Syllabus for PHYS 230 “Advanced Solid State Physics” [Winter 2009]
Course Website: http://physics.ucsd.edu/~fogler/230
Description: Topics in solid-state physics beyond Phys 211. This quarter’s selections include: lowdimensional systems, theory of localization and low-temperature transport in insulators, quantum Hall
effect, interacting electron gas, 1D Luttinger liquids, bosonization, and Coulomb blockade in mesoscopic
conductors. Mathematical level is intermediate, e.g., Green's functions and other many-body methods are
introduced in a minimal fashion, sufficient to treat the simplest nontrivial examples. There is no designated
textbook; instead, lecture notes will be provided (based mainly on the texts recommended below).
Schedule:
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Lectures: Tuesday and Thursday, 2:00p-3:20p, HSS 1106B
Discussion session: Friday, 2:00p-2:50p, MHA 4681
Prerequisites:
Physics: statistical physics, E&M, quantum mechanics, and basic condensed-matter physics (as covered in
N. W. Ashcroft and N. D. Mermin, Solid State Physics, or Phys 211, or equivalent)
Math: differential equations, complex analysis, basic probability theory (as covered in, e.g., Phys 201).
Recommended Texts
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A. A. Abrikosov, Fundamentals of The Theory of Metals (Elsevier, 1988)
P. Phillips, Advanced Solid State Physics (Westview Press, 2003)
A. L. Efros, B. I. Shklovskii, Electronic Properties of Doped Semiconductors (Springer, 1984). Freely
available at http://www.tpi.umn.edu/shklovskii/
P. Nozières, D. Pines, The Theory of Quantum Liquids (Perseus, 1999)
G. D. Mahan, Many-Particle Physics (Springer, 2007)
The Quantum Hall Effect, edited by R. E. Prange and S. M. Girvin (Springer, 1986)
T. Giamarchi, Quantum Physics In One Dimension (Oxford, 2004)
Single Charge Tunneling: Coulomb Blockade Phenomena in Nanostructures, edited by H. Grabert and
M. H. Devoret (Springer, 1992)
Grading
Term paper: due on Monday of finals week, 70% of the total grade
Homework: due at Thursday lectures, 30% of the total grade
Details regarding the term paper
The list of suggested topics will be provided shortly. The final paper should contain 20-30 thousand
characters (three-four Physical Review pages). Use of figures is encouraged. It can be typeset in either
Revtex, see http://authors.aps.org/revtex4/ (preferred), or MS Word. Each student will also have to write a
half-page review on two papers of his (her) peers, commenting on their style and content. Referee
anonymity will be preserved.
Instructor Information
Michael Fogler, mfogler@ucsd.edu , tel. 858.534.5978
Office hours: Mayer Hall 5426, by appointment
Teaching Assistant
N/A