CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS 171.405 / 171.621

FALL 2008

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:
Hongyu Guo
hguo5@jhu.edu


 Grades:  60% Homework, 40% Comprehensive take home final exam


Required Textbook:
"Solid State Physics", N.W. Ashcroft and N.D. Mermin (7 A & M), Thomson Learning (1976).

Supplementary Text:
"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 andT.C. Lubensky (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995)
Britney Spears's Guide to Semiconductor Physics
 

Approximate Schedule:  -->   Tentative:  Check back for updates!

Week 1 9/8 – 9/12: Introduction Condensed Matter Physics and Crystal structures; Read "More is Different" and "A Theory of Everything" and A&M Ch. 4. (Optional Kittel Ch. 1)

Week 2 9/15 –9/19:  Crystal Structures; Read A&M Ch. 7 and articles on Quasicrystals (here and here).  (Optional Kittel Ch. 1)
                                 Reciprocal Space; Read A&M Ch. 5  (Optional Kittel Ch. 2)

Week 3 9/22 –9/26: Quasi-free electron model, Thermodynamics of the electron gas, Drude model;  Read A&M Ch. 1,2 & 3 (Optional Kittel Ch. 6)

Week 4 9/29 –10/3:  Diffraction and Scattering;    Read A&M Ch. 6   (NPA gone.  One guest lecture by Prof. Leheny)

Week 5 10/6 – 10/10: Drude Model continued/Bandstructure, Bloch’s theorem; Read A&M Ch. 8 (Optional Kittel Ch. 7)

Week 6 10/13 – 10/17: Band structure, Bloch’s theorem continued (No Class Monday/Fall Break Day);  Read A&M Ch. 9.

Week 7 10/20 – 10/24: Semiconductors;  Read A&M Ch. 28  (Optional Kittel Ch. 8)

Week 8 10/17 – 10/31: Semiconductors continued/Metals and Fermi surfaces;  Read A&M Ch. 10 and 12 (Optional Kittel Ch. 9)

Week 9 11/3 –11/7:  Metals and Fermi surfaces continued, response of metals to magnetic fields; Read A&M Ch. 13 and 14

Week 10 11/10 – 11/14:  Crystal binding and cohesion;  Read A&M Ch. 19 and 20 (Optional Kittel Ch. 3)

Week 11 11/17 – 11/21:  Phonons; Read A&M Ch. 22 and Ch. 23  (Optional Kittel Ch. 4)

Week 12 11/24 – 11/28:  Phonons continued;  Read  Ch. 24   (Optional Kittel Ch. 5)

Week 13 12/1 – 12/5:  Magnetism; Read select topics in A&M and Kittel Ch. 11 and 12

Week 14 12/8 –12/12:  Superconductivity;  Read select topics in A&M and Kittel Ch. 10     Note: Last class Monday

Note that not all listed chapters of A&M must be read in their entirety.  Base your reading of these chapters on the subjects of lectures in class.


Homework:  -->   Tentative:  Check back for updates!

PS#1: Due Oct. 1st & Solu#1

PS#2: Due Oct 25th & Solu#2

PS #3: Due Nov. 7th& Solu#3

PS #4:  Due Nov.19th

PS #5:  Due Dec 5th:  Note that the HW is worth 1.5 times a normal HW

Homework due to the grader no later than one day after due date. No late HW!  No exceptions!