A simple Fermi-Dirac integrating circuit

We present a simple circuit that performs Fermi-Dirac integration. The core of the circuit is a differential amplifier that we show is a model of a Fermi-Dirac system. The construction and characterization of the circuit requires students to apply knowledge of device physics, transistor circuit theory, and signal processing. The circuit construction is relatively simple and requires only a few components found in most electronics laboratories. (c) 2005 American Association of Physics Teachers. [DOI: 10.1119/1.1938951]