- Docente: Ennio Bonetti
- Credits: 6
- SSD: FIS/03
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: In-person learning (entirely or partially)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Physics (cod. 8007)
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course students acquire knowledge in the field of Condensed Matter Physics, in particular some concepts and unifying methods allowing a description of properties of different thermodynamically stable condensed matter phases. Learning outcomes include the symmetry concept on the basis of different order parameters and the close connection between macroscopic physical properties of interacting many particles systems and conservation laws or broken symmetries.
Phase transitions between differently ordered ( structural, electronic, magnetic ) phases are examined from a unifying point of view. Moreover dimensionality scale lenght concept and confinement on physical properties of mesoscopic condensed matter phases are discussed.
Course contents
Condensed matter physics. Condensed matter phases constituents : atoms, ions and molecules. Interacting many-body systems: macroscopic properties.
Symmetries and structure of the condensed matter phases. Conservations laws and broken symmetries. Correlations in interacting multiparticles systems and thermodynamic states. Thermodynamically stable phases with high and low simmetry.
Gaseous and liquid states, phase transition ( examples). Spatial correlations in the liquid state. The liquid-solid phase transition. Spatial interparticles correlations, correlation functions: energy scales and potentials in condensed matter systems (examles ).
Order-disorder in condensed matter : structural models . Experimental investigations of order and symmetry : short range order , long range order and periodicity, incommensurate structures. Phase transitionsin condensed matter pases and percolative models : structural electronic and magnetic phase transitions.
The glass transition, electron states, localization-delocalisation, metal-insulator transition.
Mesoscopic condensed matter phases, dimensionality and confinement on the physical properties. Scale lenghts and localization.
Readings/Bibliography
P.M.Chaikin & T.C. Lubensky " Principles of condensed matter physics " , Cambridge University Press 1995.
Richard Zallen , " The Physics of Amorphous Solids " , Wiley Interscience 1983 ( Wiley on line library 1995).
Teaching methods
The treated items are presented and discussed in a way to stimulate a comparative critical analysis of more recent theories and experimental investigation in the field
Teaching tools
PC, slides projector, transparencies
Office hours
See the website of Ennio Bonetti