Lucas K. Wagner lkwagner@illinois.edu
The Oxford Solid State Basics by Steven Simon. This is available in paperback or Kindle versions, both of which are fine and not very expensive.
Links for online components of the class
We will go through the book at a pace of roughly one chapter per class period. We have 29 classes and there are 23 chapters, so there are 5 ‘Discussion’ times which we will use as flex slots. Coming to class, I expect that you will have read the chapter of the day and to have answered the prelecture questions on Gradescope for that class. The class will start with an informal quiz so that we have a framework for discussion. I will often ask you to discuss a question or a problem during class.
Here is a tentative schedule that will be updated as we go forward in the class
| Class | Date | Chapter in Simon | Homework | Essay | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1/26 | 1 | Toy models | ||
| 1 | 1/28 | 2 | Toy models | ||
| 2 | 2/2 | 3 | Toy models | ||
| 3 | 2/4 | 4 | Toy models | ||
| 4 | 2/9 | 5 | Atoms and so on | ||
| 5 | 2/11 | 6 | HW 1 due (1-4) | Atoms and so on | |
| 6 | 2/16 | 7 | Atoms and so on | ||
| 7 | 2/18 | 8 | Essay 1 (1-4) | Microscopic toy models | |
| 8 | 2/23 | 9 | Microscopic toy models | ||
| 9 | 2/25 | 10 | HW 2 due (5-8) | Microscopic toy models | |
| 10 | 3/2 | 11 | Microscopic toy models | ||
| 11 | 3/4 | Discussion | |||
| 12 | 3/9 | 12 | Crystal structure | ||
| 13 | 3/11 | 13 | HW 3 due (8-11) | Crystal structure | |
| 14 | 3/16 | 14 | Essay notes and starting scattering | ||
| 15 | 3/18 | 14 | Scattering | ||
| 16 | 3/23 | 15 | Band structure | ||
| 17 | 3/25 | 16 | HW 4 due (12-14) | Revisions to Essay 1 | Band structure |
| 18 | 3/30 | 17 | Band structure | ||
| 19 | 4/1 | 18 | Band structure | ||
| 20 | 4/6 | 19 | Magnetism | ||
| 21 | 4/8 | 19 | HW 5 due (15-18) | Magnetism | |
| 22 | 4/13 | BREAK | |||
| 23 | 4/15 | Fitting data!! | Final project proposal | ||
| 24 | 4/20 | 20 | Cancelled | ||
| 25 | 4/22 | 20 | Magnetism | ||
| 26 | 4/27 | Useful things for the project | |||
| 27 | 4/29 | Current topics | |||
| 28 | 5/4 | Project workshop (peer review, have a draft ready!) | HW 6 due (19-20) | ||
| 5/7 | Final exam | Final project |
Essay 1 draft, essay 1 revision, and the project proposal will count towards ‘essays,’ and the final project will count as the final.
| Component | Percent | Number of assignments |
|---|---|---|
| Prelecture questions | 10 | 26 |
| Homework | 30 | 6 |
| Essays | 30 | 3 |
| Final | 30 | 1.5 |
The homeworks and prelecture questions each count evenly. Two missed prelecture questions are allowed without penalizing the overall grade.
There are three essay grade assignments, each of which count 10% of the overall grade. If you obtained a better grade on the revision, that will replace the previous one. So if the revisions to essay 1 grade is higher than essay 1 draft, you will get the revisions grade for both assignments. If the final project grade is higher than the project proposal, that will replace the grade for that part.
The final project grade will consist of the paper that must be turned in by the final exam date, and the 4 minute presentation during the final exam period. Both of these must be done in order to receive full credit.
These are short-answer questions that will be posted two days before the lecture, and are due before 3 PM on the day of the lecture. You will need to have read the relevant chapter from Simon before you can answer these questions. These are really important for you to learn the material, since it forces you to think about the subject a little bit before the lecture, and it also gives me feedback on how you are thinking about it. These questions will not be graded on correctness, only whether there is a good-faith effort in answering them.
