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Condensed Matter Physics 171.405/ 171.621
Fall 2011

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 The course will cover the 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.



Announcements

 Aug 31: The Monday class will stay at 3-4:15pm in Bloomberg 274 - we will not be able to reschedule it. Apologies to the students with conflict.  

Sep 2: Monday Sep 5th is Labor Day and JHU is closed.  

Sep 22: I will be away on Wed, Nov 9. We will have a make-up lecture on Tue, Nov 8 at 3pm, at Bloomberg 511.  

Nov 11: We will have two additional make-up lectures this month: Tue, Nov 15 and Tue Nov 29, both at 3pm, at Bloomberg 274.  

Dec 8: The final exam and the homework set # 5 are due on Dec 21, in my mailbox or in my office.  

Homework
Number
 Due Date
 Assignment
 Solutions
1
 Oct 24
 HW1
 		HW1 solutions
2
 Oct 31
 HW2
 		HW2 solutions
3
 Nov 21
 HW3
 		HW3 solutions
4
 Nov 28
 HW4
 		HW4 solutions
5
 Dec 21
 HW5

Final Exam
 Dec 21
 Final Exam


Syllabus
Days
 Topic
 Reading
Aug 31
 Introduction to condensed matter physics
 More is Different
Sep 5
 Labor Day
Sep 7
Drude model of electron gas
 AM Ch 1
Sep12, 14
 The free electron Fermi gas
 AM Ch 2 and 3, K Ch 6
Sep 19
 Periodicity and reciprocal lattice
 AM Ch 4 and 5, K Ch 1 and 2, Z Ch 1, M Ch 1
Sep 21
 The Bloch theorem
 AM Ch 8, M Ch 7
Sep 26, 28
 Band Stucture
 AM Ch 9 and 10, K Ch 7, Z Ch 3, M Ch 8
Oct 3, 5
 Fermi surface
 AM Ch 14, K Ch 9, Z Ch 9
Oct 10
 Fall Break Day
Oct 11, 12
 Phonons I
 AM Ch 21 and 22, K Ch 4
Oct 17, 19
 Phonons II
 AM Ch 23, K Ch 5
Oct 24, 26
 Crystal Structures
 AM Ch 7, K Ch 1
Nov 2, Nov 7
 Scattering
 AM Ch 6, K Ch 2
Nov 8
 Crystal binding
 AM Ch 19, K Ch 3
Nov 14, 15, 16
 Insulators and semiconductors
 AM Ch 27-29, K Ch 8, 14, 16, M Ch 21-23
Nov 21, 28
 Superconductivity
 AM Ch 34, K Ch 10, M Ch 27
Nov 29, 30
 Magnetism
 AM Ch 31-33, K Ch 11-12, M ch 24-26
Dec 21
 Final Exam
 All of the above

Exams and Grading

 Homework sets will be posted above and will be due as noted. Late homework will not be accepted. Each student will be expected to prepare a short presentation on a topic of interest towards the end of the semester. The final grade will be decided as follows:

Homework
 60%
Final
 40%

Students are expected to score at least 50% to receive a passing grade.

Class Hours
Lectures
 Monday, Wednesday
3:00-4:15pm
Bloomberg 274
Lecturer and Grader Info

Instructor
 		Grader

Prof. Nina Markovic
 		Se Kwon Kim
Email
 		nina@pha.jhu.edu
 		evolangel@gmail.com
Office
 		Bloomberg 339
 		Bloomberg 423
Phone
 		6-6422
 		6-0048
Office Hours
 		by appointment by appointment




Suggested
Textbooks

 
Solid State Physics
 		N. W. Ashcroft and N. D. Mermin
In order of preference

Introduction to Solid State Physics Charles Kittel
 
Theory of Solids
 		J. M. Ziman
 
Condensed Matter Physics
 		Michael Marder
 
Principles of Condensed Matter Physics
 		P. M. Chaikin and T. C. Lubensky