NOTE: The information in this page could be changed after an official announcement in class. Please pay attentions to announcements in class and constantly check this webpage for updated information.


Instructor: TeYu Chien (簡德宇)
Lecture Time and Place:TR 9:35am-10:50am; AS 401
Office: Physical Science Building 224
Office Hours: TF 11am-12pm
Office Phone: 766-6534
Website: http://physics.uwyo.edu/~teyu
Email: tchien@uwyo.edu

Important Dates:
  • Advising Week: Mar. 30rd - Apr. 3rd
  • Last day to withdraw from classes: Mar. 27th
  • Last day to withdraw from the university: Apr. 24th
Book References
  • Neil W. Ashcroft, and N. David Mermin (1976). Solid State Physics: Brooks/Cole
  • Dawn Bonnell (2001). Scanning Probe Microscopy and Spectroscopy: Theory, Techniques, and Applications, Second Edition: Wiley-VCH
  • C. Julian Chen (2008). Introduction to Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, Second Edition: Oxford University Press
  • Claire Dupas, Philippe Houdy, and Marcel Lahmani (2007). Nanoscience: Springer
  • Jurgen Fuhrhop and Tianyu Wang (2010). Metallic and Molecular Interactions in Nanometer Layers, Pores, and Particles: RSC Publishing
  • Marius Grundmann (2010). The Physics of Semiconductors: An Introduction Including Nanophysics and Applications: Springer
  • Christopher Hammond (2009). The Basics of Crystallography and Diffraction, Third Edition Oxford University Press
  • Charles Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics, Wiley
  • S. M. Lindsay (2010). Introduction to Nanoscience: Oxford University Press
  • Michael de Podesta (2002). Understanding the Properties of Matter, Second Edition: CRC Press
  • Rajendra Prasad (2014). Electronic Structure of Materials: CRC Press
  • Mehmet Sarikaya, H. Kumar Wickramasinghe, and Michael Isaacson (1994). Determining Nanoscale Physical Properties of Materials by Microscopy and Spectroscopy: MRS
  • Michael A. Stroscio, and Mitra Dutta (2001). Phonons in Nanostructures: Cambridge University Press
  • Richard J. D. Tilley (2013). Understanding Solids, Second Edition: Wiley
Goals:This course is designed to help students gain insights on physics related to nanoscale materials, both experimentally and theoretically, and developing problem solving skills.

Prerequisites:Solid State Physics, Quantum Mechanics, and Electromagnetic Dynamics, and/or equivalent courses.

Topics to be covered:
  1. Basics
    1. Crystal structures of bulk materials
    2. Electronic structures and electronic properties of bulk materials
    3. Optical properties of bulk materials
    4. Phonon dispersion relationship and thermal properties of bulk materials
    5. Magnetic Properties of bulk materials
  2. Effects in Nano-scale
    1. What is the uniqueness for nano-materials?
    2. Quantum confinement effect on Electronic Structures
    3. Defects and reconstructions in crystal structures
      1. Defect/surface/edge states
      2. Optical properties induced by defects/surfaces/edges
    4. Phonon in Nanoscale
    5. Spin domains in nanomaterials
  3. Measurement Tools and the working Principles
    1. General Measurement Environmental Requirements
    2. Structural and Morphological Characterization
      1. In reciprocal space
        • XRD (X-ray Diffraction)
        • LEED (Low Energy Electron Diffraction)
      2. In real space
        • SEM (Scanning Electron Micrsocopy)
        • TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy)
    3. Electronic Properties Characterization
      1. In reciprocal space - ARPES (Angle-Resolved PhotoEmission Spectroscopy)
      2. In real space - STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscopy)
    4. Optical Properties Characterization
      1. Absorption and optical methods
    5. Phonon Properties Characterization
      1. Neutron scattering
      2. Raman and Inelastic X-ray Scattering
      3. EELS (Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy)
    6. Magnetic Properties Characterization
      1. Neutron scattering
      2. MFM (Magnetic Force Microscopy)
      3. XMCD (X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism)
    7. Other Physical Properties Characterization
      1. Variety of SPM (Scanning Probe Microscopy)
      2. Synchrotron-related techniques
  4. Manufacturing and Applications
    1. Top-down manufacturing methods
    2. Bottom-up manufacturing methods
    3. Applications
      1. Energy Usage
      2. Energy Conversion
      3. Energy Storage
Possible Topics for Mid-term Presentation and Final Report:
  • Electron Phonon Coupling in Low dimensional environments
  • Plasmon in Nano-scale
  • Superconductovity in Nano-materials
  • Magnetic Properties in Nano-materials
  • Mechanical Properties of Nano-materials
  • Tribophysics in Nano-materials
  • Catalitic activities of Nano-materials
  • Special (experimental and/or theoretical) techniques for Nano-materials/phenomena
  • Percolation Behavior
  • Nano-scale understanding of the phase transitions
  • Superparamagnetic phenomena in Nanomaterials
  • Any topic that is not covered in lecture (yet)
Mid-term Presentation:In the first three weeks, you need to choose a topic for your mid-term presentation (same topic will be used as your final written report topic). You can choose from the above suggested list or find other topic that I agree on (please talk to me for approval). The mid-term presentation will be done by each student for 20 mins right before the Spring break.

