Course Syllabus pdf file

Lecture notes

Lecture 1: Drude Theory of Metal (c.f. Ashcroft and Mermin Chap 1)

Lecture 2: Sommerfeld theory of Metal (c.f. Ashcroft and Mermin Chap 2)

Lecture 3: Hartree-Fock theory for interacting electron gas (c.f. Anderson, Concepts in Solids, Chapter 2. Section A). Second quantization: Sakurai and Napolitano, 2nd Edition Chapter 7)

Supplementary Material: More on second quantization.

Lecture 4: Crystal structure, Reciprocal Lattice, classification of lattices and point group symmetry (c.f. Ashcroft and Mermin Chap 4, 5 and 7).

Lecture 5: Bloch theory, Band structure, point group symmetry (c.f. Ziman, Principle of Solids, Chapter 1.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3; Ashcroft and Mermin Chapter 8 and 9 ).

Lecture 6: Density function theory and local density approximation.

Lecture 7: Tight binding model, psuedo-potential, etc (c.f. Ziman, Principole of Solids Chapter 3.4, 3.5, Ascroft and Mermin Chapter 10).

Read Ziman Chapter 2 Sect 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5 for a basic understanding of phonons

Lecture 8: Acoustic phonons - long-wave length method, elasticity

Lecture 9: Optical phonons - polariton, Huang's Equation.

Read Ziman' book Chapter 5 for Lect 10 and 11

Lecture 10: Interacting electrons beyond HF -- Lindhardt response, RPA, plasmon

Lecture 11: Interacting electrons beyond HF -- Screening

Lecture 12: Spin waves

Howework assignment
Homework one: Ashcroft and Mermin: Problem 1.4 and 1.5 in Chapt 1, Due on Oct 5, on class . Solution posted on Oct 9..

Homework two: Ashcroft and Mermin: Problem 2.1 and 2.2 (a), (b), (c) and (d) in Chapt 2, Due time Oct 17 in class . Solution posted on Oct 23 .

Homework three: HF theory. . Due time Oct 31 in class . Solution posted on Nov 2. .

Homework four: Crystals, band structure . Due time Nov 7 in class . Soultion Solution posted on Nov 17. .

Midterm and Final

Midterm posted on Nov 3 Due on Nov 11.
Solution posted on Nov 18. .

Final projects featured article on physics today to be updated
1. Atomic spins on surfaces, Page 42, March 2015
2. Iron-based superconductors, seven years later, page 46, Jun 2015
3. Two-dimensional Van der Waals materials, page 38, Sept 2016
4. The graphene-semiconductor Schottky junction, page 46, Sept 2016
5. Granular crystals: Nonlinear dynamics meets materials engineering, page 44, Nov 2015
6. What every physicist should know about string theory, page 38 Nov 2015
7. Topologial phases and quasiparticle braiding, page 38, July 2012
8. Quantum optomechanics, page 29, July 2012
9. Spin polarized supercurrents for spintronics, Jan 2011
10. Quantum Criticality, page 29, Feb 2011.
11. The nearly perfect Fermi gas, page 34, May 2010.
12. The physics of boron nitride nanotubes, page 34, Nov. 2010
13. The two-fluid theory and second sound in liquid heliuim, page 34, Oct. 2009.
14. Graphene: Exploring carbon flatland, page 35, August 2007.
15. Anderson localization of ultracold atoms page 30, August 2009. Fifty years of Anderson localization, page 24, August 2009. (These two papers are a good topic for team work together)
16. Iron-based superconductors, page 36, August 2009.
17. When fermions become bosons: pairing in ultra-cold gases, Oct. 2008.
18. Probing physical properties at the nanoscale, June 2008.
19. Phase-transition dynamics in the lab and the universe, page 47 Sept. 2007.
20. The diverse world of liquid crystals, page 54, Sept. 2007.
21. The quantum spin Hall effect and topological insulators, page 33, Jan. 2010.
22. Polariton condensates, page 42, August 2010.

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Last modified: Jan 7, 2010.