Solid-state physics

Solid-state physics studies the structure and behavior of solid materials, especially how their electronic, magnetic, and thermal properties emerge from atoms arranged in matter.

Crystal structure: The ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline solid. Periodic atomic arrangements determine the symmetry and allowed states of many solids.
Fermi surface: The boundary in momentum space between occupied and unoccupied electron states at zero temperature. Its shape governs many metals’ transport and response to external fields.
Semiconductor: A material whose electrical conductivity lies between that of a conductor and an insulator and can be controlled. Semiconductors enable electronic components through controllable carrier populations.
Felix Bloch: A Swiss-American physicist who developed the theory of electron waves in periodic crystals. His theorem became a foundation for understanding electrons in crystalline solids.
Atomic physics: The study of the structure, interactions, and behavior of individual atoms. It focuses on isolated atoms, while solid-state physics studies their collective behavior in matter.
Reciprocal lattice: A lattice in reciprocal space that represents the periodicity of a crystal in wavevector coordinates. It makes crystal diffraction and electron wavevectors easier to describe.
Electrical conductivity: A measure of how readily a material carries electric current under an applied electric field. Conductivity connects electron motion and scattering to a measurable bulk property.
Transistor: A semiconductor device that controls current or voltage and can amplify or switch electrical signals. Its operation depends on engineered electronic states and interfaces in solids.
Lev Landau: A Soviet physicist whose work included theories of phase transitions and Fermi liquids. His frameworks describe collective order and interacting electrons in matter.
Molecular physics: The study of molecular structure, spectra, dynamics, and interactions. Its basic systems are molecules rather than extended solids.

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