Band Theory And Electronic Properties Of Solids

Band theory is evident all around us and yet is one of the most stringent tests of quantum mechanics. This self-contained book reveals in a quantitative and fairly rigorous fashion how band theory leads to the everyday properties of materials, all inexplicable without quantum mechanics. It provides the vocabulary and quantum-mechanical training necessary to understand the electronic, optical and structural properties of the materials met in science and technology, and describes some of the current experimental techniques which are used to study band structure. Recent research topics are treated in some depth and demonstrate the continued vitality of this field of study. This book will be suitable for final-year undergraduate students of physics and engineering and for first-year graduate students.