Course no:508: BSc.

(Hons)

SOLID STATE
PHYSICS
Dr. Syed Rizwan Ali

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI

Course Outline
 Crystal Structure
Lattice, Basis, lattice vectors, Types of lattices,
atomic packing densities, symmetry, some
important crustal structures, diamond structure,
ZnS structure, Graphite, Graphene etc.
 Crystal Diffraction
Braggs law and X-Ray diffraction, Laue equations,
Ewald`s construction, reciprocal lattice, Brillion
Zone, Structure factor, Atomic form factor.

 Crystal Bonding
Binding forces between atoms, Ionic bonds,
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Covalent bonds, Van der Waals bonds
Course Outline
 Imperfections in solids
Point defects: Vacancy, Schottky, Interstitial,
Frankel defects, Edge and Screw dislocations,
Grain boundaries, Stacking faults and twin
boundaries.
 Lattice dynamics
Vibration of one-dimensional mono as well as
diatomic lattices, vibrational modes.
 Theories of Solids
Classical theory, Sommerfeld model, Fermi Dirac
statistics, band theory, Bloch theorem, Kroning-
penny model. 3
Assessment Plan
ASSESSMENT TASK DUE 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋
1 1st Mid term After 𝟏𝟓%
𝟐𝟓% 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞
2 2nd Mid term After 𝟏𝟓%
𝟓𝟎% 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞
3 Assignments, As 𝟏𝟎%
Quizzes, announced
4 Terminal Exam End of 𝟔𝟎%
semester

The distribution of weightage is subject to

modification on an as-needed basis.
4
Please note
 ASSIGNMENTS
 Assignments should be submitted only on Google
classroom. Assignments may include, activities, homework
problems, text readings, internet resources etc.

 EXAMS
 There will be two in-class exams and a final exam.
 Exams will be based on the assigned homework problems,
assigned readings and lecture notes.

 BE HONEST
 Students are encouraged to discuss the lectures and
assignment problems together.
 Students are not allowed to copy each others work.

All your writings are subject to TURNITIN-check.

Crystal Structure
 How materials are classified?
 What is a crystal?
 Lattice, Basis, lattice vectors, symmetry etc.
 3 dimensional lattices
 Technologically relevant Structures: fcc & hcp
 Packing densities, Closed packing
 Miller indices for cubic system
 Diamond structure
6
Materials
Condensed matter
Hard matter Soft Matter

Liquids and Gases etc

Solids
Liquid having
immobile atoms e.g.,
Crystalline Amorphous due to very high
viscocity. No long
range order

Single Crystalline / Poly crystalline

Solids

8
 Crystal
Crystal: a three dimensional periodic arrangement of
atoms

Lattice: geometrical structure of points in space having

some definite arrangement

Basis: Set of atoms or molecules, when associated with

each and every lattice point it forms the crystal structure.

Lattice + Basis = Crystal

The lattice structure is material dependent and is governed by
the type of bonds that lead to crystal formation.

Diamond (C): face centered cubic structure.

Ruby (Al2O3:Cr): hexagonal structure. 9
 Crystal Growth: Semiconductors (Si)
Czochralski Process

Ingot
Wafers
ICs in a nanoelectronic circut
Lattice + Basis = Crystal

11
Space Lattice

Primitive = P
a10 NP Non primitive = NP

a9 a8 P
a7 Lattice Vectors

P
a6
a5
unit cell
a4 NP
a2 P
a1 a3

 Lattice points are points which have identical environments.

These can be connected to form unit cells. 12
Lattice Vectors
 Vectors Joining two lattice points are called Lattice translation
vectors.

 The smallest possible lattice vectors joining two consecutive

lattice points are called fundamental or Primitive lattice
vectors
Lattice Translational Vectors

r 6 a2
r = 4 a1 + 6 a2

4 a1

r = n1 a1 + n2 a2 r = n1 a1 + n2 a2+ n3 a3
Unit Cells

a10 NP

a9 a8 P
a7
A = a1 x a2
P
a6
a5
unit cell
a4 NP
a2 P
a1 a3

 More than one choice for a primitive unit cell.

An alternate method is needed !
Unit Cell: 3 dimensional lattices
The unit cell is defined as a parallelepiped, providing six lattice
parameters: lengths of the cell edges (a1, a2, a3) and the angles
between them (α, β, γ).

a3
a1
a2

Volume of a parallelepiped: 𝑽 = 𝒂𝟏 . 𝒂𝟐 𝐱 𝒂𝟑
 Unit Cell
 Each unit cell is defined in terms of lattice points.

 Unit cell is the smallest repeating structural-unit.

 It represents all the properties of the whole crystal.
 The world unit means an smallest structural unit.
 It has the full symmetry of the crystal structure.
Two dimensional lattices
5 lattices in 2 dimensions: BRAVIAS LATTICES
Oblique Rectangular Centered-Rectangular

Hexagonal Square
 Primitive and Conventional Cells
 Primitive unit cell = one set of basis/per unit cell.
Lattice points are only at the corners.
 Basis associated with Primitive cell is called a
primitive basis
 Primitive unit cell does not necessarily have the same
symmetry as the lattice.

 Cell with the same symmetry as that of lattice is a

conventional unit cell. (P or NP both possible)
 Sometimes (e.g., semiconductor physics) a NP-
conventional unit cell, might be preferable to a P-unit
cell because the latter lacks certain symmetries
inherent in the crystal.
Primitive vs. Conventional in 3D Lattices

 Is it possible to construct a primitive cell while

retaining all the symmetry of the lattice ?
Wigner-Seitz Cell
An alternate method to
construct primitive unit cell
Wigner-Seitz Cell Construction

WZ-cell for reciprocal lattice is called the

BRILLIOUN ZONE
Symmetry
 Symmetry Operation: An operation which map the lattice on to
itself is called symmetry operation

 Translational symmetry is the invariance of a system of under

translation.

