QUANTUM DENSITY OSCILLATIONS IN AN INHOMOGENEOUS ELECTRON GAS.
Abstract
An infinite system of electrons in its ground state, subject to a very slowly varying external potential, has slowly varying properties and can be described by a gradient expansion theory. However, when in addition either (1) there is a spatially rapidly varying perturbing potential or (2) there are regions in which the electron density drops to zero (e.g., electrons in an oscillator potential), the density and other properties of the system exhibit additional spatial oscillations, which we call quantum oscillations. An example are the Friedel oscillations in metals. A general theory is developed concerning these oscillations for one-dimensional, non-interacting electrons. Illustrations are worked out which show that when the quantum oscillations are superposed on the smooth 'semiclassical' results, one can obtain very accurate approximations to the exact densities. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 23, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0607712
Entities
People
- Lu Jeu Sham
- W. Kohn
Organizations
- University of California, San Diego