Solid State Physics: Problems and Solutions

The ideal supplement to the standard texts in condensed matter physics

Solving homework problems is the single most effective way for students to familiarize themselves with the language and details of solid state physics. Testing problem–solving ability is the best means at the professor′s disposal for measuring student progress at critical points in the learning process. This book enables any instructor to supplement end–of–chapter textbook assignments with a large number of challenging and engaging practice problems and discover a host of new ideas for creating exam questions.

Designed to be used in tandem with any of the excellent textbooks on this subject, Solid State Physics: Problems and Solutions provides a self–study approach through which advanced undergraduate and first–year graduate students can develop and test their skills while acclimating themselves to the demands of the discipline. Each problem has been chosen for its ability to illustrate key concepts, properties, and systems, knowledge of which is crucial in developing a complete understanding of the subject, including:
∗ Crystals, diffraction, and reciprocal lattices.
∗ Phonon dispersion and electronic band structure.
∗ Density of states.
∗ Transport, magnetic, and optical properties.
∗ Interacting electron systems.
∗ And more

I. Problems
1. Crystal Structures
2. Interatomic Forces, Lattice Vibrations
3. Electronic Band Structure
4. Density of States
5. Elementary Excitations
6. Thermodynamics of Noninteracting Quasiparticles
7. Transport Properties
8. Optical Properties
9. Interactions and Phase Transitions
10. Mesoscopic and Nano–scale Systems
II. Solutions to Problems
1. Crystal Structures
2. Interatomic Forces, Lattice Vibrations
3. Electronic Band Structure
4. Density of States
5. Elementary Excitations
6. Thermodynamics of Noninteracting Quasiparticles
7. Transport Properties
8. Optical Properties
9. Interactions and Phase Transitions
10. Mesoscopic and Nano–scale Systems
Bibliography
Index

Laszlo Mihaly received his PhD in 1972 from Eötvös University, after which he joined the Central Research Institute for Physics in Budapest. He has performed research at the Institute Laue–Langevine in Grenoble, the Université Paris–Sud in Orsay, and the University of California at Los Angeles. He has been Professor of Physics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook since 1989.

Michael C. Martin received his Ph.D. in Physics in 1995 from Stony Brook University. He worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the scientific staff at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1997 and continues his research activities there as Scientific Support Group Deputy Leader and Staff Scientist leading the synchrotron infrared programs.