Condensed Matter Physics I module (PH41007)

In this module, you will study the properties of materials including the behaviour of atoms and molecules in a crystal lattice, and how they interact with each other to give rise to the material's physical properties.  

Topics include: 

• Crystal structure, types of lattices, index system for planes, imaging atomic structure. 

• Wave diffraction, Bragg scattering, Brillouin zones, the basis. 

• Crystal binding and elastic constants, different types of crystal binding, elastic properties. 

• Phonons, phonon momentum, inelastic scattering by phonons. Phonon heat capacity, thermal conductivity. 

• Free electron Fermi gas, Fermi-Dirac Distribution, electrical conductivity. 

• Nearly free electron model, Bloch functions, Kronig-Penney Model, orbitals, and bands. 

• Semiconductors, band gap, intrinsic and impurity conductivity. Superlattices. 

• Fermi surfaces and metals, simple Fermi surfaces, experimental methods.  

• Review of magnetic properties of matter.