The Oxford Solid State Basics (Paperback)

The study of solids is one of the richest, most exciting, and most successful branches of physics. While the subject of solid state physics is often viewed as dry and tedious this new book presents the topic instead as an exciting exposition of fundamental principles and great intellectual breakthroughs. Beginning with a discussion of how the study of heat capacity of solids ushered in the quantum revolution, the author presents the key ideas of the field while emphasizing the deep underlying concepts.

The book begins with a discussion of the Einstein/Debye model of specific heat, and the Drude/Sommerfeld theories of electrons in solids, which can all be understood without reference to any underlying crystal structure. The failures of these theories force a more serious investigation of microscopics. Many of the key ideas about waves in solids are then introduced using one dimensional models in order to convey concepts without getting bogged down with details. Only then does the book turn to consider real materials.

Chemical bonding is introduced and then atoms can be bonded together to crystal structures and reciprocal space results. Diffraction experiments, as the central application of these ideas, are discussed in great detail. From there, the connection is made to electron wave diffraction in solids and how it results in electronic band structure. The natural culmination of this thread is the triumph of semiconductor physics and devices.

The final section of the book considers magnetism in order to discuss a range of deeper concepts. The failures of band theory due to electron interaction, spontaneous magnetic orders, and mean field theories are presented well. Finally, the book gives a brief exposition of the Hubbard model that undergraduates can understand.

The book presents all of this material in a clear fashion, dense with explanatory or just plain entertaining footnotes. This may be the best introductory book for learning solid state physics. It is certainly the most fun to read.

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固體物理學是物理學中最豐富、最令人興奮和最成功的分支之一。儘管固態物理學常被視為乾燥和乏味的主題，但這本新書將其呈現為基本原理和重大智慧突破的激動人心的探索。作者從固體熱容的研究如何引領量子革命開始，強調了該領域的關鍵思想，同時強調了深層次的概念。

本書首先討論了愛因斯坦/德拜模型的比熱和德魯德/索默菲爾德關於固體中電子的理論，這些理論都可以在不涉及任何基礎晶體結構的情況下理解。這些理論的失敗迫使人們更深入地研究微觀結構。然後，使用一維模型介紹了固體中波的許多關鍵思想，以便在不陷入細節的情況下傳達概念。然後，書籍轉向考慮真實材料。

書中介紹了化學鍵，然後介紹了原子如何結合成晶體結構和倒易空間的結果。詳細討論了這些思想的核心應用——衍射實驗。從那裡，將這些思想與固體中的電子波衍射相結合，以及它如何導致電子能帶結構。這一主題的自然結果是半導體物理學和器件的成功。

書籍的最後一部分考慮了磁性，以討論一系列更深層次的概念。書中很好地介紹了由於電子相互作用而導致的能帶理論的失敗、自發磁性秩序和平均場理論。最後，書籍簡要介紹了本科生可以理解的哈伯模型。

本書以清晰的方式呈現了所有這些材料，密集地輔以解釋性或純粹娛樂性的註腳。這可能是學習固體物理學的最佳入門書籍，無疑是最有趣的閱讀材料。

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