Condensed Matter 1

Gecondenseerde materie 1

Owner	Bachelor Natuur- en Sterrenkunde (joint degree)
Coordinator	prof. dr. Mark Golden
Part of	Minor Physics and Astronomy: Energy and Sustainability, year 1Dubbele bachelor Wis- en Natuurkunde, year 2Bachelor Bèta-gamma, major Natuurkunde, year 2Bachelor Physics and Astronomy (Joint Degree), year 2Bachelor Bèta-gamma, major Natuurkunde, year 3

Course manual 2020/2021

Course content

The world around us is dominated by solids. Correspondingly, condensed matter physics is the largest sub-discipline in the global physics research scene, and one in which Dutch physics plays a prominent role. This lecture course (GM1) introduces the most important concepts that underpin modern (quantum) condensed matter and materials physics.

GM1 (or CondMat1) - as the course is abbreviated - acts as a good basis / or inspiration for the following courses:

• Quantum Mechanics / structure of matter (5092QUDM6Y) – 2nd year Feb. & Mar.
• Cond-mat-2 (50922COM6Y) – 3rd year, Feb. & Mar.
• Physics of Energy: sun, water, wind and storage (5092PESW6Y) – 3rd year, Nov. & Dec.
• Fundamentals of Photonics – 2nd year, Apr. & May.

Concepts and ideas used in GM1/CM1 will return and some of the ‘missing’ theory background will be filled in in these courses:

• Statistical physics (5092STFY6Y) – 2nd year, April & May
• Advanced Quantum Physics (5092ADQP6Y) – 3rd year, Sept. & Oct.
• Atomic Physics (5092ATPH6Y) – 3rd year, Nov. & Dec.

GM1 addresses the topics of bonding, crystal structure, free electrons in metals, the impact of periodic lattice potential on electronic wavefunction and energy levels, the properties and description of semiconductors and semiconductor devices like LEDs or solar cells.

The usual (pre-Corona) 14 lectures and 14 problem-solving classes, plus a lab-tour within the UvA's IoP is being modified for the 2020-2021 online version. More on the structure later.

The aim remains to give you a taste of how experimental research into solid state materials is really done in practice.

If you would like to:

• understand how the theoretical physics describing the quantum properties of electrons in lattices leads to such a broad variety in the physical properties of materials (metals, insulators, semiconductors)
• understand how the physics behind the electronic and optical properties of solids can be exploited in the devices which underpin unmissable elements of modern society such as the semiconductor transistor, photovoltaics and optoelectronic devices such as LEDs

then this is the course for you.

Study materials

Literature

• J.R. Hook and H.E. Hall, 'Solid state physics', Second Edition, Wiley, ISBN 0-471-92805-4.

Other

• As appropriate, additional study material will be placed on Canvas.

Objectives

• be able to describe the microscopic structure of a solid, and explain how this arises from its composition and atomic bonding, and how the structure can be determined experimentally
• be able to describe the key quantum properties of electrons in metals and to explain how they are relevant for electronic transport
• be able to explain how the quantum character of electrons and the periodicity of lattice combine to influence the electronic properties of crystalline materials so distinguishing between metals, semiconductors and insulators
• be able to explain how the electronic properties of solids are influenced by external factors such as temperature or electric field
• be able to derive analytical expressions for the band structure of simple crystalline solids
• be able to describe and explain how the free electron model of metals can be applied to semiconductors
• be able to understand and explain the electronic and optical properties of semiconductors, comparing and contrasting to the case of metals and insulators
• be able to understand and describe the connection between the microscopic structure with the macroscopic electronic and optical properties of semiconductor devices, leading to the ability to evaluate and identify suitable application areas for different individual device structures

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Seminar
• Self-study

To optimally use the timetabled contact time to develop as tight-knit a GM1 community as we can, we’re going to use the following teaching elements (on top of the book):

• the lectures (L) held last year (2019-2020) – in a usual lecture hall setting –are recorded and available (details in a moment). Your teaching team rely on you to (possibly with the exception of L1) watch these before the scheduled 2h hoorcollege time-slots in DataNose
• .pdf files of the lecture sheets used for the (2019-2020) lectures will be on Canvas
• the problem solving classes (PSCs, labelled werkcollege in DataNose)
• the 2h hoorcollege sessions timetabled in DataNose will – from L2 – run in a more ‘flipped’ style of classroom. The idea is that we use these Zoom sessions to interact with each other, discuss the material (students with students in break-out rooms in Zoom; students with lecturers in a plenary style in Zoom), and identify parts of the material that require more explanation from the teachers’ side.

