Students
PHYS308 – Condensed Matter and Nanoscale Physics
2019 – S1 Day
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor, Lecturer, Lab instructor
Thomas Volz
Contact via email
E6B 2.609
Wednesday 4-5 pm
Lecturer
Alex Fuerbach
Contact via email
E6B 2.608
by appointment
Senior Scientific Officer
Gina Dunford
Contact via Contact via email
E7B 252
by appointment
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
3
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
PHYS201 and PHYS202 and MATH235
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
PHYS301
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
Many basic properties of solid crystals can be understood through the periodic nature of the underlying crystal lattice. From the formation of phononic and electronic bands in a solid, to the thermodynamics of a solid, to its interaction with light - all these phenomena can be understood by taking into account the scattering of electrons and lattice vibrations off the periodic crystal lattice. Furthermore, modern (quantum) optics experiments with semiconductor nano-structures employ the very same principles of wave scattering off periodic structures for confining and transporting light in a variety of important technological applications. This course discusses both the fundamental well-established principles of solid-state physics and at the same time explores the fascinating world of modern solid-state experiments, ranging from novel semiconductor devices, to exotic low-dimensional materials such as graphene, to nanoscale quantum optics experiments aimed at taming single light particles.
|
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Students will understand how the periodicity of a crystal affects measurable quantities such as heat capacity or conductivity. In particular, they should develop an intuition for the concept of crystal momentum and its implications for band structures and scattering experiments.
- Students will be able to make a connection between real and momentum space. In particular, they will be familiar with the concept of a Fourier transform naturally occurring in scattering theory.
- Students will develop an understanding of basic concepts of statistical physics for explaining some of the phenomenology in condensed-matter physics. In particular, the concept of density of states will form a central part of this learning outcome.
- Students will understand the connection between electronic band structure and certain material properties, with specific examples of low-dimensional electronic systems such as semiconductor quantum wells, quantum dots and graphene.
- Students will be able to apply the ideas developed for naturally occurring periodic solids to artificially engineered periodic systems, such as photonic crystals, metamaterials and optical lattices for ultracold atoms.
- Students will carry out basic condensed matter experiments closely connected to the lectures. This will further enlarge their experimental toolbox and at the same time train their scientific writing skills through creating formalized lab reports.
General Assessment Information
Lab experiments and reports
Students will have to conduct four out of the five following experiments available in the practical part of PHYS308:
- Debye Temperature
- X-ray Diffraction
- Properties of Semiconductors
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
- Superconductors
Please note the following points
- You are required to complete four of the experiments.
- Students should make a booking for two lab sessions for each experiment they undertake. A booking gives priority provided the students arrive punctually at the start of the laboratory session.
- A resource folder is available for each project, containing useful background information. These may be taken away from the lab, but must be returned within two weeks for other students to use.
- You are required to submit a first draft report by the deadline that will be published on iLearn well in advance. The draft will be carefully reviewed and returned to you with corrections and feedback to enable you to make necessary changes to produce a final polished version to resubmit for grading. This compulsory submission of a first draft is a necessary part of acquiring the skills for constructing a professional scientific report. The preferred method of submission is a single pdf file (via email to thomas.volz@mq.edu.au with a file name of the form 'LabReportPHYS308_number_studentname_studentnumber').
- You should refer to the document Recommendations for Laboratory Report Writing when preparing reports. Please ensure that your reports conform to these guidelines, and feel free to discuss this with any of the staff.
- Reports should not contain text that has been copied from the instructional notes. You should provide background and discussion material in your own words. It is preferred that you produce your own original figures, either hand-drawn or computer generated. Anything taken from another source must be clearly acknowledged.
- Draft reports will not be formally assessed. They will be returned to you annotated with suggestions for improvements, which you should act on in your final report submitted for assessment.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | 40% | No | set by the University |
| Bi-weekly Assignments | 30% | No | continuous |
| Lab Documentation | 30% | No | continuous |
Exam
Due: set by the University
Weighting: 40%
A three-hour final exam will be set. It will consist of questions aimed at testing some of the maths discussed in the course and to a larger extent at testing the student's conceptual understanding.
If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled in the interval between the regular exam period and the start of the next session. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. You can check the supplementary exam information page on FSE101 in iLearn (bit.ly/FSESupp) for dates, and approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Students will understand how the periodicity of a crystal affects measurable quantities such as heat capacity or conductivity. In particular, they should develop an intuition for the concept of crystal momentum and its implications for band structures and scattering experiments.