Final Written Report:The final written report will be in the scientific journal format. Work on it as you are writing a review article for the topic you chose. The due date will be the last day of the final week, which will be 5/15/2015 by email.

Homework:We will have weekly homework that will be graded by the instructor.

Disability Statement:If you have a physical, learning, or psychological disability and require accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible. Contact University Disability Support Services in SEO, room 330 Knight Hall.

Academic honesty:Academic dishonesty is defined in University Regulation 802, Revision 2 as “an act attempted or performed which misrepresents one’s involvement in an academic task in any way, or permits another student to misrepresent the latter’s involvement in an academic task by assisting the misrepresentation.? And there are rules and procedures to handle such cases, and serious penalties will be imposed. Note that a student who copies and a student who let’s another student copy are both covered by the university rules.

Grading
  • Mid-term presentation: 30%
  • Final Written Report: 30%
  • Homework: 30%
  • Attendance: 10%
  • Total: 100%
  • Scale: A: (> 90%); A-: (86.66-89.99%); B+: (83.33-86.66%); B: (80-83.33%); B-: (76.66-79.99%); C+: (73.33-76.66%); C: (70-73.33%); C-: (66.66-69.99%); D+: (63.33-66.66%); D: (60-63.33%); F: (< 60%)
General expectations
  • Attend and participate in each lecture.
  • You are required to read assigned articles before and after it is discussed in class.
  • Live up to your responsibility to understand the material presented. If you have difficulty of understanding it, please get good use of office hours.
  • Take notes during lectures as appropriate.
  • Complete homework and hand it in on time.
  • Work in compliance with the university’s code of academic honesty.
  • Ask questions. There are no stupid questions.
  • Have fun.
Schedule:
DateTopicReadingHomeworks, and other Notes
January
WEEK 1
T 27Introduction - Setting Up the Stage
Crystal Structures		Crystal Lattice and Reciprocal Lattice (read your Solid State Physics book)
R 29Point Groups, Reciprocal Lattice and Space, X-ray Diffraction
February
WEEK 2Homework 1
T 3General Discussion about the Surface Sensitive Techniques
R 5Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED)
WEEK 3
T 10Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED)
R 12Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED)By this time, you should have chosen your topic for Mid-term presentation and final written report.
WEEK 4Homework 2
T 17Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED); Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM)
R 19Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED); Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM)
WEEK 5
T 24Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM); Electronic Band Structure
R 26Electronic Band Structure
March
WEEK 6
T 3Mid-term PresentationHenry Wladkowski: Percolation Behavior
Tikaram Neupane: Spin Hall Effect in Nanoscale
Stephan Brinckmann: Nanoscale Understanding of Shape Memory Alloys Phase Transition
R 5Mid-term PresentationSubash Kattel: Nano-Scale Understanding of the Phase Transition
Uma Poudyal: Plasmons in Nanoscale
Shane Allison: Tribophysics in Nanomaterials
WEEK 7
T 10Mid-term PresentationJoshua J. Heiner: Superconductivity in Nanomaterials
Shitao Wang: Superparamagnetic Phenomena in Nanomaterials
Robert Nielsen: Optical Properties of Nanomaterials
R 12Mid-term PresentationJyoti Pandey: Magnetic Properties of Nano-Materials
Uppalaiah Erugu: Ferroic Properties of Nanomaterials
Ravi Neupane: Electron-Phonon Coupling in Nanomaterials
David Collins: The Effect of Interatomic Forces on Adjacent Nanoscale Surfaces
WEEK 8Homework 3
T 17No LECTURE - Spring Break
R 19No LECTURE - Spring Break
WEEK 9
T 24Mid-term Presentation and Lecture
Electronic Band Structure		Sabit Horoz: Mechanical Properties of Nanomaterials
R 26Electronic Band Structure
WEEK 10Homework 4
T 31Optical Properties
April
R 2Optical Properties
WEEK 11
T 7Optical Properties
R 9Phonon Dispersion
WEEK 12Homework 5
T 14Phonon Dispersion
R 16Phonon Dispersion
WEEK 13
T 21Phonon Dispersion
R 23Nanomanufacturing
WEEK 14Homework 6
T 28Nanomanufacturing
R 30Nanomanufacturing
May
WEEK 15
T 5Applications
R 7Applications
WEEK 16Final Week
F 15Final Written Report Due


Any comment/suggestion, please contact TeYu Chien