Physics of Condensed Matter II

Textbook

Condensed Matter Physics, Michael P. Marder, Wiley New York, 2000.

Class meeting time and place

MWF 2:00 - 2:50 pm in ROCK 303

Contact info

Walter R. L. Lambrecht

Office: ROCK 104B, phone: 368-6120, email: walter.lambrecht@case.edu

Office hours: You can try my office 104B at any time (typically 9am-6pm).

http://www.phys.cwru.edu/courses/p442

Content

1. Justification of semiclassical approximation for electron dynamics using wave packets, anomalous velocity and its relation to spin hall and anomalous Hall effect.
2. Electron dynamics in a magnetic field: magnetotransport, de Haas van Alphen oscillations, Giant magnetoresistance, Hall effect, quantum Hall effect.
3. Transport theory: relaxation time approximation, Boltzman equation, electrical and thermal conductivity and thermo-electrical effects, scattering rates for various scattering processes: phonon and impurity scattering. Polar and deformation potential scattering in semiconductors.
4. Semiconductor electronics: carrier statistics, behavior of a diode and other basic devices, point defects in semiconductors, effective mass approximation, Green's function approach, supercells, experimental approaches such as DLTS, PL, EPR.
5. Optical properties of solids: Kubo formula, semiconductors, insulators,(LO-TO phonon splitting), excitons, metals, Berry phase theory of polarization.
6. Magnetism: para and diamagnetism of isolated ions and the electron gas, ferro and antiferromagnetism, mean field theory, Heitler-London model, origin of Heisenberg and other spin Hamiltonians, spin waves, Stoner theory.

Evaluation

Your grade will be based on:

• Homework assignments (70 %).
  Homeworks will be assigned in class or by email. Corrections to homework are accepted until one week after I return them with feedback.
• Final paper 30%
• Attending the condensed matter seminars is considered part of the course.