To keep the whole thing manageable, we now snip the course up into 6 Modules (M1-M6). Each module is ca. 2-3 lectures in size, has accompanying PSC material, as well as pre-recorded CondensedMatterClips – short films providing context or additional explanation. More info on the content of M1-M6 is given below.

Each module is kicked off with a plenary (live on zoom) introduction by Mark or Kat and is closed off with a plenary (live on Zoom) ‘wrap-up’ by Mark or Kat which includes Q&A.

Here info on these teaching elements:

Recordings of full Lectures, in a plenary setting (L): these are from the 2019-2020 pre-COVID course. The weblink for the filmed lectures is here:
https://webcolleges.uva.nl/Mediasite/Catalog/Full/acd7cff5d90149af89e35dcaffdcea6221

How to use these L1-L14 filmed lectures

• GM1 students will be watching last years’ lectures on film in their own study time, and before the respective scheduled L/HC timepoint in the 2020-2021 timetable.
• the recorded lectures are intended to awake interest, providing both context and a first meeting point with the material. They are not intended to be exhaustive or 'enough' on their own for a student to pick up the necessary skills and knowledge to master the course.
• .pdf’s of the 2019-2020 L sheets used for the recordings will be posted on Canvas

Following the lectures via the films (=‘webcolleges’) and using the lecture sheets/notes, plus working with the book, with any additional material on Bb, and - crucially - active participation in the interactive Zoom modules and Zoom problem-solving classes are essential for developing a good connection to your fellow students and the teaching team, and thus for both a positive learning experience and success!

GM1 contains lots of concepts that are new to the 2nd year students for whom the course is designed. The lectures try to help the students become able to internalise these concepts and - after thought and work from the students' side - the core framework of condensed matter physics at this level should crystallize in the course of this course. The lectures are - naturally - a place at which the astute student can pick up the emphasis and relative importance of the (many) new concepts, factual knowledge and procedures that are offered in class.

Zoom hoorcollege sessions covering the 6 GM1 Modules

All students who can make it are expected to take part via Zoom (this will run via Canvas site for the course). These sessions will also be filmed made available to all GM1 students.

As described above, these modules – which will probably take on their more or less final form from L2 - will include elements such as Introduction to the Module, CondensedMatterClips, assignments for students to work on in groups (in break-out rooms), and opportunity for discussion, with a wrap-up incl. Q&A at the end of each module. This way of using the hoorcollege 2h sessions means some parts of them will feel similar to the PSCs, but we are convinced that a 2h ‘talking head’ lecture over Zoom would be a deadly monologue, and lead to no interaction.

Each module will also involve an element of summative assessment[1].

Where possible Mark and Katerina will open the Zoom meetings 30 min. ahead of the timetabled L/HC start point and close the Zoom meetings 30 min. after the scheduled stop time. These half-hour brackets provide opportunity for low-key (almost social) interaction with the students. We want to create a feeling of us all belonging the GM1-2020_2021 club.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summative_assessment

 

Problem solving classes (PSCs)

Active and serious participation in the PSCs and the problems set are a vital part of the success formula for GM1. The PSC questions are an ideal proving ground and training instrument for the GM1 students to bolster their knowledge, sharpen their skills and prepare for the partial exams PE1 and PE2, where the problems set are just like the PSC questions.

This means the PSCs are the key to getting to know how to recognise the problem being asked and an efficient route to take to get to the answers. 'Doing it' is by the far the best way to pick up essential skills such as the application of knowledge, analysis of new problems, the evaluation of the relative impact of different factors, analysis of the merits and weaknesses of different models for different materials and creating connections between macroscopic and macroscopic properties.

Working in ‘learning teams’ or put more simply groups is encouraged. Please forge a band with three or four other GM1 students and get together online to discuss the Q’s, and to help each other if people get stuck. Please note we emphasize that each individual student should be doing the exercises her/himself, using the rest of the group to discuss the material and to help overcome the inevitable blockages that crop up on the way to successful completion of the exercises. Just looking over someone else's shoulder, reading their answers to a problem and saying 'oh yeah…….' does not generally do the trick, so please DIY.

 

Discord server for GM1 students and TAs

To make a safe space free of the prying eyes of your lecturers, Florian has set up and will look after a Discord server: https://discord.gg/4kzQryh

This is the place for the GM1 students and their TAs to discuss and communicate on a platform they probably are all already skilled on. Kat and Mark will not make accounts, so no need to keep the discussion diplomatic… ;-)

 

GM1 Modules

The material we are bringing in GM1 can be split into six modules:

• M1 bonding & crystal structures
• M2 free electron model
• M3 nearly-free electron model
• M4 tight binding model
• M5 semiconductors
• M6 semiconductor devices

Modules 1-3 are covered in September, with Mark as the lecturer, and M3-M6 are the second half of the course (mainly in October) and Katerina is the lecturer.

