PH5520 Materials Physics ... (3-0-0) s [alternate years] ... 3 Cr

Next Offered: Spring 2008

Prerequisite: graduate standing and permission of instructor.

Text Spring, 2006:

• Optical Waves in Crystals, Amnon Yariv & Pochi Yeh (ISBN 0471-09142-1)

Introductory level:

• Solid State Physics, Hook & Hall, 1991.
• Introductory Solid State Physics, 1990.

Intermediate level:

• Introduction to Solid State Physics, Kittel, 1996
• Solid State Physics, Burns, 1990
• Electronic Properties of Materials, Hummel, 1997

Advanced Level

• Solid State Physics, Ibach and Luth, 1995
• Solid State Physics, Ashcroft and Mermin, 1976

Typical Syllabus (Approximate number of weeks)

• Weeks 1-2
  Materials classification and structure.
  Thermodynamics of single-phase systems.
  Lattice crystallography. Reciprocal lattice.
  Crystal binding and elastic constants. Introductory theory of elasticity.
• Weeks 3-4
  Thermodynamics of solid solutions.
  Phase diagrams. Phase transformations.
  Crystallization and growth models.
  Growth techniques for bulk single crystals and thin films.
• Weeks 5-6
  Connection between physical properties of materials and their structural properties.
  Crystal imperfections. Point defects. Dislocations and stacking faults.
  Boundaries, surfaces and interfaces.
• Week 7
  Engineering materials, their properties and classification.
  Mechanical properties. Plastic deformation. Brittleness.
  Dynamics of dislocations and microcracks.
• Weeks 8-9
  Electronic materials, their properties and characterization.
  Band theory, Brillouin zones and Fermi surfaces.
  Electron dynamics in metals and semiconductors. Hall effects and magnetoresistance.
  Landau levels and oscillatory effects in magnetic fields.
• Weeks 10-11
  Optical and optoelectronic materials, their properties and characterization.
  Photons and optical properties.
  Kramers-Kroenig relations.
  Free-carrier absorption and interband transitions.
  Raman spectra.
• Weeks 12-13
  Magnetic materials.
  Magnetic scattering, magnons and spin waves.
  Paramagnetism and Hund's rules.
  Neel model. Ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, domains and Bloch walls.
• Week 14 Dielectrics, piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics.
  Dielectric constant, dispersion and susceptibility.
  Phase transitions and soft modes.
  Pyroelectric materials.
• Week 15
  Superconducting materials.
  Magnetic and electric effects. London's equation.
  Outline of Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. Josephson effects. High-temperature superconductivity.
• Week 16 Topical Presentation Sessions and Final Exam.