PHYS20252 Fundamentals of Solid State Physics

Aims:

 * 1) To introduce models which describe the structure, properties and interactions of one-electron and many-electron atoms.
 * 2) To introduce the fundamental principles of solid state physics, taking wave motion in a crystal as the unifying concept; the waves include X rays, lattice vibrations and de Broglie waves of electrons.
 * 3) To show how the form of the electron wave functions, their energies, and their occupation by electrons help us to understand the differences between metals, insulators and semi-conductors.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion, successful students will be able to:


 * 1) demonstrate a detailed understanding of the quantum-mechanical description of one-electron and multi-electron atoms
 * 2) demonstrate an understanding of wave motion in periodic structures, being able to calculate the phonon dispersion relation for a chain of atoms;
 * 3) show an understanding of how electron wave functions and energies are changed by the presence of the periodic crystal potential;
 * 4) explain how the electrical properties of metals, insulators and semiconductors are related to their electronic structure.
 * 5) demonstrate an understanding of the functionality of the p/n junction

Official Materials

 * Handout A: Results for H-Atom
 * Handout B: Magnetic Dipoles, Orbital Angular Momentum, Larmor Precession, Spin, Spin-orbit Interaction, Zeeman Effect
 * In the part titled Classical Result, it is stated that L = –mv×r, when we normally see it as L = r×mv. Since A×B = –B×A
 * Handout C Part 1: First-order non-degenerate time-independent perturbation theory

Other Materials

 * Principles of Quantum Mechanics - Shankar