Solid State Physics (PYL563)

Sujeet Chaudhary
Office : MS 406
EPBAX : 1341
E-mail : sujeetc@physics.iitd.ac.in
Homepage: http://web.iitd.ac.in/~sujeetc

PYL563/L01 1
 Course contents
S. No. Topics to be undertaken Lectures
Crystal Structure: Crystal lattices, Reciprocal lattice, equivalence of Bragg
1 9
and Laue formulations, Ewald Construction, bonding & packing in crystals.
Electrons in a Periodic Potential: Free electron theory: Drude and
Sommerfield’s model of conductivity. Bloch theorem in lattice and reciprocal
space, origin of band gap in a weak periodic potential, Kronig-Penney
2 model, band structures, metal, insulator, semiconductor, concepts of 8
effective mass, light and heavy holes in a semiconductor, optical properties
of semiconductors. Tight binding model and calculation of band structure,
Fermi Surfaces.
Thermal Properties: classical & quantum theory of harmonic crystal in one,
3 two, & three dimensions, specific heat at high and low temperatures, normal 3
modes & phonons, Einstein & Debye models of specific heat.
Ferroelectric & Piezoelectric Effects: Polarization (types), Local field,
4. C.M. Equation, dielectric constant and loss, dielectric strength and 5
insulation breakdown, capacitor
Magnetism: Diamagnetism, Langevin theory of paramagnetism, Curie-
5 Weiss Law, Pauli paramagnetism, Ferromagnetism, Weiss molecular theory, 10
Ferromagnetic domains, magnetic anisotropy
Superconductivity, types of superconductors, Heat capacity, energy gap,
Thermodynamics of the superconducting transition, London equation,
6 coherence length, BCS theory of superconductivity (qualitative), Brief 7
introduction to high temperature superconductors

PYL563/L01 2
Evaluation, Grading and Attendance:
• There will be two minors of 20 marks each and a major of 30 marks, and
quiz/assignments for 30 marks. Award of grades A and D will be made only if a
student secures a minimum of 80% and 30% marks, respectively.
• The attendance requirement is as per the Institute’s rules (i.e., 100% must be
ensured by student). The student must inform, in writing, to the course-
coordinator for being absent due to any reason whatsoever.
• Grades of the students with < 75% attendance will be reduced by one level

Text/Reference Books:
• Elementary Solid State Physics, M. A. Omar, Pearson
• Introduction to Solid State Physics, CHARLES KITTLE, Wiley
• Elements of X-ray Diffraction, B D CULLITY, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
• Principles of Electronic Materials and Devices by S.O.KASAP, Tata McGraw Hill
• Solid State- An Introduction to Physics of Crystals for students of Physics,
Materials Science and Engineering, by H M ROSENBERG, Oxford. Univ. Press

Tutorials : Room LH623 | 2-3 pm | day to be decided

PYL563/L01 3
 Lecture plan for today

• Different structures of same element(s) have different

physical properties – CARBON ALLOTROPES
• SOLIDS can exist in 2 Varieties – Amorphous/Crystalline
• 2D and 3D solids
• SOLID = LATTICE + BASIS
• 7 Crystal Systems and 14 Bravais Lattices
- Primitive and Non Primitive Units
- Atomic Packing Fraction (APF)

PYL563/L01 4
 Arrangement of Carbon atoms can do wonders!
GRAPHENE –
Ultra high mobility

BUCKMINISTER
FULLERINE (C60)
=Balled Graphene
Superconducting

DIAMOND –
High thermal
conductivity,
Carbon Nano Tube (CNT)=Rolled Graphene
Insulator
PYL563/L01 5
 GAS /LIQUID PHASE
cooling
AMORPHOUS, NANO XTALLINE
POLY CRYSTALLINE
AND/OR
SINGLE CRYSTAL
• Window “glass” is
“amorphous”
• Amorphous Solid ≡
“Supercooled Liquid”
PYL563/L01 6
Crystalline and amorphous structures illustrated schematically in 2D

PYL563/L01 7
 SOLIDS - 2 VARIETIES

CRYSTALLINE AMORPHOUS

CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS : PERFECT PERIODICITY OF

ATOMIC STRUCTURE; BETTER
UNDERSTOOD
AMORPHOUS SOLIDS: LITTLE OR NO PERIODCITY

PYL563/L01 8
(a) A simple square lattice. The unit cell is a square with a side ‘a’.
(b) Basis having two atoms.
(c) Crystal = Lattice + Basis. The unit cell is a simple square with two atoms.
(d) Placement of basis atoms in the crystal unit cell.

