Blochstate
Blochstate is a term used in quantum mechanics to describe the quantum state of a particle in a periodic potential, such as electrons in a crystal lattice. It is named after the physicist Felix Bloch, who first introduced this concept. A Bloch state is a superposition of plane waves and is characterized by its wave vector k and its band index n. The wave vector k describes the momentum of the particle, while the band index n distinguishes different energy bands. The periodicity of the potential means that the energy of the particle is not a continuous function of its momentum but rather is grouped into energy bands, separated by band gaps.
The mathematical form of a Bloch state is given by the Bloch theorem, which states that the