Condensed Matter Structure

Catalog description

This course provides an advanced understanding of the atomic structure of materials and how this structure is determined (characterization methods). Descriptions of structure in crystals, liquid, and amorphous solids/glasses. Short- and long-range order, microstructures, nanostructures. Brief review of fundamental aspects of bonding, lattices, quasicrystals, and x-ray scattering. The majority of the course is centered on techniques, such as diffraction methods, pair distribution (PDF/RDF), XPS, EELS, XANES, and EXAFS. Examples of application may include polymer structure, nanoparticles, nano-composite structures, surfaces, interfaces in semiconductors, structure of photonic materials, and biological materials. The morphology of crystals will be covered through the Wulff net and nanoparticle shape control. Articles by leaders within the fields of materials science, chemistry, and physics make up a large portion of the class.