Solid State Physics PHY 524 Spring, 2011 I. INSTRUCTOR ...

Solid State Physics
PHY 524
Spring, 2011
I. INSTRUCTOR
Professor Lance De Long
Office: CP363 (257-4775)
Labs: CP75, CP158 (257-8883)
Office Hours: W 8:30-9:30 a.m.; T 12:20 – 13:10 p.m.
II. COURSE DESCRIPTION/MOTIVATION
PHY524 is a three-hour, intermediate-level, lecture and problem course providing an
introduction to the concepts and formalism of solid state or condensed matter physics for
physicists or other science majors. The Course is considered to be the single most important
introductory course for specialists in solid state physics, chemistry, or materials and electrical
engineering, and is prerequisite for most advanced or graduate courses in these areas of research.
The Course will meet TR in CP287, 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., beginning on January 13, 2011.
The UK Bulletin describes PHY524 as a course that provides a basic description of solids
in terms of crystal symmetry, reciprocal lattice, lattice vibrations, simple electronic band
structure, free electron model, and the basic physical properties of metals, semiconductors and
insulators. Primary emphasis will be placed on the nature and effects of the crystal symmetry of
solids, including electronic band structure, and selected thermodynamic and electromagnetic
properties such as heat capacity, magnetic susceptibility and electrical conductivity. Additional
material on surfaces, interfaces and low-dimensional systems will be added to the traditional
treatments of infinite crystalline solids wherever possible. These additions will make contact
with the recent upsurge in nanotechnologies and thin film devices common in information and
sensor applications, but will necessitate reductions of material on bonding, cohesive energy,
lattice vibrations, and thermal properties.
The Course will use simple theoretical models that will provide an introduction to more
general theoretical principles and additional applications that will be examined in detail in other
graduate courses in statistical mechanics and solid state physics. In particular, we will introduce
both classical thermodynamic and quantum statistical mechanical models of basic properties of
solids. We will emphasize so-called “single-particle” models, since quantum statistical models
of interacting systems of particles are extremely difficult to solve quantitatively. Alternatively,
classical macroscopic thermodynamic and electromagnetic treatments may also be introduced to
provide fairly accurate and intuitive formalisms for obtaining a basic understanding of
interacting systems.
III. REQUIRED MATERIALS AND PREREQUISITES
The required textbook is C. Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics (John Wiley and Sons,
New York, 2005, 8 th Ed.). A useful reference for macroscopic thermodynamics is the book by C.
J. Adkins, Equilibrium Thermodynamics (Cambridge, 3rd Ed., Cambridge, UK, 1983). The

PHY 524 Syllabus 2 Spring, 2011
Instructor will put a few other texts or references on reserve in the Chemistry/Physics Library, as
announced. There will also be a copy of the lecture notes, as amended on a semi-regular
schedule, on reserve in the CP Library.
Familiarity with multivariate calculus and partial derivatives will be essential. The course
will assume students are familiar with the elementary principles of electricity and magnetism,
thermodynamics, elementary statistical mechanics, and basic quantum mechanics, at least at the
levels of PHY 231, 232 and 361; nevertheless, background at the levels of PHY 522, 416, 417
and 520 will be very useful. Students enrolled in EE 524 can expect more difficulty in
understanding and using some of the mathematical models introduced in Upper Division
background courses (especially PHY522 and PHY520); however, the Instructor will assume that
Engineering students have no prior experience with this material when discussing relevant
models in Lecture.
IV. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The present Course will emphasize active involvement in class discussion, and the use of
logic and integrative thinking on the part of the student. Therefore, homework exercises will
develop the student's ability to independently apply the information and skills gained in the text,
lecture and previously assigned problems, to new situations. Additional out-of-class preparation
and careful attention in lectures will be necessary for students to learn important skills and
subject matter, and to help them ask productive questions during class time. Students should
also read relevant sections of the textbook or other references (on Reserve in the CP Library, for
example) before they are covered in Lecture. Therefore, students should expect to regularly
attend class and to spend around 10 hours per week on homework and background reading.
Homework problems will be assigned from lecture and the textbook. The student can expect
around four or five problems assigned per week, for around 4-5 points of credit for each problem
assigned. Past experience has shown that poor homework performance is highly correlated
with a low course grade.
V. GRADING
The “500-level” of this Course implies that it be taught at a level that both Upper Division
undergraduates and beginning graduate students can accommodate. Undergraduate students will
be assessed by the usual grade scale ranging from “A” to “E”, as outlined in the criteria for
assigning course grades contained in the University of Kentucky Bulletin 2010-2011. Note that
Graduate Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0, which differs from the
Undergraduate rules; in particular, a “C” grade is considered a “poor” performance for Graduate
Students. Consult the UK Graduate School Bulletin for details. The final course grade will be
based on:
A. Homework (total of scores), 40%
B. One Midterm Hour Exam, 20%
C. Final Exam, 40% (to be held in CP187 on Tuesday, May 3, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
VI. ATTENDENCE AND MAKE-UPS

