01 / Reading Guide
Reading Guide
Who this book is for
For upper-level undergraduates taking a first solid-state course after quantum mechanics. The notes form part of Cambridge’s Applications of Quantum Mechanics course. They develop a focused theoretical route through solids rather than providing a broad descriptive survey of every material class or experimental technique.
Prerequisites
Undergraduate quantum mechanics, linear algebra, differential equations and electromagnetism are required. Review Hamiltonians, harmonic oscillators, complex exponentials and periodic boundary conditions before beginning the lattice calculations.
What it covers
Particles in magnetic fields lead into Landau levels and gauge ideas, followed by one- and three-dimensional band structure, lattices, reciprocal space and Bloch theory. Later sections cover Fermi surfaces, semiclassical electron dynamics and phonons, including simple chains and the relation between lattice vibrations and quantized excitations.
How to use it
Derive the spectrum of a short periodic chain before drawing the corresponding band. Track which approximation leads to the nearly-free-electron or tight-binding picture. For each reciprocal-space diagram, label what the axes and periodic identifications mean. Compare electron and phonon dispersions and explain why their state counting differs. Work through the linked problem sheets and check limiting cases, units and degeneracies before trusting a numerical plot. Return to the quantum prerequisites when a formal step becomes opaque.
Edition and sources
The author’s official teaching page supplies the complete 131-page notes, whose title page states Lent Term 2017. The old Cambridge URL redirects to this author site. No general Creative Commons permission was established, so free personal reading should be distinguished from permission to redistribute or adapt the notes.
