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
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 150
City: Bristol
PRELIMS.pdf
Foreword
Presentation of the ‘primer series’
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Acknowledgements
Introduction to: ‘Solid state physics: a primer’
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Acknowledgements
Author biography
Luciano Colombo
Symbols
CH001.pdf
Chapter 1 The overall picture
1.1 Basic definitions
1.2 Synopsis of atomic physics
1.2.1 Atomic structure
1.2.2 Angular and magnetic momenta
1.2.3 Electronic configuration
1.3 Setting up the atomistic model for a solid state system
1.3.1 Semi-classical approximation
1.3.2 Frozen-core approximation
1.3.3 Non-magnetic and non-relativistic approximations
1.3.4 Adiabatic approximation
1.4 Mastering many-body features
1.4.1 Managing the electron problem: single-particle approximation
1.4.2 Managing the ion problem: classical approximation
References
CH002.pdf
Chapter 2 The crystalline atomic architecture
2.1 Translational invariance, symmetry, and defects
2.2 The direct lattice
2.2.1 Basic definitions
2.2.2 Direct lattice vectors
2.2.3 Bravais lattices
2.2.4 Lattice planes and directions
2.3 Crystal structures
2.3.1 The basis
2.3.2 Classification of the crystal structures
2.3.3 Packing
2.4 The reciprocal lattice
2.4.1 Fundamentals of x-ray diffraction by a lattice
2.4.2 Von Laue scattering conditions
2.4.3 Reciprocal lattice vectors
2.4.4 The Brillouin zone
2.5 Lattice defects
2.5.1 Point defects
2.5.2 Extended defects
2.6 Classification of solids
2.7 Cohesive energy
References
CH003.pdf
Chapter 3 Lattice dynamics
3.1 Conceptual layout
3.2 Dynamics of one-dimensional crystals
3.2.1 Monoatomic linear chain
3.2.2 Diatomic linear chain
3.3 Dynamics of three-dimensional crystals
3.4 The physical origin of the LO–TO splitting
3.5 Quantum theory of harmonic crystals
3.6 Experimental measurement of phonon dispersion relations
3.7 The vibrational density of states
References
CH004.pdf
Chapter 4 Thermal properties
4.1 The lattice heat capacity
4.1.1 Historical background
4.1.2 The Debye model for the heat capacity
4.1.3 The general quantum theory for the heat capacity
4.2 Anharmonic effects
4.2.1 Thermal expansion
4.2.2 Phonon–phonon interactions
4.3 Thermal transport
References
CH005.pdf
Chapter 5 Elastic properties
5.1 Basic definitions
5.1.1 The continuum picture
5.1.2 The strain tensor
5.1.3 The stress tensor
5.2 Linear elasticity
5.2.1 The constitutive equation
5.2.2 The elastic tensor
5.2.3 Elasticity of homogeneous and isotropic media
5.3 Elastic moduli
5.4 Thermoelasticity
References
CH006.pdf
Chapter 6 Electrons in crystals: general features
6.1 The conceptual framework
6.2 The Fermi–Dirac distribution function
6.3 The Bloch theorem
6.4 Electrons in a periodic potential
References
CH007.pdf
Chapter 7 Free electron theory
7.1 General features of the metallic state
7.2 The classical (Drude) theory of the conduction gas
7.2.1 Electrical conductivity
7.2.2 Optical properties
7.2.3 Thermal transport
7.2.4 Failures of the Drude theory
7.3 The quantum (Sommerfeld) theory of the conduction gas
7.3.1 The ground-state
7.3.2 Finite temperature properties
7.3.3 More on relaxation times
7.3.4 Failures of the Sommerfeld theory
References
CH008.pdf
Chapter 8 The band theory
8.1 The general picture
8.1.1 Bands and gaps
8.1.2 The weak potential approximation
8.1.3 Band filling: metals, insulators, semiconductors
8.2 The tight-binding method
8.2.1 Bands in a one-dimensional crystal
8.2.2 Bands in real solids
8.3 General features of the band structure
8.3.1 Parabolic bands approximation
8.3.2 Electron dynamics
8.3.3 Electric field effects
8.3.4 Electrons and holes
8.3.5 Effective mass
8.4 Experimental determination of the band structure
8.5 Other methods to calculate the band structure
References
CH009.pdf
Chapter 9 Semiconductors
9.1 Some preliminary concepts
9.1.1 Doping
9.1.2 Density of states for the conduction and valence bands
9.2 Microscopic theory of charge transport
9.2.1 Drift current in a weak field regime
9.2.2 Scattering
9.2.3 Carriers concentration
9.2.4 Conductivity
9.2.5 Drift current in a strong field regime
9.2.6 Diffusion current
9.2.7 Total current
9.3 Charge carriers statistics
9.3.1 Semiconductors in equilibrium
9.3.2 Chemical potential in intrinsic semiconductors
9.3.3 Chemical potential in doped semiconductors
9.3.4 Law of mass action
9.3.5 Semiconductors out of equilibrium
9.4 Optical absorption
9.4.1 Conceptual framework
9.4.2 Phenomenology of optical absorption
9.4.3 Inter-band absorption
9.4.4 Excitons
References
CH010.pdf
Chapter 10 Density functional theory
10.1 Setting the problem and cleaning up the formalism
10.2 The Hohenberg–Kohn theorem
10.3 The Kohn–Sham equations
10.4 The exchange-correlation functional
10.5 The practical implementation and applications
References
CH011.pdf
Chapter 11 What is missing in this ‘Primer’
APP1.pdf
Chapter
Reference
APP2.pdf
Chapter
B.1 Alloys
B.2 Polycrystals
B.3 Quasi-crystals
References
APP3.pdf
Chapter
C.1 Basic definitions
C.2 Internal energy
C.3 Thermodynamic potentials
C.4 Some thermodynamic materials properties
References
APP4.pdf
Chapter
D.1 The rigid ion model
D.2 The shell model
D.3 The bond charge model
References
APP5.pdf
Chapter
E.1 Identical particles
E.2 Fermi–Dirac statistics
E.3 Bose–Einstein statistics
References
APP6.pdf
Chapter
References
APP7.pdf
Chapter
G.1 From atomic orbitals to Bloch sums
G.2 The two-centre approximation
G.3 Calculating the hopping energy integrals
G.4 Tight binding at work
References
APP8.pdf
Chapter
References
APP9.pdf
Chapter
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