Course syllabus
Fasta tillståndets teori
Solid State Theory
FFF051, 7,5 credits, A (Second Cycle)
Valid for: 2013/14
Decided by: Education Board B
Date of Decision: 2013-04-10
General Information
Main field: Nanoscience.
Elective for: F4, F4-tf, F4-nf, N4-nf
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English
Aim
The course shall provide a better understanding of central
concepts in solid state physics and their relation to the basic
theories of quantum mechanics and electrodynamics. The students
shall learn how these concepts can be applied to model physical
effects quantitatively. Particular emphasis is given towards topics
relevant to ongoing research in solid state physics and nanoscience
in Lund.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must
- understand the concept of electronic bandstructure in crystals
and be able to relate it to basic quantum mechanics,
- be able to estimate how scattering processes affect the
transport properties in semiconductors and metals,
- be able to explain the microscopic origin of para-, dia-, and
ferromagnetism within simplified models,
- understand the concept of a mean field approximation,
- have a comprehension how the dielectric function in a solid is
affected by phonons, optical transitions and many-particle
interactions,
- have an overview of superconductivity and have some knowledge
of the microscopic BCS ground state
Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must
- be able to apply envelope function to the modeling of
semiconductor heterostructures,
- be able to handle simple problems in many-particle quantum
theory using the occupation number representation,
- be able to execute elementary quantitative calculations for
optical properties of solids, such as the gain spectrum of a
semiconductor laser,
Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must
- be able to value the hierarchy of concepts in solid state
physics,
- be able to see the utility of basic theoretical physics for
practical problems.
Contents
Band structure of crystals and semiconductor heterostructures,
Electron transport and scattering processes, Magnetism, Density
matrix formalism and optical Bloch equations for semiconductor
lasers, Dielectric properties, Coulomb interaction and excitons,
Superconductivity
Examination details
Grading scale: TH
Assessment: Assessment takes the form of an oral or written examination.
Admission
Required prior knowledge: FFFF05 Solid State Physics or FFFF01 Electronic Materials, FMFN01 Quantum Mechanics, Advanced Course or similar knowledge. Basic knowledge of electromagnetism and preferably statistical physics.
The number of participants is limited to: No
Reading list
- H. Ibach and H. Lüth, Solid State Physics (Springer, 2003), or C. Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Phyics (John Wiley & Sons, 1996), or D. W. Snoke, Solid State Physics (Addison-Wesley, 2008) as well as additional lecture notes covering more theoretical issues.
Contact and other information
Course coordinator: Andreas Wacker, Andreas.Wacker@fysik.lu.se
Course homepage: http://www.teorfys.lu.se/education/FYST25/