How Electronic Energy Levels Get Modified in Potentially Bound Forms (Atoms, Molecules, Crystals)
Subhajit Samaddar ; Debiprasad Jana ; Malay Purkait ;
Electron in free state is not at all similar to that in bound system. A bound system is nothing but a system with modified potentials. The nature of potential effects on the solution of Schrodinger's equation. Hence the distribution of energy levels is modified along with. A free electron movement gives rise to continuous spectra but this is not the case always. In case of atoms the nature of barrier potential changes as one increases number of electrons from one (Hydrogen atom), two (Helium atom), three, four (Alkali atoms) and so on. In case of molecules the overlap of atomic orbitals and their symmetry have substantial effects on the energy spectra. Lastly, whenever one deals with lattice in case of crystalline structure the periodicity as well as defects in some of the concerns influence the energy spectra. Whenever the average potential due to core ions and neighbouring electrons are replaced by the periodic potentials which are quite obvious in case of crystalline structure, an array of allowed and forbidden bands of energy are availed. The allowed bands consist of series of sharp energy levels the numbers and spacing of which again are functions of nature of the potential energy barrier.