Module overview
This course builds upon the Second Year Quantum Physics of Matter Course (PHYS2024) to form a complete basic course on the fundamentals of the physics of solids. After the course the student should have developed the necessary theoretical knowledge to enable them to understand and explain some of the most important properties of materials such as their melting temperature, electronic properties and magnetism.
The course will also provide the necessary grounding to allow students to move onto more advanced topics and research in this industrially and academically important field.
Linked modules
Pre-requisites: PHYS2001 AND PHYS2003 AND PHYS2006 AND PHYS2022 AND PHYS2023 AND PHYS2024
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Be able to explain how certain experimental data has led to the development of the basic theories of condensed matter physics and the boundaries of the applicability of these theories
- Be equipped to go deeper into condensed matter physics either by further advanced courses or research
- explain and predict a wide range of the important properties of materials such as bonding, magnetism, electronic transport
- Have some understanding of why condensed matter physics is interesting and important to society.
Syllabus
- Understand qualitatively the nature of bonding in solids. In particular, covalent, metallic, ionic, van der Waals and hydrogen bonding.
- Understand the scattering of x-rays, neutrons and electrons from a solid.
- Understand the concept of the crystal lattice, reciprocal lattice and Brillouin zones.
- Understand the formation of electronic bands in solids from atomic orbital’s and to be able to apply simple tight binding theory to understand the band structure of simple semiconductors and metals. And as part of this, to understand Bloch's theory and how the tight-binding and nearly free electron models of electronic bands inter-relate.
- Developed an understanding of the basic forms of magnetic properties in materials, i.e. diamagnetism, paramagnetism, ferromagnetism and anti-ferromagnetism, and be able to apply simple models to measurements of magnetic properties.
- Also to have a basic understanding of the formation of domains and the effect of pinning of domain walls in ferromagnets. Understand the nature of doping in semiconductors and how this can be used to create simple semiconductor devices.
Learning and Teaching
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Follow-up work | 18 |
Lecture | 36 |
Revision | 10 |
Wider reading or practice | 61 |
Preparation for scheduled sessions | 18 |
Completion of assessment task | 7 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
H P Myers (1977). Introductory Solid State Physics. Taylor and Francis.
N.W. Ashkroft and N.D. Mermin (1988). Solid State Physics. Thomson Learning.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Final Assessment | 90% |
Continuous Assessment | 10% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Set Task | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Set Task | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External