CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS 171.405 / 171.621
FALL 2009
Topic: Basic concepts of condensed matter physics: crystal
structure, diffraction and reciprocal lattices, electronic and optical
properties, ordered states of matter, band structure, phonons,
transport properties of solids, superconductivity and magnetism.
Class times: M,W 3:00 - 4:15
Classroom: Bloomberg 176
Instructor:
Professor N. Peter Armitage
npa@pha.jhu.edu
Office: Bloomberg 309
Phone: 6-0214
Office Hours: by appointment or by "just stopping by"
Grader/TA:
Jian Kang
jkang@pha.jhu.edu
Grades: 60% Homework, 40% Comprehensive take home final exam
Required Textbook:
"Solid-State Physics: An Introduction to Principles of Materials Science", by Harald Ibach and Hans Lüth --> Note: New book in 2009!
Supplementary Text:
"Solid State Physics", N.W. Ashcroft and N.D. Mermin (7 A & M), Thomson Learning (1976).
"Introduction to Solid-State Physics", 8th Edition, Charles Kittel
Other excellent resources:
"Advanced Solid State Physics", Philip Phillips
"Principles of Condensed Matter Physics", P. M. Chaikin and T.C. Lubensky (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995)
Britney Spears's Guide to Semiconductor Physics
Approximate Schedule: --> Tentative: Check back for updates!
Week 1 8/31 – 9/4: Introduction Condensed Matter Physics and crystal structures; Read "More is Different" and "A Theory of Everything" and I&L Ch. 2
(Optional A&M Ch. 4. Kittel Ch. 1)
Week 2 9/7 –9/11 (No Class Monday/Labor Day): Crystal Structures; Read I&L Ch. 2 and articles on Quasicrystals (here and here) (Optional read A&M Ch. 7 and Kittel Ch. 1)
Reciprocal Space; (Optional Read A&M Ch.
5 and Kittel Ch. 2)
Week 3 9/14 –9/18: Diffraction and Scattering; Read I&L Ch. 3 (Optional read A&M Ch. 6)
Week 4 9/21 –9/25: Quasi-free electron model,
Thermodynamics of the electron gas, Drude model; Read I&L Ch.
6 and A&M Ch. 1, (Optional read A&M Ch. 2 & 3 and Kittel
Ch. 6)
Week 5 9/28 – 10/2: Drude Model continued/Bandstructure,
Bloch’s theorem; Read I&L Ch. 7 (Optional read A&M Ch. 8 and Kittel Ch. 7)
Week 6 10/5 – 10/9: Band structure, Bloch’s theorem
continued, Read I&L Ch. 9 (Optional read A&M Ch.
9).
Week 7 10/12 – 10/16: Semiconductors; Read I&L Ch. 12 (Optional read A&M Ch. 28 and Kittel Ch. 8)
Week 8 10/19 – 10/23: Semiconductors continued/Metals and Fermi
surfaces; Read I&L Ch. 9 (Optional read A&M Ch. 10 and 12 and Kittel Ch. 9)
Week 9 10/26 –10/30: Metals and Fermi surfaces continued,
response of metals to magnetic fields (Optional read A&M Ch. 13 and 14)
Week 10 11/2 – 11/6: Crystal binding and
cohesion; Read I&L Ch. 1 (Optional read A&M Ch. 19 and 20
and Kittel Ch. 3)
Week 11 11/9 – 11/13: Phonons; Read I&L Ch. 4
(Optional read A&M Ch. 22 and Ch. 23 and Kittel Ch. 4)
Week 12 11/16 – 11/20: Phonons continued; Read I&L Ch. 5 (Optional Ch. 24 and Kittel Ch. 5)
Week 13 11/23 – 11/27 (Thanksgiving week, No class Wednesday):
Magnetism; Read I&L Ch. 8 (Optional read select topics in
A&M and Kittel Ch. 11 and 12)
Week 14 11/30 –12/4: Magnetism continued;
Week 15 12/7 –12/11: Superconductivity; Read select parts of I&L Ch. 10 (Optional read select
topics in A&M and Kittel Ch. 10)
Week 16 12/14 –12/4: Superconductivity continued; Note: Last class
Monday
Homework: --> Tentative: Check back for updates!
PS#1: Due Oct. 2nd
PS#2: Due Oct 26th Scanned Book Pages. A&M p1, A&M p2, I&L
PS #3: Due Nov. 11th
PS #4: Due Nov.30th
PS #5: Due Dec.
PS #6: Due Dec.
Homework due to the grader no later than one day after due date. No late HW! No exceptions!
