Mott criterion 2026-10-20
The approximate donor metal-insulator threshold is often written . It estimates when overlap and screening destroy isolated donor localization. The numerical coefficient is empirical and not a universal exact result; disorder, compensation and anisotropy can shift the threshold.[ref]
The Mott criterion: So simple and yet so complex by Alexander Pergament and others. Abstract and effective-radius scaling
A hydrogenic donor has the effective Bohr radius of a hydrogenic donorusing the external .[ref]
CODATA recommended values of the fundamental physical constants 2014 by National Institute of Standards and Technology. Bohr radius
Increasing donor density causes donor states to overlap and screens their binding, allowing a metallic impurity system rather than isolated frozen-out donors.Using the standard approximate Mott criterion, , givesThe factor 0.25 is an externally documented empirical criterion, not supplied exam data or an exact universal threshold.[ref]
The Mott criterion: So simple and yet so complex by Alexander Pergament and others. Abstract and discussion of the effective-Bohr-radius criterion
An order-of-magnitude overlap argument without that prefactor would give . Compensation, disorder and multivalley anisotropy affect a real material's transition; this estimate uses the scalar mass and permittivity actually supplied, without substituting other germanium parameters.