[Physics Class Notes] on Solid State Physics Pdf for Exam

Meaning of Solid State Physics

Solid-state physics refers to that branch of physics that deals with the study of solid matter that is rigid. It is done through an assortment of techniques including quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, metallurgy, and crystallography and structures the theoretical foundation of materials science. It tends to be defined as: 

The solids or rigid matters are studied through techniques, for example, quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy.  

History of Solid State Physics

The physical properties of solids have been basic subjects of scientific inquiry for a considerable length of time. Yet, a different field passing by the name of solid-state physics didn’t arise until the 1940s, specifically with the foundation of the Division of Solid State Physics (DSSP) within the American Physical Society. 

The DSSP took into industrial physics, and solid-state physics became related to the innovative applications made conceivable by research on solids. By the mid-1960s, the DSSP was the most significant division of the American Physical Society.  

Solid State Physics large communities additionally rose in Europe after World War II, specifically in England, Germany, and the Soviet Union. In the United States and Europe, the solid-state turned into a noticeable field through its examinations concerning semiconductors, superconductivity, and diverse other phenomena. 

During the early Cold War, research in solid-state physics was frequently not limited to solids, which drove a few physicists during the 1970s and 1980s to establish the field of condensed matter physics, which sorted out around basic methods used to explore solids, fluids, plasmas, and another complex issue. Today, solid-state physics is comprehensively viewed as the subfield of condensed matter physics that centers around the properties of solids with regular crystal lattices.

Functions of Solid State Physics

Various functions performed by them can characterize solid-state physics. The fundamental purpose of solid-state physics is to concentrate on how the atomic properties of a solid material influence its general and overall properties. It didn’t develop as a different field of study until the 1940s, even though researchers have studied the properties of solids for quite a long time.

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Properties of Solid State Physics and Crystal Structure

Their crystal structure influences numerous properties of materials. This structure can be examined utilizing a range of crystallographic procedures, including X-ray crystallography, neutron diffraction, and electron diffraction.

The measures of the individual crystal in a crystalline solid material shift contingent upon the material in question and the conditions when it was framed. Most crystalline materials experienced in regular daily life are polycrystalline, with the individual crystals being minute in scale. However, single macroscopic crystals can be created either naturally (for example, jewels) or through labs.

Genuine crystals include deformities or anomalies in the perfect arrangements, and these imperfections fundamentally decide a significant number of the electrical and mechanical properties of real materials. 

Properties of materials, for example, electrical conduction and heat capacity are researched by solid-state physics. By expecting that the material contains stationary positive particles and an “electron gas” of classical, non-interacting electrons, the Drude model had the option to clarify electrical and thermal conductivity and the Hall impact in metals, despite the fact that it incredibly overestimated the electronic heat capacity.

Basic Solid State Physics

Each strong solid material is densely packed atoms, the interaction between which chooses the properties of the material. The mechanical, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of the thing are altogether subject to the interaction of the atoms causing it to up. The materials involved and the conditions under which atoms were formed are the deciding factors for the alignment of the atoms. Whether the atoms will be aligned in a regular pattern, or irregular, or geometric, it all depends on the materials and conditions.

Crystalline solids, for example, metals and amorphous solids, for example, common window glass, are examples of the regular and irregular patterns, respectively.

Solid-State Physics Applications

Ideas clarified by solid-state physics are applied thoroughly surrounding us. The most significant among them are: 

• Electronic gadgets, for example, mobiles and PCs 

• Optical devices, for example, lasers and fiber optics 

• Magnet based gadgets, for example, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and vibrating gadgets 

• Silicon-based logic and memory bits 

As such, the entire idea of present-day innovation depends on the principles of solid-state physics. Indeed, even customary things, such as wiring in a building and the windowpane, the magnet in a fridge, are largely dependent on solid-state physics principles.

These applications highlight how useful solid-state physics is and also mention the areas where they can be applied.