PHY 524 Syllabus 3 Spring, 2011
PLEASE NOTE THAT STUDENTS WHO DO NOT ATTEND EITHER OF THE FIRST
TWO LECTURES OF THE COURSE MAY BE DROPPED FROM THE CLASS ROLE.
If you must miss an examination or cannot turn in a homework set, a make-up can be
arranged. Acceptable excuses include serious illness, official University activity (e.g., away
game, field trip), etc. Foreseeable absences, such as University activities, must be cleared with
your instructor at least one week in advance. Unforeseen absences must be excused by your
Instructor no later than one week after the fact in order for a make-up to be allowed. You may
not double-schedule classes or agree to out-of-class exams in conflict with PHY 524 exams --
these are not acceptable excuses. The Instructor has the right to request some form of
documentation justifying student absences, and has authority to judge the acceptability of the
excuse, consistent with University rules.
In extraordinary circumstances in which the student has a valid excuse for missing a large
number of assignments or the Final Exam, an "Incomplete" grade may be given, consistent with
University regulations.
VII. Course Evaluations
Course evaluations are an important (and mandatory!) component of our Department's
instructional program. An on-line course evaluation system was developed to allow each student
ample time to evaluate each component of the course and instructor, thus providing the
Department with meaningful numerical scores and detailed commentary while minimizing the
loss of instructional time in the classroom. The evaluation window for Spring, 2011 will open
Monday, April 11 to Wednesday, April 27th. To access the system during this time, simply go
the Department of Physics Web page at www.pa.uky.edu and click on the link for Course
Evaluations; then follow the instructions. You will need to use your student ID\# to log into the
system, and this will also allow us to monitor who has filled out evaluations. However, when you
log-in you will be assigned a random number that will keep all your comments and scores
anonymous.

PHY 524 Syllabus 4 Spring, 2011
VIII. COURSE SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE; 01/10/10 VERSION)
DATE ACTIVITY _____TOPIC READINGS/HW
PART ONE: THE STRUCTURE AND SYMMETRIES OF SOLIDS
R Jan 13 L1 Intro to Condensed Matter W2.5-2.8, 3.1-3.5;
C 1
M Jan 17 --- M. L. KING DAY HOLIDAY
T Jan 18 L2 Basics of Crystal Structure and Symmetry K 1; C 2; AM 4, 7;
M Chapts. 1-7
R Jan 20 L3 Crystal Planes and Miller Indices K 1; C 2.1-2.4;
HW#1 Due
T Jan 25 L4 Elastic Scattering of Waves by Crystals K 2; C 4.1-4.2
R Jan 27 L5 Lattice with Basis; Structure and Form Factors K 2; C 4.1-4.2;
HW#2 Due
T Feb 1 L6 Diffraction Conditions (Bragg, Laue) K 2; AM 6
W Feb 2 --- LAST DAY TO DROP COURSE
R Feb 3 L7 Properties of the Reciprocal Lattice; K 2; AM 5; HW#3
Brillouin Zones
Due
T Feb 8 L8 Structure of Surfaces and Interfaces K 17
PART TWO: STABILITY AND EXCITATIONS OF CRYSTAL LATTICES
R Feb 10 L9 Bonding in Solids; One-D van der Waals Model K 1,3; C5.1, 5.6; AM
19-20; W 2.7; HW#4
Due
T Feb 15 L10 Covalent Bonding; Hydrogen Molecular Ion C 5.1-5.2; K 3; L 9;
S 1; W 2.7; AM 19-20
R Feb 17 L11 General Covalent Bonding; Hard Core Repulsion C 5.3; AM 20; K3; W
2; S 1; HW#5 Due
T Feb 22 L12 Ionic Bonding K 3; C5.4; AM 20; A
1, 8.1; W 2.7

