Prof. Ophelia K. C. Tsui      

Department of Physics, Boston University

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PY543 Introduction to Solid State Physics
 

News!

○ Homework 5 will be graded by next Monday. Please contact Dongdong Peng (ddpeng@buphy.bu.edu) if you want to collect your homework.

○ The final exam. is scheduled on May 7 (next Tue) from 3-4:30pm in SCI 115. It will include all topics covered in the lecture notes, except for Semiconductor Physics and Superconductivity. You may use Ashcroft and Mermin's book and a simple calculator during the exam., but not any other aids.

 

 

Lecturer: Ophelia K.C. Tsui
Office: SCI 215, Tel: 8-4669, Email:
okctsui@bu.edu.

Prerequisites: PY406 Electromagnetic Field & Waves II, PY410 Statistical Thermodynamics, PY451 Quantum Physics

TF: Dongdong Peng, Email: ddpeng@buphy.bu.edu

Tentative homework schedule:  HW1: Jan. 24-31; HW2: Feb. 14-Feb. 21; HW3: Mar. 7-14; HW4: Apr. 4-11; HW5: Apr. 18-Apr. 25.

Course Objective
     This course aims at providing an introduction to some basic concepts in Solid State Physics. These include crystal structure; lattice vibrations; Sommerfeld free-electron models; electron energy bands; Fermi surface; semi-classical model of electron dynamics; electron transport in semiconductors; superconductivity.

Recommended Text
“Solid State Physics”, N. W. Ashcroft and N. D. Mermin (W. B. Saunders Company, 1976).

Reference Text
“Introduction to Solid State Physics”, C. Kittel (John Wiley & Sons, 1986).

Course Grade
     Grades will be based according to homework (50%), a mid-term examination (Mar. 21; 25%) and a final examination (25%).

Click here to download the syllabus.

 

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Notes on Drude Model    click here  

Notes on Sommerfeld Theory   click here  

Notes on Crystalline Solids    click here  

Notes on Electrons in a Periodic Potential    click here  

Notes on Tight-Binding Method    click here  

Notes on Semi-Classical Model of Electron Dynamics: 

  (a) Semi-classical Equation of Motion  click here  

  (b) Relaxation-Time Approximation  click here  

  (c) Fermi-Surface Probes  click here

Notes on the Beyond Relaxation-Time & Independent-Electron Approximations

 (a) Beyond the Relaxation-Time Approximation  click here 

 (b) Beyond the Independent-Electron Approximation  click here 

Notes on Lattice Dynamics  click here  

Notes on Semiconductor Crystals    click here  

Notes on Superconductivity    click here  

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Homework 1 (due Jan. 31, 2013)    problems  

Homework 2 (due Feb. 21, 2013)     problems 

Homework 3 (due Mar. 14, 2013)     problems 

Homework 4 (due Apr. 11, 2013)     problems 

Homework 5 (due May 2, 2013)     problems


Last revised on 03 May 2013.