Instructor: Dr. Andrei Kolmakov

Office: Neckers 478

Phone: 618-453-5212

Office Hours: 9:00am-10:00 am and 1:00 pm-2:00 pm MWF. These may change during the semester to accommodate students in need!

I. TIME/PLACE: 4:00—5:15 p.m. M-W Neckers 410

II. READING RESOURCES

TEXTBOOK: Introduction to Solid State Physics, 8^th ed., by Charles Kittel

(7^th edition can be used it but does not have Chapter 18)

SYLLABUS: This syllabus and calendar plan will be available for download on my website.

SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: N.W.Ashcroft and N.D. Mermin , Solid State Physics

III. COURSE STRUCTURE

a) Lectures: the content and the structure of the course will follow the textbook. Many of the homework problems will also be assigned from it. Therefore, you are required to have a copy of the text book.

Tentative topics to be covered:

Chapter 1. Crystal Structure.

Chapter 2. Diffraction and Reciprocal Lattice.

Chapter 3. Crystal Binding and Elastic Constants.

Chapter 4. Phonons I: Crystal Vibrations.

Chapter 5. Phonons II: Thermal Properties.

Chapter 6. Free Electron Fermi Gas.

Chapter 7. Energy Bands.

Chapter 8. Semiconductor Crystals.

Chapter 9. Fermi Surfaces and Metals

Chapter 17*. Surface and Interface Physics

Chapter 18*. Nanostructures

*Chapters 1-9 comprise the core of the course, though we will try to cover Chapter 17 and part of 18.

(b) Homework Assignments: There will be approximately 8 homework assignments each of them following the completion of corresponding chapter. All of them will count towards your final grade. The homework consists of reading assignment and a list of problems you must solve. The due date for each assignment will appear on the assignment sheet and/or on my website. Late homework will be penalized by 25% of the total homework grade for each day that it is late.

(c) There will be mid-term and final exams. They will be administered during lecture hours. The exams are all closed book; formula sheets are allowed.

Mid-term exam: The tentative day of the mid-term exam is March 7, 2005

Final Exam: The tentative day is May 2, 2005. The final exam is comprehensive and mandatory (you can’t pass without taking this exam).

If for any reason, fire alarm or any other, an exam can not be administered on the scheduled day, the exam will be administered on Friday at 8:00 PM of the same week. Make up exams will be administered on Fridays at 8:00 PM. To take a make up exam, you must have a valid reason. Valid reasons are limited to official university business, military service, jury duty, bereavement (immediate family member), and documented medical complication.

IV. GRADES

Grading will be based on two exams and homework.

(a) Grade Breakdown:

(b) Grade Scale:

Homework: 35%, Mid-term: 30%, Final exam: 35%

A: 85-100%, D: 55-64.9%

B: 75-84.9% F: 0-54.9%

C: 65-74.9%

V. THE COURSE WEBSITE http://www.physics.siu.edu/people/kolmakov

You must go to the above website (my research website) and follow the links to the 425 site. On the site you can get the following:

(1) Important announcements

(2) Schedules

(3) The syllabus

(4) My office hours.

(5) Links to interesting physics sites

(6) Grades

Academic dishonesty and student conduct code: visit: http://www.siu.edu/~docedit/policies/conduct.html