Instructor Class Description

Time Schedule:

• Autumn Quarter 2009
• Winter Quarter 2010

Marjorie A Olmstead
PHYS 423
Seattle Campus

Contemporary Condensed Matter Physics

Survey of the principal phenomena of solid-state physics. Prerequisite: a minimum grade of 2.0 in either PHYS 315 or PHYS 324. Offered: A.

Class description

Crystal binding, crystal structures in real and reciprocal space, vibrational and thermal properties of solids, electronic structure of solids (free electron gas and band structure), properties of semiconductors, insulators and metals, applications to semiconductor nanostructures.

Student learning goals

see web page below.

General method of instruction

Lectures, homework, study of textbook and related materials.

Recommended preparation

You need a working familiarity with the Schroedinger equation. This could be obtained from PHYS 315 Applications of Modern Physics, or PHYS 324 Quantum Mechanics or an advanced Physical Chemistry Course. You will need a working familiarity with the concept of Fourier Transforms, which is covered in PHYS 228 Elementary Mathematical Physics. If you have these prerequisites and have difficulty signing up, please see Prof. Olmstead or Margot Nims.

Class assignments and grading

Approximately weekly homework assignments based on the text plus additional problems form the instructor.

two midterms, final exam and homework

Office of the Registrar
For problems and questions about this web page contact icd@u.washington.edu,
otherwise contact the instructor or department directly.
Modified:November 11, 2009