- Students will be able to make a connection between real and momentum space. In particular, they will be familiar with the concept of a Fourier transform naturally occurring in scattering theory.
- Students will develop an understanding of basic concepts of statistical physics for explaining some of the phenomenology in condensed-matter physics. In particular, the concept of density of states will form a central part of this learning outcome.
- Students will understand the connection between electronic band structure and certain material properties, with specific examples of low-dimensional electronic systems such as semiconductor quantum wells, quantum dots and graphene.
- Students will be able to apply the ideas developed for naturally occurring periodic solids to artificially engineered periodic systems, such as photonic crystals, metamaterials and optical lattices for ultracold atoms.
Bi-weekly Assignments
Due: continuous
Weighting: 30%
Assignments based on worked problems will be set, corrected and marked for assessment purposes. There will be a total of 6 assignments at bi-weekly intervals. Later in the course, when current trends in condensed-matter physics are discussed, assignments are likely to be based upon current literature discussion.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Students will understand how the periodicity of a crystal affects measurable quantities such as heat capacity or conductivity. In particular, they should develop an intuition for the concept of crystal momentum and its implications for band structures and scattering experiments.
- Students will be able to make a connection between real and momentum space. In particular, they will be familiar with the concept of a Fourier transform naturally occurring in scattering theory.
- Students will develop an understanding of basic concepts of statistical physics for explaining some of the phenomenology in condensed-matter physics. In particular, the concept of density of states will form a central part of this learning outcome.
- Students will understand the connection between electronic band structure and certain material properties, with specific examples of low-dimensional electronic systems such as semiconductor quantum wells, quantum dots and graphene.
Lab Documentation
Due: continuous
Weighting: 30%
Students must complete four experiments over the course of the semester, each lasting two weeks. Students will document all of their experiments in an electronic laboratory notebook. The first; and either the second or third experiments will be written up as full reports and handed in for assessment. Before the final version of the first report is due, the students will receive individual feedback on a (compulsory) draft report. Electronic lab books will also be individually marked (contributing half to the Lab Report mark, i.e. 15% overall). Note: the lab instructor will have live online access to the electronic lab books and will assess them shortly after the completion of each experiment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Students will develop an understanding of basic concepts of statistical physics for explaining some of the phenomenology in condensed-matter physics. In particular, the concept of density of states will form a central part of this learning outcome.
- Students will carry out basic condensed matter experiments closely connected to the lectures. This will further enlarge their experimental toolbox and at the same time train their scientific writing skills through creating formalized lab reports.
Delivery and Resources
Required textbook covering the first 8 weeks:
Oxford Solid State Basics, by Steven H. Simon.
Note: Lecture materials, additional reading and assignments will be posted to iLearn
Unit Schedule
Lecture content
- week 1: Solid state physics without microscopic structure
- week 2: The 1D solid - vibrations and electrons
- week 3: Crystal Structure and Reciprocal Lattice
- week 4: Wave Scattering by Crystals
- week 5: Phonons in a Solid
- week 6: Electrons in a Solid
- week 7: Energy Bands and Implications
- week 8: Semiconductor Physics + Devices
- week 9: Photonic crystals
- week 10: Metamaterials
- week 11: Low-dimensional semiconductor systems (Quantum dots, quantum wells)
- week 12: Low-dimensional carbon-based systems (Graphene)
- week 13: Current topics in solid-state physics
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Labs schedule (location E7B 252)
- week 1: short intro session to give an overview of experiments
- week 2: experiment 1
- week 3: experiment 1
- week 4: free week to write draft report for experiment 1
- week 5: experiment 2
- week 6: experiment 2
- week 7: free week to write final report for experiment 1
- week 8: experiment 3
- week 9: experiment 3
- week 10: free week to write final report for experiment 2 or 3
- week 11: experiment 4
- week 12: experiment 4
- week 13: no experiments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Schedule of assessable tasks and related materials
Assignments
The assignments will be handed out bi-weekly with the exact dates announced on iLearn.
Labwork
The due dates for draft and final lab reports will be announced in class and on iLearn well in advance.
NOTE:
We understand that at times due dates for assignments from several different units can collide and we are happy to accommodate changes in due dates, provided the request occurs well in advance of the due date. Once the change has been agreed on, it cannot be moved again. A late penalty applies after the due dates.