As a response to moving this course online, the teaching team is setting up this modular form to allow more interaction between the students and lecturers during the zoom L/HC sessions and to snip the material into smaller chunks (which in turn can be made up of smaller chunklets).

Therefore, as we go into this inaugural digital version of GM1, the tentative Module – ‘Lecture/HC’ link-up would be the following:

Module	‘Hoorcollege’/L	Module	‘Hoorcollege’/L
M1	1-3	M2	4 & 5
M3	6 & 7	‘Surgery’, re-cap 1st half	8
M4	9 & 10	M5 & M6	11-13
‘Surgery’ and re-cap 2nd half	14

As an example, you’ll find the ‘chunk’ M1 split up into chunklets:

• atoms
• bonding
• lattices
• crystal structures
• structure determination

 

CondensedMatterClips. The idea is that a collection of brief (<10 min.) ‘broadcast’ items are available to the students covering the chunklets and that the students have been and are working on related problems in the PSC.

Discussion and on-line interaction. Then, together - staff and students – use the ‘lecture/HC’ time-tabled blocks to DISCUSS the material, to DEAL with blockages in understanding. This way the lecturer, with the help of the TA team can optimally prepare an effective wrap-up and Q&A session to close each module.

Warning to the students: you are part of experiment. We haven’t done it like this before. The class actually has more experience of receiving on-line teaching than we (Mark & Kat) are in giving it, so we ask the students to keep the communication channels to us open, so we can improve things as we go along.

Learning activities

Attendance

Programme's requirements concerning attendance (TER-B):

• Each student is expected to participate actively in each component of the programme that he/she signed up for. A student that does not attend the first two seminars of a course, will be administratively removed from the seminar group. A request for reregistration for the seminars can be applied to the programme coordinator.
• If a student cannot attend an obligatory component of a programme's component due to circumstances beyond his control, he must report in writing to the relevant teacher as soon as possible. The teacher, if necessary after consulting the study adviser, may decide to issue the student a replacing assignment.
• It is not allowed to miss obligatory commponents of the programme if there is no case of circumstances beyond one's control.
• In case of participating qualitatively or quantitatively insufficiently, the examiner can expel a student from further participation in the programme's component or a part of that component. Conditions for sufficient participation are set down in advance in the course manual.
• In addition to the above mentioned rules, in the first semester of the first year a student should be present in at least 80% of the seminars. Moreover, participation to midterm tests and obligatory homework is required. If the student does not comply with these obligations, the student is expelled from the resit of this course. Students in the double Bachelor's degree programme Mathematics and Physics are exempted from this requirement. In case of personal circumstances, as described in OER-A Article A-6.4, a different study plan will be made in consultation with the study advisor.

Additional requirements for this course:

none.

Assessment

Item and weight	Details
Final grade
0.44 (100%) Partial Exam 1 (PE1)

Examining GM1

Each MODULE (1-6) will involve some homework in the form of PSC solutions to hand in for grading. These will count towards the final mark for the GM1 course. Each module will contribute 2%, with in total 12% of the final mark determined by this hand-in work.

We are currently looking at when other courses in Period 1 have set deadlines for their hand-ins, so as to try and spread the load for students. We’ll inform you about the deadlines asap.

At the end of the first half (M1+M2+M3), PE1 is set: the first partial exam. PE1 will be 2.5h in duration (for regular time students) which should be seen as 2h (nominal) + 0.5h (extra time due to online, and timed nature of the test).  

At the end of the 2nd half (M4+M5+M6), comes PE2. This is the second partial exam, and this covers the material in the 2nd half of the course. PE2 will be 2.5h in duration (for regular time students) which should be seen as 2h (nominal) + 0.5h (extra time due to online, and timed nature of the test).

 PE1-retake - this is a re-take option for PE1. Pre-COVID we held this directly after the PE2 partial exam, but this year we’ll search for a new time-point for this together with the relevant students, and trying to minimise clustering (in time) of partial exams with other period 1 courses. PE1-retake will be 2h in duration (for regular time students) which should be seen as 1.5h (nominal) + 0.5h (extra time due to online, and timed nature of the test).

Global retake - this is the re-take of GM1 as a whole, and this always covers the whole of the course material.

For PE1, PE2 and the Global retake, the teaching team are introducing Zoom interviews with each individual student (10 min., max) to hear the student explain a selection (decided upon by the lecturers) of their answers given in the PE or global re-take exam.

