Basic Solid State Physics

Academic unit or major

Undergraduate major in Physics

Instructor(s)

Toshimasa Fujisawa

Class Format

Lecture (Face-to-face)

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

1-2 Tue / 1-2 Fri

Class

-

Course Code

PHY.C340

Number of credits

200

Course offered

2024

Offered quarter

3Q

Syllabus updated

Mar 14, 2025

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

Topics of this course include (1) basics of crystal structures, (2) classification of the Bravais lattice, (3) reciprocal lattice, (4) classification of crystals in terms of the formation mechanisms, (5) lattice vibrations (phonons), (6) electronic states in crystals and their band structure, (7) fundamental properties of metals and semiconductors.
Through this course, students will understand basic properties of crystals based on quantum mechanics, and how they correspond to experiments.

Course description and aims

Through this course, students will be able to (1) calculate various properties (including translation vectors and reciprocal vectors) for a given crystal structure, (2) explain various crystals in terms of the formation mechanisms (such as ionic and covalent crystals), (3) explain basic properties of electronic band structures in crystals, (4) explain basics of electric, optical, and magnetic properties of solids.

Keywords

translation vector, unit cell, Bravais lattice, reciprocal vector, Brillouin zone, phonon, metal, insulator, band structure, semiconductor

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

At the end of some classes, small tests will be given to test comprehension. Preparation and review for each class are recommended.

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

初歩から学ぶ固体物理学 (KS物理専門書), 講談社 (in Japanese).

Reference books, course materials, etc.

References and course materials, if any, will be given in the class.

Evaluation methods and criteria

examination and reports

Related courses

• PHY.Q207 ： Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
• PHY.S301 ： Statistical Mechanics
• PHY.E205 ： Electromagnetism

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge on electromagnetism, statistical physics, and quantum mechanics