Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids

This book is the second of a single-authored, three-volume series that aims to deliver a comprehensive and self-contained account of the vast field of solid-state physics. It goes far beyond most classic texts in the presentation of the properties of solids and experimentally observed phenomena, along with the basic concepts and theoretical methods used to understand them and the essential features of various experimental techniques. The first volume deals with the atomic and magnetic structure and dynamics of solids, the second with those electronic properties that can be understood in the one-particle approximation, and the third with the effects due to interactions and correlations between electrons. This volume is devoted to the electronic properties of metals and semiconductors in the independent-electron approximation. After a brief discussion of the free-electron models by Drude and Sommerfeld, the methods for calculating and measuring the band structure of Bloch electrons moving in the periodic potential of the crystal are presented. The dynamics of electrons in applied electric and magnetic fields is treated in the semiclassical approximation. The effects due to the quantization of the energy levels in strong magnetic field are also discussed. The overview of the transport and optical properties of metals and semiconductors is followed by a phenomenological description of superconductivity. The last chapter deals with the physics of semiconductor devices. This comprehensive treatment provides ample material for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses. It will also be a valuable reference for researchers in the field of condensed matter physics.