QuantumATK Forum

QuantumATK => General Questions and Answers => Topic started by: anjana on March 28, 2013, 03:03

Title: direction of flow of current
Post by: anjana on March 28, 2013, 03:03

In a two probe device IV calculation, what is the direction of flow of electron,when it is at positive bias

Left electrode chemical potential  =   -2.387412 eV                          |
|Right electrode chemical potential =   -2.287412 eV 

Regards,
Anjana

Title: Re: direction of flow of current
Post by: Anders Blom on March 28, 2013, 09:23

See http://quantumwise.com/documents/manuals/latest/ReferenceManual/index.html/ref.transmissionspectrum.html

Title: Re: direction of flow of current
Post by: anjana on April 29, 2013, 00:33

Dear Anders,

If the left electrode is at lower potential than right electrode, why the manual is saying that the direction of current is from left to right?? The current flow from higher potential to lower potential. Is it trying to  say that the flow of electrons is from left electrode to right?? Generally we know that current direction and flow of electron is opposite. This things is confusing me. Can you please elaborate??


Regards,
Anjana

Title: Re: direction of flow of current
Post by: Anders Blom on April 29, 2013, 00:39

I refer to the same place in the manual.

"A positive current flows when the applied voltage for the left electrode is higher than that of the right one. A positive current corresponds to the flow of charge from left to right, meaning that the flow of electrons is right-to-left (since electrons have a negative charge)."

Electrons will flow to the terminal with highest voltage, i.e. the current goes left to right (this is the flow of charge), but electrons go right to left, in this case of higher voltage on the left electrode.