Introduction to solid-state physics (Winter term 2011/12)

Exam

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This course is designed for 5^th Semester BSc Students at the Technical University of Munich who are following one of the following focused study directions: Applied Engineering Physics, Nuclear and Particle Physics or Bio-Physics.  It will provide a first glimpse into the physics of solids or “condensed matter”, one of the major areas of physics and probably a global field that keeps the largest number of professors and scientists in our faculty busy.  

From a topical perspective, the course is divided into ten chapters spanning two parts.   These “two-parts” loosely correspond to the traditional Festkörperphysik I and II lectures from the Physik Diploma course at TUM.  A truly excellent German language script has been prepared by the group of Rudolf Gross at the Walter Meissner Institut (www.wmi.badw.de/teaching/Lecturenotes/index.html) that is much more comprehensive than the present one.  The course is divided into several parts that focus on the development of fundamental concepts (1 – 6), approximately equivalent to the Festkörperphysik I, and (7-10) loosely corresponding to Festkörperphysik II.  Whilst the breadth of material covered is similar to FKP I and II, it is obviously not possible in one semester to cover all material in the same depth as a course twice as long – that is why this course is an “Introduction to solid-state physics” !

PART 1

• Chapter 1: Introduction, Quantum mechanics of Electrons in Metals
  • Introduction and motivation (L1)
  • Failures of classical theories, Drude theory and specific heat of solids (L2-L3)
  • Free-electron (Sommerfeld) theory of metals, Wiedemann Franz law, Density of electronic states (L4-L6)
  • Shifting Fermi Spheres and Thermeonic Emission (L7)
• Chapter 2: The form of solids
  • Bonding in solids: Covalent, Ionic, Madelung constant, Metallic Bonds, van der Waal bonds, Hydrogen Bonding (L8-L10)
  • Bravais Lattices, Point symmetries, Common Crystal Structures  (L11-L12)
  • Scattering of X-Rays, The Reciprocal Lattice, Brillouin Zone, Experimental Geometries (L13-L14)
  • Scattering theory, atomic / geometrical structure factor (L15)                  
• Chapter 3: Vibrational properties of solids
  • The vibrational properties of the linear monatomic / diatomic chain (~2 lectures)
  • Density of states and connections with the specific heat of solids (~1 lecture)            
• Chapter 4: Band theory of electrons in solids (~4 lectures)
• The nearly free electron model of solids
• Origin of energy bandgaps
• Wavefunctions of band electrons - bloch functions - connections with reciprocal lattice
• Band degeneracy (Metals, Semi-metals and Semiconductors)
• A glimpse at tight binding theory of electronic states in solids
• Free electrons outside the 1st Brillouin zone - Fermi surfaces in metals

PART 2

• Chapter 5: Semiconductors (~5 lectures)
  • Properties of semiconducting materials (elemental and compound semiconductors)
  • Intrinsic and extrinsic materials
  • Electrons and holes - the hole as a quasiparticle in an upside down world...
  • Bandstructure of commonly encountered semiconductors
  • Equilibrium carrier statistics for intrinsic semiconductors
  • Doping of semiconductor - extrinsic carrier statistics
  • The p-n junction, basic semicodnuctor devices

There are a vast array of textbooks that deal with condensed matter physics and also many good resources online - they were summarized in the first lecture.  In addition, I'll provide you with a Tablet PC handwritten script that covers precisely the material we'll be covering in the lectures.

Handouts / lecture notes

• The files below with the tag "FULL" are the written script of the lectures including images and all text.  They appear AFTER the lecture has taken place.
• The files with the tag "IMAGES" are "empty PDFs" of the lectures that contain the images only.  You can download these BEFORE the lecture, print them and use them to make your own notes during class.
• The files with the tag "ONENOTE" are onenote files that can be downloaded BEFORE the lecture and used by those of you who are lucky enough to have a tablet PC and Microsoft OneNote.
• The files with the tag "SUMMARY" are one page summaries of the main points to learn from the lectures.