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Non-occupation probability 5kT above Fermi level

Short answer

Fermi-Dirac occupation probability f = 1/(1 + e^(E-E_F)/kT). For E - E_F = 5kT, f = 1/(1 + e⁵) ≈ 0.0067. Probability not occupied = 1 - f = e⁵/(1 + e⁵) ≈ 0.9933 (99.33%).

Find the probability that an energy state 5KT above the Fermi level will not occupied by an electron.

The probability that a state of energy EE is occupied is given by the Fermi–Dirac function

f(E)=11+exp⁡(E−EFkT)f(E) = \frac{1}{1 + \exp\left(\dfrac{E - E_F}{kT}\right)}

The probability that it is not occupied (empty) is 1−f(E)1 - f(E).

Given: E−EF=5kTE - E_F = 5kT.

f(E)=11+e5=11+148.41=1149.41=0.006691−f(E)=1−0.00669=0.99331\begin{aligned} f(E) &= \frac{1}{1 + e^{5}} = \frac{1}{1 + 148.41} = \frac{1}{149.41} = 0.00669 \\ 1 - f(E) &= 1 - 0.00669 = 0.99331 \end{aligned}

Equivalently, 1−f(E)=e51+e5=148.41149.41=0.99331 - f(E) = \dfrac{e^5}{1 + e^5} = \dfrac{148.41}{149.41} = 0.9933.

Answer: the probability that the state is not occupied is 0.9933 (99.33 %).

A state 5kT5kT above EFE_F (about 0.13 eV at 300 K) is almost always empty; only 0.67 % of such states hold an electron. The answer is the same at every temperature because the energy is expressed in units of kTkT.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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