• Highlights various technological applications of physics, from locomotive lights to medical implants to hard drives
• Provides captivating images of real-life applications that demonstrate the multidisciplinary nature of scientific research
• Uses an accessible writing style and format, offering journalistic accounts of interesting research
• Contains worked examples, self-test questions, and a helpful glossary of frequently used terms
• Includes derivations of key equations and reviews of essential physics in the appendices
• Offers further reading, web links, and other resources on www.crcpress.com

Solutions manual available for qualifying instructors

Enables students to easily grasp basic solid state physics principles

Keeping the mathematics to a minimum yet losing none of the required rigor, Understanding Solid State Physics clearly explains basic physics principles to provide a firm grounding in the subject. The author underscores the technological applications of the physics discussed and emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of scientific research.

After introducing students to solid state physics, the text examines the various ways in which atoms bond together to form crystalline and amorphous solids. It also describes the measurement of mechanical properties and the means by which the mechanical properties of solids can be altered or supplemented for particular applications. The author discusses how electromagnetic radiation interacts with the periodic array of atoms that make up a crystal and how solids react to heat on both atomic and macroscopic scales. She then focuses on conductors, insulators, semiconductors, and superconductors, including some basic semiconductor devices. The final chapter addresses the magnetic properties of solids as well as applications of magnets and magnetism.

This accessible textbook provides a useful introduction to solid state physics for undergraduates who feel daunted by a highly mathematical approach. By relating the theories and concepts to practical applications, it shows how physics is used in the real world.

Introduction

Crystal Clear: Bonding and Crystal Structures

The Rejection of Perfection: Defects, Amorphous Materials, and Polymers

Stressed Out: The Mechanical Properties of Solids

In, Out, Shake It All About: Diffraction, Phonons, and Thermal Properties of Solids

Unable to Resist: Metals, Semiconductors, and Superconductors

Chips with Everything: Semiconductor Devices and Dielectrics

Living in a Magnetic World: Magnetism and Its Applications

Appendix A: Some Useful Maths

Appendix B: Vibrations and Waves

Appendix C: Revision of Atomic Physics

Appendix D: Revision of Quantum Mechanics

Appendix E: Revision of Statistical Mechanics

Appendix F: Glossary of Terms

Index

"The book is written in a very user-friendly and engaging style, as one might expect from a science writer/journalist. This way, the author succeeds in making the material approachable and interesting. The presentation is not as formal as most treatments. The emphasis is less on the theoretical and mathematical basis of the subject and more on the intuitive understanding of ideas and concepts, but the approach is fresh and the explanations are clear. What I like most of all is that it brings solid-state physics up-to-date, introducing modern topics and showing how the core ideas in condensed matter physics underpin so much of the technology we use today."
—Professor Andrew Boothroyd, Oxford University, UK