Solid State Physics

1. Phonons and Lattice Vibrations
   1. Introduction to Phonons
      1. Definition of phonons
      2. Role of phonons in solid state physics
      3. Concept of quasi-particles
   2. Lattice Dynamics
      1. Basic principles and harmonic approximation
      2. Anharmonic effects
      3. Classical versus quantum description
   3. Phonon Modes
      1. Optical phonons
         1. Characteristics and examples
         2. Infrared activity and Raman activity
      2. Acoustic phonons
         1. Characteristics and examples
         2. Group velocity and sound speed in solids
   4. Dispersion Relations
      1. Definition and significance
      2. Phonon dispersion curves
      3. Longitudinal versus transverse phonons
   5. Phonon Interactions
      1. Phonon-phonon interactions
         1. Normal processes
         2. Umklapp processes
      2. Phonon-electron interactions
         1. Influence on electrical conductivity
         2. Role in superconductivity
      3. Phonon-photon interactions
         1. Raman scattering
         2. Brillouin scattering
   6. Density of States
      1. Phonon density of states
      2. Debye model
      3. Born von Karman boundary conditions
   7. Thermal Properties
      1. Specific heat
         1. Dulong-Petit law
         2. Einstein model of specific heat
         3. Debye theory of heat capacity
      2. Thermal expansion
         1. Grüneisen parameter
         2. Thermal stress and strain
      3. Thermal conductivity
         1. Fourier's law
         2. Role of size and geometry on heat transport
   8. Phonons and Material Properties
      1. Influence on mechanical properties
         1. Elastic constants
         2. Mechanical stability and strength
      2. Phonons in low-dimensional systems
         1. Phonons in one and two-dimensional materials
         2. Quantum confinement effects
   9. Advanced Topics
      1. Phonon engineering and thermal management
      2. Coherent phonon generation and detection
      3. Phononic crystals and bandgap engineering
   10. Experimental Techniques
       1. Inelastic neutron scattering
       2. Raman spectroscopy applications
       3. Infrared spectroscopy
       4. Brillouin spectroscopy for phonon measurement
   11. Computational Approaches
       1. First-principles calculations
       2. Molecular dynamics simulations
       3. Density functional theory for phonons