Fundamentals of the Physics of Solids

The reader is holding the ?rst volume of a three-volume textbook on sol- state physics. This book is the outgrowth of the courses I have taught for many years at Eötvös University, Budapest, for undergraduate and graduate students under the titles Solid-State Physics and Modern Solid-State Physics. The main motivation for the publication of my lecture notes as a book was that none of the truly numerous textbooks covered all those areas that I felt should be included in a multi-semester course. Especially, if the course strives to present solid-state physics in a uni?ed structure, and aims at d- cussing not only classic chapters of the subject matter but also (in more or less detail) problems that are of great interest for today’s researcher as well. Besides, the book presents a much larger material than what can be covered in a two- or three-semester course. In the ?rst part of the ?rst volume the analysis of crystal symmetries and structure goes into details that certainly cannot be included in a usual course on solid-state physics. The same applies, among others, to the discussion of the methods used in the determination of band structure,the properties of Fermi liquids and non-Fermiliquids, andthe theory of unconventional superconductors in the second and third volumes. These parts canbe assignedas supplementary reading for interested students, or can be discussed in advanced courses.

This book is the first of a three-volume series written by the same author 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 the dynamics of solids, the second with those electric properties that can be understood in terms of the one-particle approximation, and the third with the effects due to interactions and correlations among electrons.

This volume covers four major topics. After a brief history of solid-state physics, the introductory part presents the classification of condensed phases, describes the basic features of atoms as building blocks of solids, and analyzes how atoms bind together to form solids.

The second part deals with structural aspects. The symmetries of crystalline solids and their consequences are covered in detail.

Deviations from crystalline order either due to defects or in form of quasicrystalline or noncrystalline structures are also discussed. The third part is devoted to the theoretical description and experimental observation of lattice vibrations. Finally, magnetism due to localized magnetic moments is treated both phenomenologically and quantum mechanically.

The text provides ample material for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses. The book also serves as a valuable reference for researchers in the field of condensed matter physics.