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PH30028: Condensed matter physics 2

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2014/5
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Physics
Further information on credits Credits: 6
Further information on unit levels Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Further information on teaching periods Period: Semester 1
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: EX 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Examination (EX 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Mandatory extra work (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: Before taking this unit you must (take PH20017 or take PH20063) and take PH20019 and take PH20020 and (take PH20029 or take PH20067)
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
The aims of this unit are to introduce areas of condensed matter physics that extend beyond the conventional domain of regular, infinite, crystalline solids.

Learning Outcomes:
After taking this unit the student should be able to:
* relate the electronic, optical and mechanical properties of real crystals to their defects;
* make quantitative estimates of the parameters that govern the behaviour of real solids;
* describe the structure and properties of amorphous solids;
* describe, compare and contrast experimental probes of solid surfaces;
* describe the structure, phase behaviour, and diffusive properties of polymers, colloids and liquid crystals;
* describe the principal structural and relaxational properties of solid, liquid, and soft matter glasses in terms of simple models.

Skills:
Numeracy T/F A, Problem Solving T/F A.

Content:
Real solids (3 hours): Defects in crystals; point defects and dislocations in crystals. Effect on electronic, optical and mechanical properties. Point defects in thermal equilibrium. Self diffusion. Ionic conductivity. Colour centres.
Surface physics (6 hours): Clean and real surfaces, UHV, epitaxial growth. Surface energy; nearest neighbour bond model. Surface nets and unit meshes, reconstructions, adsorbates, the work function. Auger, UV and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Reciprocal nets and diffraction. LEED, the scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopes.
Introduction to amorphous solids (3 hours): Topological disorder. Determination of glass structure. Short range order, vibrational states and thermal conductivity of glasses.
Soft condensed matter (10 hours): Introduction and overview: Characteristic features, sedimentation, Brownian motion and random walks. Colloids: Diffusion, the Stokes-Einstein relation. Interacting colloid particles: phase behaviour, crystals and glasses. Polymers: Chemical structure, models for the conformations of polymers - freely-jointed chain, freely-rotating chain, excluded volume effects. Concentrated polymer solutions. Surfactants: Chemical structure and self-assembled structures. Glass: Glass forming systems, relaxation time and viscosity, simple models of the glass transition.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

PH30028 is Optional on the following programmes:

Programmes in Natural Sciences
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences with Study year abroad (Year 4)
Department of Mathematical Sciences Department of Physics
  • USXX-AFB03 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 3)
  • USXX-AAB04 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USXX-AKB04 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 4)
  • USPH-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Physics (Year 3)
  • USPH-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USPH-AFB09 : BSc Physics (Year 3)
  • USPH-AFM02 : MPhys(Hons) Physics (Year 3)
  • USPH-AKM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKM03 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • USPH-AFM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Research placement (Year 3)
  • USPH-AFB05 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Computing (Year 3)
  • USPH-AAB06 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Computing with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKB06 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Computing with Year long work placement (Year 4)

Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2014/15 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2015/16 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2014/15.
* Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
* Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.