640-029 Modern Physics of Materials

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

640-006 Physics 1A (Engineering Course) and 640-006 Physics 1B (Engineering Course) or equivalent

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Upon completion of this subject, the student should:

• understand the basic principles of the quantum theory of atoms, molecules and solids;

• be able to apply these principles to a wide range of materials which are of key importance in modern electronics.

The subject provides an introduction to: The quantum nature of light: blackbody radiation, photoelectric effect, X and gamma rays and their interaction with matter. The particle nature of matter: Rutherford and Bohr models, the Correspondence Principle. The wave nature of matter: diffraction of electrons and neutrons, the wave function and its interpretation, group and phase velocities, the uncertainty principle. Wave mechanics: free particles, the Schrödinger equation, particle in a box, energy levels, quantised harmonic oscillator, expectation values, observables. Tunnelling phenomena: square barrier, application to field emission and the scanning tunnelling microscope. Quantum mechanical treatment of the hydrogen atom. Waves in solids: vibrations of one dimensional monatomic and diatomic lattices, dispersion curves and their measurement, density of states, lattice specific heats. Electrons in metals: electrical properties of metals, the classical and quantised free electron models, the Pauli exclusion, Fermi-Dirac statistics, Fermi energy; band theory of solids: energy gaps, electron and hole transport, effective mass.

Assessment

A three-hour examination.