic devices. While most materials have fairly straightforward electrical properties that can be described by Ohm's law, diodes do not. First, we explore the mathematical intuition for how it is possible that diodes do not obey Ohms law. Second, as band theory can give us insight into the electrical properties and physical phenomena exhibited by diodes, we explore two different models, namely the Kronig-Penney model and the Ziman model, as these offer different perspectives on band theory. Next, we apply the insights of band theory to the pn-junction to describe its electrical properties. Finally, having established a basic understanding of diodes, we then consider various diode applications, such as AC to DC rectification, light detectors and solar cells, and a variety of other uses.