PHYS4050 Solid State Physics
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PHYS4050 Solid State Physics

This course aims at providing students with the essential concepts of solid state physics and an understanding of the properties of matter. The properties of solids are discussed using skills and concepts acquired in the fundamental subjects in physics. The course thus also serves to illustrate how physical concepts can be applied to explain the various properties of solids. Topics include: crystal lattices and structures, wave diffraction and reciprocal lattice, lattice vibrations, thermal properties of insulators, metallic behavior and free electron gas, energy bands, semiconductor physics and devices, magnetic properties, dielectric properties, and superconductivity. This is a capstone core course (subject matter) normally taken in final year of study.
Notice

  • We will have our mid-term exam at MMW 702 on Oct. 24th during the usual lecture time.
  • We will have a lab visit at 3:30pm on Oct. 3rd, please get together at the lobby of Science Building, north block around 3:25pm.
  • If you cannot access the Blackboard site of this course, please email TAs immediately. If you are a CUHK student auditing this course, please tell TAs your student ID; we can then add you to the Blackboard site.
  • Updated lecture notes, sample questions and all solutions will only be uploaded to Blackboard.
  • To submit assignments online, please use Blackboard.

    • Lecturer

    Prof. GU Zheng-Cheng
    Office: SC (North) G8, Tel: 39436100
    Email: zcgu@phy.cuhk.edu.hk
    Wednesday 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

    Teaching Assistant(s)

    Mr. YIP King Yau
    Office: SC (North) 315
    Email: KingYauYip@link.cuhk.edu.hk
    Consultation Hour: Tuesday 2:30 pm - 4:15 pm

    Mr. YUE Zhengyuan
    Office: SC (North) 313
    Email: yuezy2019@link.cuhk.edu.hk
    Consultation Hour: Monday 10:30 - 12:15

    Lecture Class

    Monday 2:30 pm - 4:15 pm
    Wednesday 4:30 pm - 5:15 pm

    Exercise/Tutorial Class

    Wednesday
    Tutorial: 5:30 pm - 6:15 pm
    Exercise: 6:30 pm - 7:15 pm

    Textbook(s)

  • Steven H. Simon, The Oxford Solid State Basics, OUP, 2013.
  • Charles Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics, John Wiley & Sons, 1976, 2005.
    (Multiple copies reserved in UL)

    • Reference Books

  • R. J. Richard Christman, Fundamentals of Solid State Physics, Wiley 1988.
  • J. M. Ziman, Principles of the Theory of Solids, Cambridge University Press 1972.
  • James D. Livingston, Electronic Properties of Engineering Materials, Wiley 1999.
  • John Singleton, Band Theory and Electronic Properties of Solids, OUP, 2001.
  • John J. Quinn and Kyung-Soo Yi, Solid State Physics: Principles and Modern Applications, Springer-Verlag 2009.
  • Neil W. Ashcroft and N. David Mermin, Solid State Physics, Saunders 1976.
  • M. A. Omar, Elementary Solid State Physics : Principles and Applications, Addison-Wesley 1975.
  • O. Madelung, Introduction to Solid-State Theory, Springer-Verlag 1978.
  • Harald Ibach and Hans Luth, Solid-State Physics : An Introduction to Theory and Experiment, Springer-Verlag 1991.
  • Micheal de Podesta, Understanding the Properties of Matter, Taylor & Francis 2002.
  • Richard Dalven, Introdution to Applied Solid State Physics, Plenum 1990.
  • R. A. Smith, Wave Mechanics of Crystalline Solids, Chapman & Hall 1969.
  • S. Blundell, Magnetism in Condensed Matter, Oxford Univ. Press, 2001.

    • Assessment Scheme

  • Homework 25%
  • Quiz 10%
  • Mid-term Examination 25%
  • Final Examination 40%

    • Course Outline

  • Crystal structures
  • Reciprocal lattices
  • Elastic scattering of waves
  • Lattice vibrations
  • Thermal properties (phonon)
  • Electron states in solids
  • Band Theory
  • Thermal properties (electron)
  • Transport properties
  • Superconductivity
  • The new frontier of modern solid state physics