Gwybodaeth Modiwlau
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 x 2 hour lectures |
| Practical | 1 x 1 hour practical sessions in small groups |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Examination | 70% |
| Semester Assessment | Example Sheet To be completed during teaching semester | 15% |
| Semester Assessment | Report on diffraction practical | 15% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Classify defect structures in terms of dimensionality.
Suggest appropriate experimental techniques to establish and quantify structural defects and disorder.
Use quantum mechanical and statistical mechanical arguments to describe phenomena such as Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity.
Distinguish between type I and II superconductivity, describe the Meissner effect and macroscopic quantum coherence.
Describe superconductivity according to Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory.
Describe quasiparticle excitations and the quantum Hall effect.
Describe the phenomenon of quantum confinement and the unique properties of nanophase materials.
Identify phase transitions in a variety of physical contexts.
Demonstrate familiarity with the concepts of the Landau theory of phase transitions.
Determine appropriate order parameters to describe phase transitions and suggest experimental techniques to track phase transitions.
Aims
This module builds on the general condensed matter syllabus covered in earlier modules and exposes students to some advanced topics and current research. Topics include defects and disorder, superfluidity, superconductivity and quantum confinement, and phase transitions. The link between physical phenomena and experimental methods to quantify them is emphasised.
Brief description
Based on the earlier treatment of diffraction and crystallography, defects and disorder are discussed, along with experimental approaches to their quantification and their impact on the properties of materials. The diffraction workshop will reinforce this part of the module.
The treatment of the para-/ferro-magnetic transition is generalised to cover phase transitions in general. The fundamentals of Landau theory and the order parameter are introduced, and experimental approaches to tracking phase transitions are discussed.
Content
1. Point defects, defect equilibria, diffusion.
2. Dislocations and their motion, material strength.
3. Stacking faults.
4. Amorphous structures, glass transition.
5. Measuring defects and disorder by diffraction.
6. Synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering techniques.
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
1. Superconducting materials
2. The Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect
3. The London equation
4. Macroscopic quantum coherence
5. Cooper pair
6. The BCS wave function
7. BCS theory and quasiparticle states.
SUPERFLUIDITY
1. Classical and quantum fluids
2. Flow Quantization and vorticies
3. Superfluid properties of He II
BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATES
1. Bose-Einstein statistics.
2. Bose-Einstein condensation
3. BEC in ultra-old gases
PHASE TRANSITIONS
1. Order of phase transitions
2. Order parameters and symetry
3. A hint of Landau theory
4. Tracking transitions experimentally.
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6