Target Audience: Advanced undergraduate students / graduate students without background in solid state physics

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to solid state physics. It is intended to both acquaint the student with the basic concepts in this field and to give an overview of the broad range of topics usually associated with solid state physics.

Topics covered include
- The Materials and Methods of Solid State Physics
- Crystallography
- Diffraction
- Defects in Crystals
- Lattice Vibrations
- Metallic Behavior and the Free Electron Gas
- The Periodic Potential
- The Cohesion of Pure Metals
- Sone Physical Properties of Metals
- Semiconductors
- Magnetism
- Dielectric Media
- Superconductivity
and, if time permits
- Aspects of Surface Physics
- The Nucleus and Solid State Physics

Prerequisites: Basic quantum mechanics, e.g. as summarized in the Appendix to M. Ali Omar, Elementary Solid State Physics

Text Book: H. P. Myers, Introductory Solid State Physics, Taylor and Francis 1997, ISBN 0748406603 (less than $50)

Instructor: Thomas Prellberg

Office: 243 Physics Building

Phone: (315) 443-3920

FAX: (315) 443-9103

Office Hours: to be announced (Tu/Th after class?)

Physics Department Office: 200 Physics Building, (315) 443-3901

Class Meeting Times: Tu/Th 11:30AM - 12:50PM

Classroom: 105 Physics Building

Exam dates: Midterm: March 21, Final: TBA (Possibly term paper)

Homework: There will be regular homework assignments, which will be graded.

Grading: The components of the course are weighted as follows: homework: 20%, midterm: 40%, final: 40%