Condensed Matter Physics
- Crystal Structure: Lattice and Basis; Examples of crystal structures; Direct and Reciprocal Lattice; Xray diffraction and crystal structure determination; Symmetry operations – Point and Space Groups.
- Band Theory: Electrons in Periodic Potential – Bloch’s theorem and Energy Bands; Plane Wave expansions and Tight Binding; OPW, APW and KKR methods of Band Structure Calculations; Fermi Surface – examples of bands structure of metals.
- Electron Transport: Semi-classical Equations; Bloch Electrons in magnetic and electric fields; Hall effect and magneto-resistance; de Haas – van Alphen effect and Fermi surface determination; Boltzmann transport equation – conductivity in Relaxation time approximation.
- Lattice Dynamics: Normal modes of a three dimensional lattice; Phonons – measuring phonon dispersion relation; Anharmonic effects – Lattice Thermal Conductivity.
- Semiconductors: Homogeneous Semiconductors – carrier density; inhomogeneous semiconductors; Carrier densities in a p-n junction – rectification.
- Dielectric properties: Screening – Thomas – Fermi and Lindhard expressions for dielectric constants; Local Field;
- Optical Properties; Ferroelectrics.
- Magnetism: Diamagnetism and Paramagnetism; Magnetic order – Ferro , antiferro and ferrimagnetism; Heisenberg model – mean field theory of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic transitions; Spin-waves.
- Superconductiviry: Persistent current; Meissner effect and critical fields – type I and II superconductors; specific heat; Electron – Phonon interaction and BCS theory; Ginzburg – Landau theory; Superconducting tunneling – Josephson effect; high temperature superconductivity – brief discussion.
General Physics Laboratory
List of Experiments:
- Millikan's oil drop experiment: Measurement of charge of electron
- Measurement of charge to mass ratio (e/m) of electron
- Debye-Scherrer diffraction: Study of diffraction of electrons in a ploycrystalline lattice
- Franck and Hertz experiment with Hg and Ne
- Measurement of velocity of light
- Accoustic Doppler effect: Measurement of Doppler shift of frequency and velocity of sound
- Verification of Coulomb's Law (by method of image charge): Measurement of permittivity of air
- Photoelectric effect: Measurement of Planck's constant
- Microwave diffraction
- Study of Zeeman effect
- Study of Faraday effect
- Michelson's interferometer
- Fabry–Pérot interferometer
- Measurement of Stefan's constant
- Photovoltaics
- B-H loop tracer
- Measurement of magnetic susceptibility by Guoy's Method
- Temperature dependence of Hall effect in semi-conductors
- Temperature dependence of Hall effect in metals
- Temperature dependence of electrical resistivity in metals
- Magnetoresistance in metals and semi-conductors
- Study of polarization of light
- Electron spin resonence