Solid State Physics I.

“The ability to reduce everything to simple fundamental laws does not imply the ability to start from those laws and reconstruct the universe." Philip Warren Anderson

For the 1st year MSc students (Fall Semester of 2017/18, 2019/20, 2020/21 Academic Year)

Additional course materials

• Short introduction to symmetry, crystal systems and Bravais lattices [html]
• Phonon spectrum for sc and fcc lattices (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 1: Structure and Dynamics). [html] [iphyton source]
• Phonon spectrum for diamond systems including 1st and 2nd radial derivatives of the pair potential between nearest neighboring atoms. The parameters can interactively be changed. The result in Michael P. Marder: Condensed Matter Physics (2nd Edition) is reproduced. [html] [iphyton source]
• Temperature dependence of the specific heat using the Debye model (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 1: Structure and Dynamics). [html] [iphyton source]
• Temperature dependence of the mean square atomic displacement in d=3 using the Debye model (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 1: Structure and Dynamics). [html] [iphyton source]
• Temperature dependence of the magnetization for ferromagnet in mean-field approximation (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 1: Structure and Dynamics). [html] [iphyton source]
• Vortex configurations in XY model (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 1: Structure and Dynamics). [html] [iphyton source]
• Brillouin zones and special points for square (sq), simple cubic (sc), body-centered cubic (bcc) and face-centered cubic (fcc) lattices (see e.g. Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [png]
• Free electron band structure for square lattice (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [html] [iphyton source]
• Fermi surface and energy for free electron in square lattice (see e.g. Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [png]
• Free electron band structure for simple, face centered and body centered cubic lattices (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [html] [iphyton source]
• Tight bindig model for s-like band in square lattice (see e.g. Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [html] [iphyton source]
• Tight bindig model for Si (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [html] [iphyton source]
• Band structure calculations by pseudopotential methods for Si (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [png] [html] [iphyton source]
• Band structure for Si including spin orbit coupling (from Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [html] [iphyton source] 3D figures: [html] [iphyton source]
• Examples for semiconductor band structures (see e.g. Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [png]
• Cyclotron orbit in magnetic field (see e.g. Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [png]
• Cyclotron Resonance. The dependence of absorption on the strength of the magnetic field for various values of ωτ (see Eq. (21.2.48) in Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [png] [html] [iphyton source]
• Electrons in strong magnetic field, Landau levels and orbits (see e.g. Chapter 22 in Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [png]
• Electrons in strong magnetic field, DOS, chemical potential, etc... (see e.g. Chapter 22 in Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [html] [iphyton source]
• Wave function in symmetric gauge (see e.g. Chapter 22 in Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids, Volume 2: Electronic Properties). [html] [iphyton source]
• Landau levels and wave functions, the electric current density for a finite width of strip, bending of the levels and edge states. [html] [iphyton source]
• Hofstadter butterfly, the energy levels of Bloch electrons in magnetic fields (thanks to László Oroszlány for the code). [png] [html] [iphyton source]
• The resistivity due to electron-phonon interaction. [html] [iphyton source]
• Characteristic length and energy scales relevant for the interaction of light with condensed matter. [png]
• Frequency dependence of the dielectric constant, refractive index, extinction coefficient and reflectivity of a free-electron gas. [html] [iphyton source]
• Absorption and dispersion in ionic crystals, bound electrons and photon interaction, polarition. [html] [iphyton source]
• Single-electron tunneling in SIN and SIS junctions. [html] [iphyton source]

References

Required readings:
• Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids: Volume 1: Structure and Dynamics, Springer; 2007 edition
• Jenő Sólyom: Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids: Volume II: Electronic Properties, Springer; 2009 edition
Recommended readings:
• N. W. Ashcroft, N. D. Mermin: Solid State Physics (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1976)
• Charles Kittel: Introduction to Solid State Physics (Wiley, 8 edition, 2004)
• Patrik Fazekas: Lecture Notes on Electron Correlation and Magnetism (World Scientific, Series in Modern Condensed Matter Physics: Volume 5, 1999)

List of subjects for oral exam [pdf]