Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Description

This is the first term of a theoretical treatment of the physics of solids. Topics covered include:

1. Free Electron: Fermi Sea
   • Crystalline Lattices
   • Bloch's Theorem
   • Band Structure: OPW, APW, Tight-binding
   • Survey of Periodic Table
     
     
2. How to Construct Lattice Potential?
   • Pseudo-potential
   • Electron-electron Interaction
   • Density Functional Theory
   • Screening, Lindhard Function
   • Linear Response Theory
     
     
3. Methods of Testing Band Structures
   • Semiclassical Equation of Motion
   • de Haas van Alphen
   • Quantum Hall Effect
     
     
4. Beyond Band Theory: Mott Insulator
   
   
5. Phonons
   
   
6. Electron-phonon Interaction
   
   
7. Superconductivity
   • BCS Theory
   • Flux Quantization
   • Vortices and Type II Superconductors
   • Josephson Effect

Textbook

Marder, Michael P. Condensed Matter Physics. New York: Wiley, 2000. ISBN: 9780471177791.

Grading

The grade for the course is based upon weekly homework assignments (70%) and one quiz (30%).