Results for PHYSICS 172: Solid State Physics

Introduction to the properties of solids. Crystal structures and bonding in materials. Momentum-space analysis and diffraction probes. Lattice dynamics, phonon theory and measurements, thermal properties. Electronic structure theory, classical and quantum; free, nearly-free, and tight-binding limits. Electron dynamics and basic transport properties; quantum oscillations. Properties and applications of semiconductors. Reduced-dimensional systems. Undergraduates should register for PHYSICS 172 and graduate students for APPPHYS 272. Prerequisites: PHYSICS 170 and PHYSICS 171, or equivalents.

Introduction to the many-body aspects of crystalline solids. Second quantization of phonons, anharmonic effects, polaritons, and scattering theory. Second quantization of Fermi fields. Electrons in the Hartree-Fock and random phase approximation; electron screening and plasmons. Magnetic exchange interactions. Electron-phonon interaction in ionic/covalent semiconductors and metals; effective attractive electron-electron interactions, Cooper pairing, and BCS description of the superconducting state. Prerequisite: APPPHYS 272 or PHYSICS 172.

Introduction to the properties of solids. Crystal structures and bonding in materials. Momentum-space analysis and diffraction probes. Lattice dynamics, phonon theory and measurements, thermal properties. Electronic structure theory, classical and quantum; free, nearly-free, and tight-binding limits. Electron dynamics and basic transport properties; quantum oscillations. Properties and applications of semiconductors. Reduced-dimensional systems. Undergraduates should register for PHYSICS 172 and graduate students for APPPHYS 272. Prerequisites: PHYSICS 170 and PHYSICS 171, or equivalents.