Application to the Model of the Solid

All of these observations and conclusions have implications for the types of impurities in the solids that phosphoresce. With the Kronig-Penny Model of a solid we can investigate the depth of the impurity wells relative to that of the other “atoms” in the solids. Use Energy Band Creator to create a model solid that begins to approximate the band and gap structure of phosphorescent materials. (Because the program operates with a small number of atoms, you will only be able to obtain a rough idea only.)

 

As you manipulate the variables in the program, determine what variables strongly affect the energy bands and gaps. With this type of information engineers can create appropriate mixtures of atoms to design glow-in-the-dark material.