Solid-state physics studies how macroscopic properties of solids (mechanical, electrical, optical, etc.) result from their microscopic structure. It usually deals with the scale where quantum properties of the particles are substantial.
6
votes
2answers
3k views
How can the Hall effect ever show positive charge carriers?
The Hall effect can be used to determine the sign of the charge carriers, as a positive particle drifting along the wire and a negative particle drifting the other direction get deflected the same (as ...
5
votes
6answers
2k views
What are “electron holes” in semiconductors?
I'm tutoring senior high school students. So far I've explained them the concepts of atomic structure (Bohr's model & Quantum mechanical model) very clearly. Now the next topic to be taught is ...
11
votes
3answers
984 views
How Non-abelian anyons arise in solid-state systems?
Recently it has been studied non-abelian anyons in some solid-state systems. These states are being studied for the creation and manipulation of qubits in quantum computing.
But, how these ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
Chemical potential
This is something probably very basic but I was led back to this issue while listening to a recent seminar by Allan Adams on holographic superconductors. He seemed very worried to have a theory at ...
3
votes
3answers
332 views
Proof of existence of lowest temperature $0 K$
Im mathematics there is a concept of infinity meaning that whenever you pick a number and say that it is the smallest/Largest there is a way to further reduce/increase that number by ...
5
votes
1answer
444 views
How to calculate the properties of Photon-Quasiparticles
in recent questions like "How are classical optics phenomena explained in QED (Snell's law)?" and "Do photons gain mass when they travel through glass?" we could learn something about effective ...
2
votes
0answers
109 views
Stiffness tensor
Let's have a stiffness tensor:
$$
a^{ijkl}: a^{ijkl} = a^{jikl} = a^{klij} = a^{ijlk}.
$$
It has a 21 independent components for an anisotropic body.
How does body symmetry (cubic, hexagonal ...
6
votes
1answer
921 views
Why are some materials diamagnetic, others paramagnetic, and others ferromagnetic?
Why are some materials diamagnetic, others paramagnetic, and others ferromagnetic?
Or, put another way, which of their atomic properties determines which of the three forms of magnetism (if at all) ...
3
votes
2answers
534 views
Propagation of light in transparent media: absorption and reemission or scattering?
In the two Phys.SE questions What is the mechanism behind the slowdown of light/photons in a transparent medium? and Why glass is transparent? transparent media were discussed. But I'd like to clarify ...
2
votes
2answers
789 views
How can crystal structures be determined using X-ray diffraction?
You have the intensity peaks and the diffraction angles. Let's say you suspect the material is cubic, how do I find if it's simple cubic or BCC or FCC?
I've googled and all my textbooks just state ...
11
votes
2answers
416 views
Is there a method for differentiating fractional quantum Hall states aside from finding Chern numbers?
The ground state for a quantum Hall system on a torus with fractional filling factor can be classified by the Chern number, which is why the Hall conductance is quantized. Is there another method or ...
11
votes
1answer
879 views
Graphene and Klein bottle?
I am trying to understand graphene as a topological insulator.
The spin orbital interaction in graphene is very small (~10mK?). But if we consider that, then graphene should be a topological ...
14
votes
1answer
467 views
Turned to steel in the great magnetic field
This is obviously a "fun" question, but I'm sure it still has valid physics in it, so bear with me.
How great of a magnetic field would you need to transmute other elements into iron/nickel, if ...
2
votes
4answers
363 views
Do we say that phonon has effective mass through its dispersion relation?
The effective mass is proportional to the second derivative of the dispersion relation d2k/dE2.
Do we say that phonon have effective mass through it ? Spin wave have.
5
votes
1answer
406 views
Yet another question on the Lindhard function
Here's another question concerning the Lindhard function as used in the physical description of metals.
First we define the general Lindhard function in the Random Phase approximation as
...
7
votes
3answers
357 views
Mathematical rigorous introduction to solid state physics
I am looking for a good mathematical rigorous introduction to solid state physics. The style and level for this solid state physics book should be comparable to Abraham Marsdens Foundations of ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
The Spectral Function in Many-Body Physics and its Relation to Quasiparticles
recently, I stumbled accross a concept which might be very helpful understanding quasiparticles and effective theories (and might shed light on an the question How to calculate the properties of ...
3
votes
3answers
267 views
Why is copper diamagnetic?
Cu has an unpaired electron in 4s, but it is diamagnetic. I thought that it has to be paramagnetic. What am I missing?
1
vote
1answer
367 views
Topological phase
Can anybody tell me, if generically any system, which is solely described by a topological field theory, resides in a topological phase? I cant find any clear notion of topological phase. Only ...
0
votes
0answers
55 views
Cubic symmetry and a stiffness tensor [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Stiffness tensor
Let's have a stiffness tensor:
$$
a^{ijkl}: a^{ijkl} = a^{jikl} = a^{klij} = a^{ijlk}.
$$
It has a 21 independent components for an anisotropic body. ...
-4
votes
3answers
177 views
There must be free positive charges, moving oppositely to electrons for the wire with current to stay neutral
All popular expositions (e.g. these ones) of relativistic electromagnetism claim univocally that electrons in motion become more dense due to the speed. They teach that Lorentz contraction of charges ...