Homework will be assigned every two weeks and will be due one week after the final lecture on the subject. It will be posted two weeks before it is due. I recommend that you look at the homework and attempt to at least start it before coming to class, so you can ask questions and I can give insight into the subject during class. For doing homework, you may use any resources available to you. If you work in groups, each person should write their own interpretation of the solution (i.e., freely discuss but don’t copy). An example homework problem solution is available here:
Essays will be take-home, and will consist of questions that will require you to analyze and evaluate physics. This accesses the upper levels of “Bloom’s Taxonomy.” Your responses to essays will be expected to have a math/text ratio closer to a scientific article than to traditional homework assignments. Similar rules to homework applies; you may discuss and use resources, but the work must be your own.
You should expect to take at least two passes to produce your submissions. In the first pass, you solve the problem, and in the second pass, you write the problem.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Code should also be considered as a part of this syllabus. Students should pay particular attention to Article 1, Part 4: Academic Integrity. Read the Code at the following URL: http://studentcode.illinois.edu/. Academic dishonesty will result in a sanction proportionate to the severity of the infraction, with possible sanctions described in 1-404 of the Student Code (https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part4/1-404/). Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy as defined in the Student Code: https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part4/1-401/. As a student it is your responsibility to refrain from infractions of academic integrity and from conduct that aids others in such infractions. A short guide to academic integrity issues may be found at https://provost.illinois.edu/policies/policies/academic-integrity/students-quick-reference-guide-to-academic-integrity/. Ignorance of these policies is not an excuse for any academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this policy to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.
The Grainger College of Engineering is committed to the creation of an anti-racist, inclusive community that welcomes diversity along a number of dimensions, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, disability status, class, age, or religious beliefs. The College recognizes that we are learning together in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, that Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous voices and contributions have largely either been excluded from, or not recognized in, science and engineering, and that both overt racism and micro-aggressions threaten the well-being of our students and our university community. The effectiveness of this course is dependent upon each of us to create a safe and encouraging learning environment that allows for the open exchange of ideas while also ensuring equitable opportunities and respect for all of us. Everyone is expected to help establish and maintain an environment where students, staff, and faculty can contribute without fear of personal ridicule, or intolerant or offensive language. If you witness or experience racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, or other offensive behavior, you are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the course director if you feel comfortable. You can also report these behaviors to the Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART) (https://bart.illinois.edu/). Based on your report, BART members will follow up and reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe. If the reported behavior also violates university policy, staff in the Office for Student Conflict Resolution may respond as well and will take appropriate action.
To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES, you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333-4603, e-mail disability@illinois.edu or go to https://www.disability.illinois.edu. If you are concerned you have a disability-related condition that is impacting your academic progress, there are academic screening appointments available that can help diagnosis a previously undiagnosed disability. You may access these by visiting the DRES website and selecting “Request an Academic Screening” at the bottom of the page.
Any student who has suppressed their directory information pursuant to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) should self-identify to the instructor to ensure protection of the privacy of their attendance in this course. See https://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-records/ferpa/ for more information on FERPA.
Illinois law requires the University to reasonably accommodate its students’ religious beliefs, observances, and practices in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work requirements. You should examine this syllabus at the beginning of the semester for potential conflicts between course deadlines and any of your religious observances. If a conflict exists, you should notify your instructor of the conflict and follow the procedure at (https://odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care/resources/students/religious-observances/) to request appropriate accommodations. This should be done in the first two weeks of classes.
The University of Illinois is committed to combating sexual misconduct. Faculty and staff members are required to report any instances of sexual misconduct to the University’s Title IX Office. In turn, an individual with the Title IX Office will provide information about rights and options, including accommodations, support services, the campus disciplinary process, and law enforcement options. A list of the designated University employees who, as counselors, confidential advisors, and medical professionals, do not have this reporting responsibility and can maintain confidentiality, can be found here: wecare.illinois.edu/resources/students/#confidential. Other information about resources and reporting is available here: wecare.illinois.edu.