Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Description

This is the first term of a theoretical treatment of the physics of solids. Topics covered include:

  1. Free Electron: Fermi Sea
    • Crystalline Lattices
    • Bloch's Theorem
    • Band Structure: OPW, APW, Tight-binding
    • Survey of Periodic Table

  2. How to Construct Lattice Potential?
    • Pseudo-potential
    • Electron-electron Interaction
    • Density Functional Theory
    • Screening, Lindhard Function
    • Linear Response Theory

  3. Methods of Testing Band Structures
    • Semiclassical Equation of Motion
    • de Haas van Alphen
    • Quantum Hall Effect

  4. Beyond Band Theory: Mott Insulator

  5. Phonons

  6. Electron-phonon Interaction

  7. Superconductivity
    • BCS Theory
    • Flux Quantization
    • Vortices and Type II Superconductors
    • Josephson Effect

Textbook

Buy at Amazon Marder, Michael P. Condensed Matter Physics. New York: Wiley, 2000. ISBN: 9780471177791.

Grading

The grade for the course is based upon weekly homework assignments (70%) and one quiz (30%).

ACTIVITIES PERCENTAGES
Homework Assignments 70%
Quiz 30%