Solid state physics/Notes

This page is intended to start as notes from various physical textbooks and sources listed below augmented by notes and links to resources around the net as well as Wikipedia, Wikibooks and other places within Wikiversity. It is an experimental attempt to master chaos and attract interesting participation from others interested but ignorant (as I am) of the subject matter.

As sections become complete enough and different enough from other sources the material may be migrated to proper wikibooks and/or lesson plans as/if appropriate and links substituted under goals as in lesson plan. Perhaps this will evolve a useful learning trail for self and others.

Notes added here much be at minimum paraphrased (put in own personal wording) or factual so as to avoid copyright infringement and establish our copyleft rights. Diagrams, tables, pictures, etc. must all be uniquely owned and submitted or rights established as per Wikimedia Foundation projects standard procedures. Very helpful to be logged in so an audit trail is automatically maintained and others can seek clarification or provide notification of correction of percieved errors.

Applcable local links:
 * http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Topic:Condensed_Matter_Physics

Notes Bullet History


 * Crystals: When crystals are grown from constant conditions (saturated fluid, constant temperature, et.) they grow by adding identical blocks. This was known and supported in the 18th century by the fact that crystalline faces all provide the same integral index numbers.  This could be accounted for only by periodic arrays of identical building blocks.  This was conclusively demonstrated via x-ray diffraction as described below.


 * X-Ray Diffraction: "Interference Effects with Rontgen Rays" in 1912 provided a basis to launch Solid State Physics (which is now a subset of the larger field of Condensed Matter Physics  In the first half of the paper Laue presented a theory that x-rays could be diffracted by periodic arrays of atoms.  In the second half of the paper Friedrick and Knipping presented the first experimental data and analysis results using x-rays shined through crystals to support the diffraction theory.


 * Condensed Matter: Armed with x-ray diffraction and proven theory of periodic arrays of atoms in at least some solid matter, (ionic crystals), intensive studies of condensed matter has now expanded to amorphous (non crystalline) solids, liquids, and glasses.  ^2 p.3.


 * Nanotech: Nanotech requirements for knowledge of behavior of molecular machinery, feedstocks, and surrounding matter will obviously be driving this field.   Add links to computational tools and interesting nanotech science liberally to help update the material to be useful to modern students of science and technology.


 * Query: Can an AWACs style molecular machine be developed that can communicate with other molecular machines/computers in assembly environment?   Perhaps miniturize the conceptual and implementation approach of U.S. DODs battlesphere to provide QC/QA or construction management for macroscopic projects nanotech has under construction?

Unit Cells

Reference ^1 has a good treatment of unit cells in Metals. Reference ^2 has a generic treatment of general crystalline unit cells in preparation of general mathematical treatment of generic methods.

^References 1. Engineering Materials and Their Applications, Flinn and Trojan, ISBN 0-395-29645-5, LOCCCN 80-82840. 2. Introduction to Solid State Physics, Kittel, ISBN 0-471-87474-4, LOCCCN 75-25963