The Fermi Paradox Is Our Business Model
"The Fermi Paradox Is Our Business Model" is a science fiction short story by Charlie Jane Anders. It was first published in the online magazine Tor.com August 11, 2010.
Fermi level
The term, "Fermi level", is mainly used in discussing the solid state physics of electrons in semiconductors, and a precise usage of this term is necessary to describe band diagrams in devices comprising different materials with different levels of doping.
In these contexts, however, one may also see Fermi level used imprecisely to refer to the "band-referenced Fermi level", "µ" − "ϵ", called "ζ" above.
It is common to see scientists and engineers refer to "controlling", "pinning", or "tuning" the Fermi level inside a conductor, when they are in fact describing changes in "ϵ" due to doping or the field effect.
In fact, thermodynamic equilibrium guarantees that the Fermi level in a conductor is "always" fixed to be exactly equal to the Fermi level of the electrodes; only the band structure (not the Fermi level) can be changed by doping or the field effect (see also band diagram).
A similar ambiguity exists between the terms, "chemical potential" and "electrochemical potential".