 Continuous translational symmetry is the invariance under

any translation. Discrete translational symmetry is invariance
under discrete translation.

 Lattice Translational symmetry is the invariance of a lattice

under translation of a lattice vector.

 A crystal lattice has discrete translational symmetry.

 Symmetry Breaking: A crystal lattice breaks the continuous

translational symmetry of free space.
Translational Symmetry

 Lattice is mapped onto itself by a translation of one lattice

translation vector: Translational symmetry.
Point Symmetry Operations
 Every crystal lattice must have translation symmetry.
 Other non-translational or point symmetry may also present.

OPERATION SYMBOL INVARIANT POINTS

Rotation 𝜽 Axis of rotation

Axis of rotation
O

Mirror Plane
Reflection
Mirror Plane
I

-F F
I O
Inversion Center of inversion Center on Inversion
Rotational Symmetry (RS)
 An object or a lattice has an n-fold axis of rotation if it looks
the same after a rotation of 360/n or 2/n

ROTATIONAL AXIS SYMBOL ANGLE

1-fold C1 360 or 2

2-fold C2 180 or 

3-fold C3 120 or 2/3

4-fold C4 90 or /2

6-fold C6 60 or /3

 5 fold 7 fold and higher order rotational axes are incompatible

with the translational symmetry of the lattice.
Examples: Rotational Symmetry
 RS of Some Geometrical shapes
RECTANGLE 2-fold rotation axis
Original Rotation by 180ᵒ

EQVILATERAL 3-fold rotation axis

TRIANGLE

Original Rotation by 120ᵒ

SQUARE 4-fold rotation axis

Original Rotation by 90ᵒ

HEXAGONE 6-fold rotation axis

Original Rotation by 60ᵒ Counterclockwise rotations

Lines of Symmetry
2D Lattices: A quick revisit
 Three Dimensional Lattices

BRAVAIS lattices
 Around year 1850 Auguste
Bravais: First extensive
mathematical description of
crystal structures.

 Classify crystal structures into a

well-defined number of types of
lattices known as Bravais lattices

 In three dimensions
there are 14 lattices
ACTIVITY-2: Sketch BRAVIAS Lattices

1. Draw these lattices in

your notebook.

2. Write few examples of

materials for each of
these crystal structures.

NOTE:
I strongly encourage you to find the
relevant reading material from the
internet resources for part 2 of this
activity.
Seven Crystal Systems in 3D
Look at this: FeS2 crystal… its CUBIC !!

A rock containing three crystals of pyrite (FeS2). The crystal

structure of pyrite is simple cubic, and this is reflected in the
cubic symmetry of its natural crystal facets. (Wikipedia)
The Cubic System

Simple Cubic (sc) Body Centered Cubic (bcc) Face Centered Cubic (fcc)
Conventional Unit cell: Cubic

Lets draw the Wigner-Seitz cell in 3 dimensions

Wigner Seitz cell: Cubic
Face Centered Cubic (fcc) Body Centered Cubic (bcc)
Primitive Lattice Vectors
Body Centered Cubic (bcc) Face Centered Cubic (fcc)

HOMEWORK:
1. The vectors of the primitive bcc cell connect the corner atoms to the
body centered atom. Write these vectors in the standard notation.
2. The vectors of the primitive fcc cell connect the atoms at the vertices
of the fcc cube with the face-centering atoms. Write these vectors in
the standard notation.
 Packing Fraction
Atomic packing factor (APF) or packing fraction is the fraction of volume in
a crystal structure that is occupied by constituent particles.

APF= Volume occupied by atoms / Volume of the cell

sc bcc)
 APF is determined by assuming that atoms are rigid spheres.
Packing Fraction: fcc

 The radius R of the atom is taken

to be the maximal value such that
the atoms do not overlap.

 In total there are (8x1/8) +( 6x1/2) = 4 atoms in the fcc cell

Characteristics of Cubic Lattices

ACTIVITY-3: This is table 2 chapter no 1 of C. Kittel. Please make a hard-

copy of this page and paste it in your note book. I will be referring to this
table in my next 2 lectures. You better have a look at the entries of this
table and make yourself familiarize to some extent .
Activity-4 : Play with your new Lego Set !
Activity-4 : THE PERIODIC TABLR OF ELEMENTS
Reading and learning
1. Look at the periodic table and read its basic features from literature.
2. Identify some elements which are solids under ambient conditions.
3. Note down few technologically relevant elements (e.g., C, Si, Ge, Fe, Cr,
Co, Ni, Mn etc.) and find their crystal structures from internet resources.
[Hint: you can simply Google the name of an element and read the
respective article e.g., on Wikipedia].
4. Explain the difference between the groups and the periods on the
periodic table. What is the significance of each in terms of electrons?
5. Which selection contains elements that are all in the same group?
F, Cl, Br, Fe, Cu, Ni, C, N, O d. Al, Ge, Sb, B, Si, As
6. Which selection contains elements that are all in the same period?
Rb, Sr, La, Zr b. Al, Ga, Si, P c. N, O, Cl, Br d. Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi.
7. What is the group assigned to carbon in the periodic table? How can its
position in the periodic table tell you about its versatility? (Answer in
about 100 words.)
 Books
 Charles Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics, Wiley,
2004
 S. O. Pillai, Solid State Physics, 7th Edition by New Age
International
 M. A. Omar, Elementary Solid State Physics, Addison-
Wesley, 1993.
 H. Ibach, H. Lüth, Solid-State Physics: An Introduction to
Principles of Materials Science, Springer, 2003.
Books

THANK YOU