You are required to carry out four experiments, each taking no more than two weeks to complete, and to submit reports on two of them according to the deadlines announced in class and on iLearn. These dates are not negotiable except in cases of serious illness or misadventure.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
Creative and Innovative
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Students will understand how the periodicity of a crystal affects measurable quantities such as heat capacity or conductivity. In particular, they should develop an intuition for the concept of crystal momentum and its implications for band structures and scattering experiments.
- Students will be able to apply the ideas developed for naturally occurring periodic solids to artificially engineered periodic systems, such as photonic crystals, metamaterials and optical lattices for ultracold atoms.
- Students will carry out basic condensed matter experiments closely connected to the lectures. This will further enlarge their experimental toolbox and at the same time train their scientific writing skills through creating formalized lab reports.
Assessment task
- Exam
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Assessment task
- Bi-weekly Assignments
Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Students will understand how the periodicity of a crystal affects measurable quantities such as heat capacity or conductivity. In particular, they should develop an intuition for the concept of crystal momentum and its implications for band structures and scattering experiments.
- Students will be able to make a connection between real and momentum space. In particular, they will be familiar with the concept of a Fourier transform naturally occurring in scattering theory.
- Students will develop an understanding of basic concepts of statistical physics for explaining some of the phenomenology in condensed-matter physics. In particular, the concept of density of states will form a central part of this learning outcome.
- Students will understand the connection between electronic band structure and certain material properties, with specific examples of low-dimensional electronic systems such as semiconductor quantum wells, quantum dots and graphene.
- Students will be able to apply the ideas developed for naturally occurring periodic solids to artificially engineered periodic systems, such as photonic crystals, metamaterials and optical lattices for ultracold atoms.
- Students will carry out basic condensed matter experiments closely connected to the lectures. This will further enlarge their experimental toolbox and at the same time train their scientific writing skills through creating formalized lab reports.
Assessment tasks
- Exam
- Bi-weekly Assignments
- Lab Documentation
Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Students will be able to make a connection between real and momentum space. In particular, they will be familiar with the concept of a Fourier transform naturally occurring in scattering theory.
- Students will develop an understanding of basic concepts of statistical physics for explaining some of the phenomenology in condensed-matter physics. In particular, the concept of density of states will form a central part of this learning outcome.
- Students will understand the connection between electronic band structure and certain material properties, with specific examples of low-dimensional electronic systems such as semiconductor quantum wells, quantum dots and graphene.
- Students will be able to apply the ideas developed for naturally occurring periodic solids to artificially engineered periodic systems, such as photonic crystals, metamaterials and optical lattices for ultracold atoms.
- Students will carry out basic condensed matter experiments closely connected to the lectures. This will further enlarge their experimental toolbox and at the same time train their scientific writing skills through creating formalized lab reports.
Assessment tasks
- Exam
- Bi-weekly Assignments
- Lab Documentation
Problem Solving and Research Capability
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Students will understand how the periodicity of a crystal affects measurable quantities such as heat capacity or conductivity. In particular, they should develop an intuition for the concept of crystal momentum and its implications for band structures and scattering experiments.
- Students will be able to make a connection between real and momentum space. In particular, they will be familiar with the concept of a Fourier transform naturally occurring in scattering theory.
- Students will develop an understanding of basic concepts of statistical physics for explaining some of the phenomenology in condensed-matter physics. In particular, the concept of density of states will form a central part of this learning outcome.
- Students will understand the connection between electronic band structure and certain material properties, with specific examples of low-dimensional electronic systems such as semiconductor quantum wells, quantum dots and graphene.
- Students will be able to apply the ideas developed for naturally occurring periodic solids to artificially engineered periodic systems, such as photonic crystals, metamaterials and optical lattices for ultracold atoms.
- Students will carry out basic condensed matter experiments closely connected to the lectures. This will further enlarge their experimental toolbox and at the same time train their scientific writing skills through creating formalized lab reports.
Assessment tasks
- Exam
- Bi-weekly Assignments
- Lab Documentation
Effective Communication
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Students will carry out basic condensed matter experiments closely connected to the lectures. This will further enlarge their experimental toolbox and at the same time train their scientific writing skills through creating formalized lab reports.
Assessment tasks
- Exam
- Bi-weekly Assignments
- Lab Documentation
Changes from Previous Offering
The first half of this unit is exactly the same as offered previously. The content of the second half is almost the same, but the sequence has been adjusted to improve conceptual flow.