This book is the first of a three-volume series written by the same author. It aims to deliver a comprehensive and self-contained account of the fundamentals of the physics of solids. In the presentation of the properties and experimentally observed phenomena together with the basic concepts and theoretical methods, it goes far beyond most classic texts. The essential features of various experimental techniques are also explained. The text provides material for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses. It will also be a valuable reference for researchers in the field of condensed matter physics.

This comprehensive text covers the basic physics of the solid state starting at an elementary level suitable for undergraduates but then advancing, in stages, to a graduate and advanced graduate level. In addition to treating the fundamental elastic, electrical, thermal, magnetic, structural, electronic, transport, optical, mechanical and compositional properties, we also discuss topics like superfluidity and superconductivity along with special topics such as strongly correlated systems, high-temperature superconductors, the quantum Hall effects, and graphene. Particular emphasis is given to so-called first principles calculations utilizing modern density functional theory which for many systems now allow accurate calculations of the electronic, magnetic, and thermal properties.

The reader is holding the second 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-Fermi liquids, and the theory of unconventional superconductors in the present and third volumes. These parts can be assigned as supplementary reading for interested students, or can be discussed in advanced courses.

This book is the third of a three-volume series written by the same author. It aims to deliver a comprehensive and self-contained account of the fundamentals of the physics of solids. In the presentation of the properties and experimentally observed phenomena together with the basic concepts and theoretical methods, it goes far beyond most classic texts. The essential features of various experimental techniques are also explained. This volume is devoted mostly to the discussion of the effects of electron—electron interaction beyond the one-electron approximation. The density-functional theory is introduced to account for correlation effects. The response to external perturbations is discussed in the framework of linear response theory. Landau’s Fermi-liquid theory is followed by the theory of Luttinger liquids. The subsequent chapters are devoted to electronic phases with broken symmetry: to itinerant magnetism, to spin- and charge-density waves and their realizations in quasi-one-dimensional materials, as well as to the microscopic theory of superconductivity. An overview is given of the physics of strongly correlated systems. The last chapter covers selected problems in the physics of disordered systems.

The reader is holding the second 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-Fermi liquids, and the theory of unconventional superconductors in the present and third volumes. These parts can be assigned as supplementary reading for interested students, or can be discussed in advanced courses.

Based on an established course and covering the fundamentals, central areas and contemporary topics of this diverse field, Fundamentals of Condensed Matter Physics is a much-needed textbook for graduate students. The book begins with an introduction to the modern conceptual models of a solid from the points of view of interacting atoms and elementary excitations. It then provides students with a thorough grounding in electronic structure and many-body interactions as a starting point to understand many properties of condensed matter systems - electronic, structural, vibrational, thermal, optical, transport, magnetic and superconducting - and methods to calculate them. Taking readers through the concepts and techniques, the text gives both theoretically and experimentally inclined students the knowledge needed for research and teaching careers in this field. It features 246 illustrations, 9 tables and 100 homework problems, as well as numerous worked examples, for students to test their understanding. Solutions to the problems for instructors are available at www.cambridge.org/cohenlouie.

Solid State Physics emphasizes a few fundamental principles and extracts from them a wealth of information. This approach also unifies an enormous and diverse subject which seems to consist of too many disjoint pieces. The book starts with the absolutely minimum of formal tools, emphasizes the basic principles, and employs physical reasoning (" a little thinking and imagination" to quote R. Feynman) to obtain results. Continuous comparison with experimental data leads naturally to a gradual refinement of the concepts and to more sophisticated methods. After the initial overview with an emphasis on the physical concepts and the derivation of results by dimensional analysis, The Physics of Solids deals with the Jellium Model (JM) and the Linear Combination of Atomic Orbitals (LCAO) approaches to solids and introduces the basic concepts and information regarding metals and semiconductors.