511 Solid State Physics

Spring Semester 2007, Tuesday and Thursday: 9:30 - 10:50 a.m. Room: physics 43

lecturer: Ruslan Prozorov, office: Zaffarano A119, office phone: 294-9901, prozorov@ameslab.gov

grader Helen Fretwell, fretwell@iastate.edu

prerequisites: 304 Thermal Physics and 322 Introduction to Modern Physics II

office hours: After lectures, 11AM-12PM

Texts:
N. W. Ashcroft and N. D. Mermin, "Solid State Physics", (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1976), ISBN: 0-030-83993-9.
Ch. Kittel, "Introduction to Solid State Physics", 8th Edition, (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 2004), ISBN 0-471-41526-X
A. A. Abrikosov, "Fundamentals of the Theory of Metals", (Elsevier Science Pub Co., 1988), ISBN: 0-444-87095-4.

Grading: Based on homework (40%), midterm exam (20%), and final exam (40%).

Homework: distributed each Tuesday, due week after


 Syllabus

Week
Date
Lecture#
Lectures/Exams
Homework
Solutions
1
Tu. 
Jan. 9
1

Introduction. General discussion of crystals.
periodicity of crystals; basic definitions; basis and lattice; Wigner-Seitz cell

 

 

Th. 
Jan. 11
2
Fundamental types of lattices
Point group symmetry; Bravais lattices in 2 and 3D; Miller indices of lattice planes
2
Tu. 
Jan. 16
3
Reciprocal lattice
Reciprocal lattice, Brillouin zone

HW1

due 1/23

Th. 
Jan. 18
4
Crystal Structure
X-ray diffraction 
3
Tu. 
Jan. 23
5
Classification of solids  
 ionic,  covalent and metallic bonding, van der Waals and Hydrogen bonds 

HW2

due 1/30

 
Th. 
Jan .25
6

Classification of solids-II
Cohesion energy (12-6 potential, Madelung constant)

4
Tu. 
Jan. 30
7
Lattice Vibrations
phonons, dispersion relation, group velocity, relation to Brillouin zone

HW3

due 2/06

Th. 
Feb. 01
8
Lattice Vibrations
quantum statistics of lattice vibrations, density of states
5
Tu. 
Feb. 06
9
Lattice Vibrations
Acoustic and optical phonons. Debay and Einstein models

HW4
due 2/13

Th. 
Feb. 08
10
Phonons
Specific heat, thermal conductivity of insulators
6
Tu. 
Feb. 13
11
Electrons in a Solid
Drude theory. Ohm's law. Equation ofmotion with damping under influence of uniform force.
HW5
due 2/20
Th. 
Feb. 15
12
Electrons in a Solid
Classical Hall effect. High frequency response. Plasma frequency.

7
Tu. 
Feb. 20
13
Electrons in a Solid
magnetic susceptibility, resistivity at different temperatures thermopower and heat
conductance;quantum statistics of free electrons, specific heat
HW6
due 2/27
Th. 
Feb. 22
14
Electrons in a Solid
Nearly free electrons, periodic potential, Bloch theorem
8
Tu. 
Feb. 27
15
Electrons in a Solid
 Band structure: weak potential and tight binding model 
 
Th. 
Mar. 01
16
Review 
summary of topics up to Lecture 15
9
Tu. 
Mar. 06
 Midterm Exam
I am away for the
APS March meeting.
Th. 
Mar. 08


10
Mo.-Fr.
Mar. 13-17

SPRING BREAK

11
Tu. 
Mar. 20
17
Discussion of the midterm exam
HW7
due 3/27 
Th. 
Mar. 22
18
Semiclassical transport
Wavepackets, equations of motion; Motion in electric and magnetic fields.
12
Tu. 
Mar. 27
19
Semiclassical theory of conduction in metals
DC and AC conductivity; Landau levels; Shubnikov-de Hass and de Haas van Alphen effects
HW8
due 4/03 
Th. 
Mar. 29
20
Semiclassical theory of conduction in metals
thermal conductivity; thermoelectric effects
13
Tu. 
Apr. 03
21

Selected experimental techniques
electromagnetic measurements

 HW9
due 4/10
Th. 
Apr. 05
22
Selected experimental techniques 
Magnetic resonance (NMR, EPR, FMR etc). Optical spectroscopy.
14
Tu. 
Apr. 10
23
Insulators
Dielectric properties; optical propertiers; pyroelectricity and ferroelectricity
HW10
due 4/17 
Th. 
Apr. 12
24
Semiconductors
band structure, carrier statistics
15
Tu. 
Apr. 17
25
Semiconductors - heterogeneous
impurity band conduction; physics of the p-n junction
HW11
due 4/24 
Th. 
Apr. 19
26
Effects of the nanoscale
16
Tu. 
Apr. 24
27
Defects in crystals. Amorphous metals.
thermodynamics and transport; polarons and excitons
Th. 
Apr. 26
28
GENERAL REVIEW BEFORE THE EXAM

MONDAY
30 April 2007

9:45 a.m.
11:45 a.m.
FINAL
EXAM

We will continue in the Fall with Phys 512 (Magnetism and Superconductivity)

Details for Spring Semester 2007