Solid State Physics

The objective of Solid State Physics is to introduce college seniors and first-year graduate students in physics, electrical engineering, materials science, chemistry, and related areas to this diverse and fascinating field. I have attempted to present this complex subject matter in a coherent, integrated manner, emphasizing fundamental scientific ideas to give the student a strong understanding and "feel" for the physics and the orders of magnitude involved. The subject is varied, covering many important, sophisticated, and practical areas, which, at first, may appear unrelated but which are actually built on the same foundation: the bonding between atoms, the periodic translational symmetry, and the resulting electron energy levels. The text is comprehensive enough so that the basics of broad areas of present research are covered, yet flexible enough so that courses of varying lengths can be satisfied. the exercises at the end of each chapter serve to reinforce and extend the text.

College seniors, and first-year graduate students in physics.

Symmetry Operations. Symmetry Description of Crystals. Simple Crystal Structures. X-Ray Diffraction. Crystal Symmetry and Physical Properties. Classification of Solids. The Ionic Bond. The Covalent Bond. Metals. Band Theory. Some Thermal Effects in Solids. Lattice Vibrations. Optical Properties of Crystals. Ferroelectricity and Structural Phase Transitions. Magnetism. Superconductivity. Surface Science. Artificial Structures. Appendix. Bibliography. Index.