PHY 524 Syllabus 5 Spring, 2011
DATE ACTIVITY TOPIC READINGS/HW
R Feb 24 L13 Elastic Waves in 1-D, Monatomic Lattice (I); K 4; C 6.1-6.2;
Equation of Motion and Born-von Karman BC’s AM 22; HW#6 Due
T Mar 1 L14 Elastic Waves in 1-D, Monatomic Lattice (II) K 4; C 6.1-6.2;
AM 22
R Mar 3 HE1 FIRST HOUR EXAM K Chapts. 1-3
M Mar 7 --- MIDTERM: GRADES POSTED
T Mar 8 L15 Anharmonicity, Thermal Expansion, Conductivity K4
R Mar 10 L16 Elastic Waves in1-D Lattice with Basis K 4; C 6.3;
HW#7 Due
Mar 14-18 --- SPRING VACATION
T Mar 22 L17 Normal Modes, Dispersion Relations K 4, 5; C 6.4-6.5;
R Mar 24 L18 Quantized Lattice Vibrations (Phonons) K 5, App. C
HW#8 Due
T Mar 29 L19 Density of Phonon States in 1-D, 2-D and K 5;
3-D Cases
R Mar 31 L20 Debye and Einstein Models of 3-D Lattice K 5; AM 23;
HW#9 Due
F Apr 1 --- LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM COURSE
PART THREE: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF SOLIDS
T Apr 5 L21 Electrons in Periodic Potentials: Classification K 7; AM 8
Of Orbitals, Bloch’s Theorem, BvK B.C.’s
R Apr 7 L22 Bloch’s Theorem and Formal Symmetries K 7; C 7.2; AM 8;
HW#10 Due
T Apr 12 L23 Kronig-Penny Model I K 7
R Apr 14 L24 Kronig-Penny Model II K7; HW#11 Due
T Apr 19 L25 Nearly Free Electron (NFE) Model I K 7, AM 9; C 7.4

PHY 524 Syllabus 6 Spring, 2011
DATE ACTIVITY TOPIC READINGS/HW
R Apr 21 L26 Nearly Free Electron (NFE) Model II K 7, AM 9; C 7.4
HW#12 Due
T Apr 26 L27 Examples of Nearly Free Electron Model K 7, AM 9; C 7.4
R Apr 28 L28 Fermi Surface; Classification of Solids K 7, 9; AM
T May 3 FE FINAL EXAMINATION, CP287, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Coverage includes the contents of HE1.
M May 9 --- GRADES DUE TO REGISTRAR
KEY TO PRIMARY COURSE REFERENCES:
A: C. J. Adkins, “Equilibrium Thermodynamics”, 3 rd Edition (Cambridge U. Press, Cambridge,
1983)
AM:
N. W. Ashcroft and N. D. Mermin, “Solid State Physics”, 1 st Edition (Saunders College,
Philadelphia, 1976)
B: J. S. Blakemore, “Solid State Physics” (Cambridge University Press, 2 nd Ed., Cambridge, 1985)
C: J. R. Christman, “Fundamentals of Solid State Physics” (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1988)
E: R. M. Eisberg, “Fundamentals of Modern Physics” (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1961)
K: C. Kittel, “Introduction to Solid State Physics”, 8 th Edition (John Wiley and Sons, New York,
2005)
L: R. B. Leighton, “Principles of Modern Physics” (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1959)
LL:
L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, “Electrodynamics of Continuous Media” (Addison-Wesley,
Reading, MA, 1960)
M: H. D. Megaw, “Crystal Structures: A Working Approach”, 1 st Edition (W. B. Saunders,
Philadelphia, 1973)
MK: J. P. Mc Kelvey, “Solid State and Semiconductor Physics” (Krieger, 1982)
RM: J. R. Reitz and F. J. Milford, “Foundations of Electromagnetic Theory” (Addison-Wesley
` Publishing, Reading, MA, 1967).
S: J. C. Slater, “Quantum Theory of Molecules and Solids”, 1 st Edition (McGraw-Hill, New York,
1965)

