Physics 141A: Solid State Physics

Physics Department, University of California, Berkeley

Spring 2007

Announcements:

A review session will be held by the GSI in 3 Evans at 5pm on Monday May 14. Here are some problems; The GSI will go through the solutions in the review session. (The solutions will also be posted here).

Solutions to the review problems are here. Note that for problem 4 I changed the band structure from "E = 7eV..." to "E=8eV ...".

GSI office hours: Tuesday May 15 3-5 pm.

Solutions to second midterm.

Notes for the class of Friday March 02.

Solutions (v3) to first midterm. Note: typo corrected (in Q2, "figure 7" -> "figure 8a"; Q3 included; signs corrected in Q4(a)).

Problem sets 1-11 have been graded; you can pick them up from 465 Birge Hall. If the GSI is not there, and the door is unlocked, you may help yourself.

Announcement of first midterm exam: The exam will be closed book. You may use a calculator, and one sheet of notes is allowed for use during the exam. You are expected to know the order of magnitude of the physical constants (e, m, c, h, M(proton), kB, etc.) and the conversion of eV to ergs or joules. This midterm exam will cover all materials discussed in lectures (up to and including the lecture on Thursday, Feb. 15, on heat capacity) and all materials covered in ISSP in chapters 1, 2, 4, and chapter 5 up through page 119. (Anharmonic crystal interactions are not included in this exam.)
Second midterm, Tuesday April 10, in class. All material covered so far, up to and including the lecture of Thursday April 5, is examinable, but there will be an emphasis on the material covered since the first midterm. The exam is closed book, but you may bring in your cheat sheet from the first midterm and one additional sheet. Please bring your own blank sheets and a calculator.

Homework:

Due Fridays at 5pm unless otherwise specified. You can turn the homework into the course box in 251 LeConte (the reading room). Late homework policy: there will be a 20% deduction for each day the problem set is late. If you put a late homework in the box, you must email the GSI telling him that you have done so.

If you find an error in the homework solutions, please contact the GSI (his email is at the bottom of the page.)

Problem Set 1 (due 5pm Friday, January 26). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 2 (due 5pm Friday, February 02). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 3 (due 5pm Friday, February 09). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 4 (due 5pm Friday, February 16). Errata: In Q3, U is the energy density of a solid. Q4 (b): the answer should be: (h_bar omega_D square L)/(2 pi M N v cube). Solutions (v2). (In version 2, Q3 (ISSP 5.2) is corrected). Graded.
Problem Set 5 (due 5pm Friday, March 02). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 6 (due 5pm Friday, March 09). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 7 (due 5pm Friday, March 16). Second revised version posted Tuesday, March 13, 8:08 am. Additional correction: The last equation in Q2 (a) should read ... = 2/Sqrt[(E - e_n)*A] = ... rather than ... = 2/Sqrt[(E - e_n)/A] = ... Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 8 (due 5pm Friday, March 23). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 9 (due 5pm Friday, April 06). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 10 (due 5pm Friday, April 20). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 11 (due 5pm Friday, April 27). Solutions. Graded.
Problem Set 12 (due 5pm Friday, May 04). Solutions. Graded.

Miscellaneous:

Syllabus handed out in the first lecture. Note: GSI office hours have changed to Thursday 3-5pm (still in 465 Birge Hall).
Instructor: Steven G. Louie.
Office: 545 Birge Hall.
Office Hours: Tu 10-11 & Th 11-12 or by appointment, 545 Birge Hall.
Lectures: TT 8-9:30, 325 LeConte Hall.

GSI: Padraig Murphy.
Office Hours: Th 3-5pm in 465 Birge Hall.
Discussion: Tu 1-2 (51 Evans), Th 1-2 (55 Evans).
E-mail: padraigmurphy *at the domain* gmail *dot* com.

The first 20 Brillouin zones of the hexagonal lattice.