This book is a self-contained undergraduate textbook in solid state physics. Most excellent existing textbooks in this area are aimed at advanced students and/or have an encyclopaedic content, therefore, they are often overwhelmingly difficult and/or too wide for undergraduates. On the contrary, this book is designed to accompany a one-semester, second or third-year course aimed at a tutorial introduction to solid state physics.
The book is highly accessible and focuses on a selected set of topics (basically, the physics of phonons and electrons in crystals), whilst also providing substantial, in-depth coverage of the subject. Emphasis is given to the underlying physical basis or principle for each topic, although applications are covered when it is possible to link them to fundamental physical concepts in a simple way.
The author has taught undergraduate condensed matter physics for 17 years, and the book is based on this experience. Various pedagogical features are used in each chapter, including conceptual layout sections (defining the syllabus of each chapter), extensive use of figures (used to illustrate concepts, or to sketch experimental setups, or to present paradigmatic results) and highlights on the most important equations, definitions, and concepts.
Key Features
- Fills a gap for a self-contained undergraduate textbook in solid state physics
- Tailored for a one-semester course
- Focuses on a selected set of topics (basically, the physics of phonons and electrons in crystals), whilst also providing substantial, in-depth coverage of the subject
- Emphasises phenomenology rather than mathematics/formalism
- Uses various pedagogical features, including end-of-chapter exercises with solutions
Author(s): Luciano Colombo
Series: IOP Expanding Physics
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 314
City: Bristol
PRELIMS.pdf
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Author biography
Luciano Colombo
Presentation of the ‘Primer series’
Introduction to: ‘Atomic and Molecular Physics: a primer’
List of symbols
CH001.pdf
Chapter 1 The overall picture
1.1 The atomistic structure of matter
1.1.1 Do atoms exist?
1.1.2 What are atoms made of?
1.1.3 The nuclear atom
1.2 The quantum nature of physical laws
1.2.1 Atomic spectra: failure of classical physics
1.2.2 A necessary digression
1.2.3 Back to atomic spectra: the Bohr model
1.3 The dual nature of physical phenomena
1.3.1 Wave–matter duality
1.3.2 A constitutive equation for matter waves
References
CH002.pdf
Chapter 2 Essential quantum mechanics
2.1 The wavefunction
2.1.1 Definition
2.1.2 Properties
2.2 Quantum operators
2.2.1 Definition
2.2.2 Building a quantum operator
2.2.3 Eigenfunctions and eigenvectors
2.3 Time evolution
2.3.1 The Schrödinger equation
2.3.2 Stationary states
2.3.3 Non-stationary states
2.3.4 Reconciling quantum and classical physics
2.4 Systems of identical particles
2.4.1 Wavefunction symmetry
2.4.2 Pauli principle
2.5 Matrix notation
2.6 Perturbation theory
2.6.1 The concept of ‘perturbation’
2.6.2 Time-independent perturbations
2.6.3 Time-dependent perturbations
References
CH003.pdf
Chapter 3 One-electron atoms
3.1 The hydrogen atom
3.1.1 Problem definition and some useful approximations
3.1.2 Stationary states: the wavefunctions
3.1.3 Stationary states: the energy spectrum
3.1.4 Classifying the electronic shells
3.1.5 Atomic orbitals
3.2 Hydrogenic atoms
3.3 Magnetic moments and interactions
3.3.1 The action of a uniform magnetic field: the Zeeman effect
3.3.2 The action of a non-uniform magnetic field: the electron spin
3.4 Spin–orbit interaction
3.5 Other relativistic effects
3.6 Classifying the fine structure levels: the spectroscopic notation
3.7 Anomalous Zeeman and Paschen–Back effects
3.8 The action of an electric field
References
CH004.pdf
Chapter 4 Interaction of one-electron atoms with radiation
4.1 Emission and absorption of radiation
4.1.1 Problem definition and some useful approximations
4.1.2 Emission and absorption
4.1.3 Einstein coefficients
4.1.4 Population analysis
4.2 Microscopic theory of Einstein coefficients
4.3 Electric dipole selection rules for hydrogenic states
4.4 Forbidden transitions
4.5 The LASER
References
CH005.pdf
Chapter 5 Multi-electron atoms
5.1 Singlet–triplet states and exchange forces
5.2 A first step: the helium atom
5.2.1 The ground state
5.2.2 The excited states and the exchange interactions
5.2.3 The total wavefunction and the selection rules
5.2.4 The Heisenberg picture
5.3 The central-field approximation
5.3.1 The self-consistent-field method
5.3.2 Including spin-related features
5.4 The periodic system of the elements
5.5 Beyond the central-field approximation
5.5.1 Hartree, Hartree–Fock, and configuration interaction methods
5.5.2 The vector model: L–S and J–J coupling schemes
5.6 Selection rules
5.7 The action of an external magnetic field
References
CH006.pdf
Chapter 6 Molecules: general features
6.1 What is a molecule?
6.2 The Born–Oppenheimer approximation
6.3 Molecular bonding
6.3.1 Ionic bonding: the NaCl molecule
6.3.2 Covalent bonding: the H2 molecule
References
CH007.pdf
Chapter 7 Molecular vibrations and rotations
7.1 Molecular motions in diatomic molecules
7.1.1 Rotational spectra
7.1.2 Vibrational spectra
7.1.3 Roto-vibrational spectra
7.2 Rayleigh and Raman scattering
7.3 Nuclear motions in polyatomic molecules
7.3.1 Rotations
7.3.2 Vibrations
References
CH008.pdf
Chapter 8 Electronic structure of molecules
8.1 Problem definition
8.2 Molecular orbitals
8.3 Electronic configurations
8.3.1 The role of symmetry
8.3.2 Diatomic molecules
8.3.3 Polyatomic molecules
8.3.4 Orbital hybridisation
8.4 Electronic transitions: the Franck–Condon principle
References
CH009.pdf
Chapter 9 What is missing in this ‘Primer’
APP1.pdf
Chapter
Defining the mathematical problem
Determining the Φ-functions
Determining the Θ-functions
Determining the R-functions
References
APP2.pdf
Chapter
APP3.pdf
Chapter
References
APP4.pdf
Chapter
APP5.pdf
Chapter
APP6.pdf
Chapter
References
APP7.pdf
Chapter
References
APP8.pdf
Chapter
References
