Solid-state physics
Solid-state physics, the largest branch of condensed matter physics, is the study of rigid matter, or solids. The bulk of solid-state physics theory and research is focused on crystals, largely because the periodicity of atoms in a crystal — its defining characteristic —facilitates mathematical modeling, and also because crystalline materials often have electrical, magnetic, optical, or mechanical properties that can be exploited for engineering purposes.
The framework of most solid-state physics theory is the Schrödinger (wave) formulation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Bloch's theorem, which characterizes the wavefunctions of electrons in a periodic potential, is an important starting point for much analysis. Since Bloch's theorem applies only to periodic potentials, and since unceasing random movements of atoms in a crystal disrupt periodicity, this use of Bloch's theorem is only an approximation, but it has proven to be a tremendously valuable approximation, without which most solid-state physics analysis would be intractable. Deviations from periodicity are treated by quantum mechanical perturbation theory.
Topics
Amorphous solid
Crystal structure
defects
quasicrystal
Free electron model
reciprocal lattice
X-ray crystallography
neutron diffraction
dynamical theory of diffraction
Dielectric properties
ferroelectricity
Refractive index
Double refraction
polaron
Electronic structure
band gap
Bloch waves
(electron waves in a lattice)
conduction band
effective mass
electron hole
Fermi gas
Fermi energy
Fermi liquid
exciton
plasmon
valence band
Electronic transport
Bloch oscillations
Drude model
electrical conduction
Hall effect
magnetoresistance
superconductivity
Magnetic properties
magnetism
Mechanical properties
crystal acoustics
Debye model of specific heat
Einstein model of specific heat
elasticity
hardness
hyper sound
Mössbauer effect
nanomechanics
(nanoscale structures)
phonons
(lattice vibrations)
plastic deformation
ultrasonic
Optical properties
Brillouin scattering
crystal optics
infrared absorption
optical phonon
Raman scattering
Alloys
Insulator
Metal
Semiconductor
Semi-metal
Spin glass
Surface science