Enrollment year
2014/2015
Academic discipline
FIS/03 (MATERIAL PHYSICS)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
Curriculum
DIDATTICA E STORIA DELLA FISICA
Period
1st semester (13/10/2014 - 23/01/2015)
Lesson hours
48 lesson hours
Language
Italian, English-friendly: textbook and other teaching material in English, exam in English upon request, lectures in English possible upon request
Prerequisites
Basic notions of quantum physics, electromagnetism, optics, basic statistical mechanics (preferably).
Learning outcomes
Learning of basic concepts and physical phenomena related to solid state physics.
Course contents
The course deals with fundamental concepts of solid state physics, focusing on electron levels in cristalline solids, lattice vibrations, optical properties, semiconductor physics. The topics include: free electrons in metals, Drude and Sommerfeld theories; crystal lattices, Bloch theorem, electrons and holes; classification of solids and chemical bond; energy bands, basic methods for calculations and measurements, Fermi surfaces, electrons in a magnetic field; lattice vibrations and phonons; optical properties in insulators and semiconductors, complex dielectric function, interband transitions; homogeneous and inhomogeneous semiconductors, drift and diffusion, p-n junction, photovoltaic cells (monographic subject). The presentation of concepts and theoretical methods will be complemented by phenomenological examples, by discussion of the main experimental techniques for the measurement of physical quantities and by computational exercise sessions.
Teaching methods
Lectures, complemented by a few exercises and lab visits
Reccomended or required readings
G. Grosso and G. Pastori Parravicini, Solid State Physics (Academic Press, 2000; 2nd ed., 2014)
N.W. Ashcroft, N.D. Mermin, Solid State Physics (Holt-Rinehart, 1976)
P.Y. Yu, M. Cardona, Fundamentals of Semiconductors: Physics and Material Properties, 4rd edition (Springer, 2010)
F. Bassani and U. Grassano, Fisica dello Stato Solido (Bollati Boringhieri, 2000)
Assessment methods
Oral examination. For the examination it is recommended to focus on physical aspects (qualitative trends, figures, methods for measuring various physical properties) rather than on a detailed study of mathematical derivations.
Further information
Oral examination. For the examination it is recommended to focus on physical aspects (qualitative trends, figures, methods for measuring various physical properties) rather than on a detailed study of mathematical derivations.
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