GM1 exam rules and calculations (all marks mentioned are out of 10 [ten]):

• • Please read this carefully. In order to spread the load for you as students, and to offer a maximum of fair opportunities to show us you master the material, we have a carefully crafted exam system. You’ll save yourself time and pain if you understand the rules, now – not after the exams.
  • To be able to count, each and every partial exam (i.e. PE1, PE1-retake, and PE2) need to score greater than or equal to 5 (without rounding, so a 4.95=fail).
  • If your PE1 (held end September) score is 5 or above, then PE2 (held end October) is all you then need to sit: if your PE2 score is 5 or above, and the average of your PE1 and PE2 scores is equal to or greater than 5.5: success.
  • If your PE1 was <5, then your next option is to take PE1-retake and PE2. Both these exams are at the end of October (in this first online-only year for GM1 not in the same sitting). This combination of PE1-retake +PE2 covers the whole course material. As both PE1-retake and PE2 are partial exams, you need to score at least a five in both (i.e. a 4.95 for one or both = fail), and then the average of both still has to be at least a 5.5, then: success.
  • If your PE1-retake <5, or your PE2 <5, or both of these are at a 5 or more but the average of both is <5.5, then unfortunately you have failed GM1. Then the Global retake, covering the whole course material is held in early January (the 4th) is the only option in this academic year. If your Global retake score is greater than or equal to 5.5 (rounding to a six), then: success.

The Course Manual .pdf on Canvas contains a useful flow diagramme explaining this more simply. 

Breakdown of final GM1 mark:

• 12% of total mark = hand-in and graded PSC problems
• 88% of the total mark is from the sum of PE1 (44%) and PE2 (44%), or equivalent combinations involving retake-PE1 (retakePE1 44% PE2 44%) or the GlobalRetake (88%).
  Thus, the flow diagramme on the next page is relevant for this second bullet. As an example, if you score an 8.5 for PE1 and a 7.5 for PE2 then 88% of your total GM1 mark is a 7.5. Your grade for the sum total of all the hand-in PSC problems decides the other 12% of your total grade:
• Total grade (100%) = hand-in PSC part (12%) + PE1/PE2 part (88%)

Please note:

Succeeding in both PE1 + PE2 is the shortest route to success in GM1, spreading the learning over two time-points: so please take PE1 very seriously, and ditto for PE2.

Inspection of assessed work

Contact the course coordinator to make an appointment for inspection.

Assignments

PSC exercises

• see PSCs above; students are encouraged to form a learning team (~4 students in total) to help both overcoming blocks when approaching problems, and to boost (social) cohesion within GM1. Students should DO the PSC problems THEMSELVES.

Hand-in PSC homework

• see PSCs above; Each of the 6 Modules of GM1 will have hand-in homework in the form of sets of PSCs. These are to be done individually, and are graded.

  Feedback will be given.

  Each module = 2% of the final mark --> 12% of the total GM1 grade  rides on these. 88% comes from PE1+PE2.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Honours information

-

Additional information

Recommended prior knowledge:

Quantumfysica-1, Elektriciteit en magnetisme, Trillingen & golven, thermische fysica

Language:

Lectures will be given in English. All four TA’s are Dutch speakers, so explanations in PSCs can also be given in Dutch, as long as all students in the group are OK with that. All examination papers will be in English, and all exam questions are proof-read by a native English speaker. Try your best to answer exam questions in English. If you blank out or are in time trouble (for example), use Dutch if you want. If you use it, legible hand-writing is MUCH more important that whether you use English or Dutch.

During lectures questions can also be asked in Dutch (of course), or another language the lecturer is fluent in [Czech (Kat), German [Mark]…], if English poses too much of a barrier.

 

Processed course evaluations

Our thanks to the stud­ents who responded to the end-of-course questionnaire: we value your opinion highly.
Pity no-one showed to the face to face (SRS) meeting.

The 2019-2020 course got great ratings, and the content remnains well appreciated by the students. So we do not plan to change anything there.

GIven how different this year's (purely online) course is going to be in terms of  structure and method of teaching other comments on last year's feedback are quite a bit less relevant now.... 

Contact information

Coordinator

• prof. dr. Mark Golden

Coördinator:           prof.dr. Mark Golden            (m.s.golden@uva.nl)
Lecturer team:       Mark Golden + dr. Katarina (Kat) Newell     (k.newell@uva.nl)
PSC TA's:
Group A =                Steef Smit (S. Smit@uva.nl) Florian Heringa (florianheringa@gmail.com)
Group B =                Vera Schild (veraschild@gmail.com)
Group C =                Mario van Rooij (mariovanrooij@hotmail.com)