PHYSICS 240A: Condensed Matter Physics
Fall 2015, CRN xxxxx
- Instructor: Prof. Warren E. Pickett
- Office: Physics/Geology 427
- Phone: 530-220-2138
- E-mail: pickett@physics.ucdavis.edu
- Office Hours: to be determined
- Lecture: 2:10 - 3:30 MW, Room 185 Physics
- TA: Shih Chieh Lin, tandent1985@gmail.com
- TA Office Hours: tbd
- Text: Solid State Physics,
by Ashcroft & Mermin.
- Reference works:
Condensed Matter Physics, Michael Marder
Electronic Structure, Richard M. Martin
Content of the two-quarter 240AB series (240C taught separately):
- Crystalline periodicity and unit cells. X-ray diffraction.
- Reciprocal
space and Brillouin zones.
- Electronic structure: nearly free electrons;
density functional theory; band structures.
- Lattice dynamics and
electron-phonon interaction.
- Magnetism: itinerant versus local-moment
magnets and their phenomenology.
- Superconductivity: Ginzburg-Landau theory
and BCS theory.
- Introduction to correlated electron physics.
Prerequisites: B or better in core graduate physics courses
Materials: Some handouts, drawn from background material
that the student will be encouraged to delve into. These will
involve topics that are not covered (or covered thoroughly) in texts.
- URL for this course:
http://yclept.ucdavis.edu/course/240a/240a.html
Syllabus, schedule, assignments, etc. will be posted at this URL.
Assignments: to be posted at this URL.
Grading : Grades will be based on homework
assignments and on exams.
Final exam: Date and time to be posted.