UE Solid state physics I

This solid-state physics class aims at providing the basics theories that allow to understand the properties of materials, and in particular their electronic and vibrational properties. Why are some solids metallic and other semiconducting ? Can we calculate their specific heat ? What is their velocity of sound ? Applications to low-dimensional systems (including graphene and nanotubes) will serve as a bridge to nanosciences.

Content: 
- The historical Drude model of conductivity
- Introducing quantum mechanics : non-interacting electrons in a box
- Density of states in several dimensions
- Translational properties and Bloch theorem : reducing the complexity
- Reciprocal space and Brillouin zone
- Tight-binding approximation and band structures
- Examples : graphene, Peierls distortion, the minimal cuprate, etc.
- Phonons ; acoustic and optical modes.

Bibliography:
- Introductory chapters of a basic book on Quantum mechanics
- Introduction to Solid-State Physics, Charles Kittel
- Solid-State Physics, Ashcroft and Mermin