| Unit name | Solid State Physics 3021 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYS30021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Nick Brook |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
The award of 120 credit points of physics units at level I comprising programme in Physics, Physics with Astrophysics, a joint honours programme in Mathematics and Physics or Physics and Philosophy, or a Chemical Physics programme. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Comprising Electrons in Crystals and Semiconductors and Magnetism, Brief description of simple crystal structures. Diffraction from periodic structures. The reciprocal lattice for various simple crystal structures. Electrons in crystals: free and nearly free electron theory - one electron approximation. Periodic boundary conditions. Density of states. Application of Fermi-Dirac distribution. Bloch Theorem; Energy bands. Phonons. Energy gaps, Bragg reflection and Brillouin zone boundaries. Reduced, extended and periodic zone schemes. Notion of a Fermi-surface and simple construction. Semi-classical theory of electron transport. Crystal momentum and effective mass. The distinction between metals, semiconductors and insulators. Electrons and holes. Transport in a free electron metal. Electron scattering in metals and semiconductors. Transport in semiconductors. The Hall effect. Elemental and compound semiconductors. Carrier density in intrinsic semiconductors. p- and n- type doping. The p-n junction. The work function and contact potential. Metal-semiconductor junctions. Types of magnetism. Pauli susceptibility. The Stoner model. Domains and the Curie temperature. Brief mention of superconductivity and the Meissner effect. A pre-requisite for the Level M PHYSM0200 Statistical Physics, PHYSM1000 Magnetism and Superconductivity and PHYSM2100 Semiconductor Physics.