PHY 524 Syllabus 7 Spring, 2011
VV:
J. H. Van Vleck, “Electric and Magnetic Susceptibilities” (Oxford University Press, London,
1966)
W: A. J. Walton, “Three Phases of Matter”, 2 nd Edition (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1983)

PHY 524 Syllabus 8 Spring, 2011
PHY524 COURSE OUTLINE S’04
I. PART ONE: THE STRUCTURE OF SOLIDS
A. Crystallography
1. Crystal Symmetry
a. Lattice Translations
b. Basis
c. Primitive Cell
2. Fundamental Bravais Lattice Types
3. Lattice Planes
B. Crystal Structure Determination
1. Bragg Law
2. Reciprocal Lattice
3. Diffraction Conditions
4. Brillouin Zone
5. Structure and Atomic Form Factors
QUASICRYSTALS
C. Crystal Binding
1. Van der Waals
2. Ionic
3. Covalent
4. Metallic
5. Hydrogen
6. Atomic Radii
7. Elasticity
D. Crystal Vibrational Modes
1. Monatomic Lattice
2. Diatomic Lattice
3. Quantization of Elastic Waves (Phonons)
4. Crystal Momentum
5. Inelastic Scattering Methods
6. Debye-Waller Effect
II. THERMODYNAMICS OF THE CRYSTAL LATTICE
A. Quantization of Lattice Vibrations
1. Normal Modes of Vibration
2. Density of States
3. Bose-Einstein Distribution
4. Debye Model
5. Einstein Model
6. General Methods
B. Anharmonic Effects and Transport Effects
1. Anharmonicity and Thermal Expansion
2. Scattering of Phonons
3. Thermal Conductivity

PHY 524 Syllabus 9 Spring, 2011
4. Soft Phonons and Phase Transitions
III. ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF SOLIDS
A. Free-Electron Model of Metals
1. Wavefunctions for 1-3 Dimensions
2. Density of States
3. Fermi-Dirac Distribution
4. Heat Capacity
B. Debye-Sommerfeld Model
1. Electrical Conductivity
2. Thermal Conductivity
THERMOELECTRICITY
MAGNETOTRANSPORT
NANOSTRUCTURES
SUPERLATTICES
C. Electronic Band Structure and Nearly Free Electron Models
1. Bloch States
2. Kronig-Penny Model
3. Empty Lattice and Zone Boundary Effects
D. Semiclassical Electron Dynamics
1. Band Gap, Electrons and Holes
2. Equation of Motion for Finite Electric and Magnetic Fields
3. Effective Mass Approximation
4. Intrinsic Carriers in Semiconductors
5. Extrinsic Carriers in Semiconductors
6. Zener Breakdown, Diodes
E. Fermi Surface of Metals
1. Wannier States
2. Fermi Surface
3. Wigner-Seitz Cells, Brillouin Zones
4. Zone Schemes (Reduced, Periodic
F. Band Structure Calculations
1. Tight Binding
2. Wigner-Seitz
3. Pseudopotentials
G. Determination of Fermi Surfaces
1. Landau Levels (Quantum Limit)
2. de Haas-van Alphen, Shubnikov-de Haas Effects
3. Electron Orbits
4. Magnetic Breakdown
PART FOUR: DEFECTS AND SURFACE EFFECTS IN SOLIDS
A. Lattice Vacancies

PHY 524 Syllabus 10 Spring, 2011