PYL563/L01 9
 Bravais Space Lattices or Space Lattices
r
Two-Dimensional y

P
r
Unit Cells br r
O a
x

PRIMITIVE Unit Cell – A unit cell with one lattice-point

(There may be more than one primitive unit cells)
NON-PRIMITIVE Unit Cell :
2D : 5 Lattices
3D : 14 Lattices
r r
Lattice vector or Position vector: OP = ha + kb ( h, k are integers)
PYL563/L01 10
 2D Bravais Lattice (Surface Crystallography)
Oblique Net Rectangular Net Centered Rect. Net

Hexagonal Net Square Net

PYL563/L01 11
 BRAVAIS LATTICES (3-D)

r r r r
t = ha + kb + lc
r
t = translational vector, &
h, k , l are integers

1. Every lattice point in a 3-D lattice can be described by vector t

(defined above)
2. 3-D space can be filled by repeating a smallest volume called
unit cell, defined by vectors a, b, c called lattice parameters
and the angles α, β, γ
3. The vectors a, b, c are primitive vectors if the parallelopiped
defined by them does not include any more lattice point.
PYL563/L01 12
4. The parallelopiped defined by
primitive vectors is called
primitive unit cell, and it has
the smallest volume
5. Volume = a1.(a2×a3) OR a. (b×c)

6. There are 7 ways (obtained by giving different values to a, b,

c, α, β, and γ) which can produce unit cells of various
shapes, and therefore various kinds of point lattice. These
are referred to as CRYSTAL SYSTEMS (points at corners)
7. As required by crystal symmetry, in 3D, there are 14 ways
of arranging points in space lattices such that all the lattice
points have exactly the same surroundings. These are 14
BRAVAIS LATTICES (extra points at center of
cell/face/base)
PYL563/L01 13
The seven crystal systems (unit cell geometries) and fourteen Bravais lattices

PYL563/L01 14
Contd…..The 7 crystal systems (unit cell geometries) and 14 Bravais lattices

PYL563/L01 15
H.W.
Q : Why not a new class in Tetragonal System ?
i.e., Base-Centered Tetragonl (See Below)

Ans : It does not generate a new class.

It actually yields a Simple or Primitve Tetragonal.

PYL563/L01 16
H.W. Primitive Cell of a Face Centered Cubic Cell

• It’s a Rhombohedral, its axis angle is 60º ; each axis is 1/√2

times the length of the axes of the cubic unit cell (Volume=1/4)
• It possesses a cubic symmetry (it possesses four 3-fold axes)
• It does not belong to the usual “Rhombohedral” (α =β =γ ≠ 90º),
which does not have cubic symmetry (as it only possesses
one 3-fold axis)
PYL563/L01 17
 Packing of atoms: Face Cenetered Cubic

(a) Copper - face centered cubic (FCC). The atoms are positioned at
well defined sites arranged periodically and there is a long range
order in the crystal. Face diagonal = √2 a = 4 r
(b) An FCC unit cell with closed packed spheres.
(c) Reduced sphere representation of the unit cell. Examples: Ag, Al,
Au, Ca, Cu, Cu : Lattice Parameter ‘a’ = 0.362 nm
γ-Fe (>912 ˚C), Ni, Pd, Pt, Rh. Atomic Radius ‘r’ = 0.128 nm

PYL563/L01 18
Body Centered Cubic crystal (BCC) crystal structure.
(a) A BCC unit cell with closely packed hard spheres representing the
Fe atoms.
(b)A reduced-sphere unit cell.

Examples: Alkali metals (Li, Na, K, Rb), Cr, Mo, W, Mn,

α-Fe (< 912 ˚C), β-Ti (> 882 ˚C)
Body diagonal = √3 a = 4 r

PYL563/L01 19
 N × AtomicVolume
Atomic Packing Fraction (APF) =
Unit Cell Volume
N = Number of atoms in unit cell
2 × (4π r 3 / 3)
For BCC, APF = 3
≈ 68%
( 4r / 3 )

Body diagonal = √3 a = 4 r

PYL563/L01 20
 (a) The Hexagonal
Close Packed (HCP)
Structure. A collection
of many Zn atoms.
Color difference
distinguishes layers
(stacks).
(b) The stacking
sequence of closely
packed layers is
ABAB
(c) A unit cell with
reduced spheres
(d) The smallest unit
cell with reduced
spheres.
PYL563/L01 21
 HCP CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
‰ The atoms of a crystal are set in space either on the points of
a Bravis lattice or in some fixed relation to that point
HCP primitive unit cell
showing atom-positions Origin of the unit cell in (b) is
shifted such that point
A(1,0,0) in Fig. (b) is midway
between the atoms at
Q (2/3,1/3,1/2)
P(1,0,0) and Q(2/3,1/3,1/2) in
A Fig. (a)
P
(a) (1,0,0)
(b)
(1,0,0)

HCP unit cell showing

atom-positions

Mg, α-Ti, Be, etc.

HCP structure shown by Zn, PYL563/L01 22
Similarity/Disimilarity in FCC & HCP Structures
– A Comparison

Layer sequence in
FCC:
ABCABCABCABC...

Layer sequence
in HCP:
ABABABAB….

Both have same atomic

packing fraction~74%
PYL563/L01 23