Introduction to Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics

Notice: Time of the lecture changed from 8-10 Wednesday to 8-10 Monday. The first meeting is on 8-10 Wednesday in Room ENC-B 205 (instead of ENC-120).

Lectures: H. Chau Nguyen (email)
Exercises: Mei Yu (email)
Time and place: 8-10 Monday and Friday, ENC-D 120 (Lectures); 16-18 Wednesday, ENC-D 120 (Exercises);

Prerequisites

  • Basic quantum mechanics
  • Linear algebra and analysis

Contents

  • General overview of condensed matter physics
  • CMP phases, crystals and their symmetry, X-ray scattering
  • Phonons, thermal properties, neutron scattering, the Moessbauer’s effect
  • Electron in the lattices, band-gap theory, tight-binding models, topology
  • Basic theory of transport, Hall effect
  • Quantum transport, Anderson localisation, quantum Hall effect
  • Basic aspects of interacting models

Lectures

References

  • Steven M. Girvin and Kun Yang, „Modern condensed matter physics,“ Cambridge University Press 2019.
    This is a modern approach to condensed matter theory, which is also the approach I adopted for this course. The contents of the course are however adapted/simplified so that it is suitable also for advanced undergraduate students.
  • Ashcroft and Mermin, „Solid state physics,“ Thomson 1976.
    This is a somewhat more traditional approach to solid state physics. Occasionally I use this to supply more intuition when necessary.
  • Steven H Simon, „The Oxford Solid state basics,“ Oxford 2019.
  • Alexander Zagoskin, „Quantum theory of Many-body systems,“ Springer 2014.
  • Alexander Altland and Ben Simons, „Condensed Matter Field Theory,“ Oxford 2007.