Jump to main content

Physical properties of materials

This course is part of the programme
Materials Science

Objectives and competences

The purpose of this course is to introduce the principle of material science through the atomic and molecular approach. This course is thought for students that have background (I level studies) of chemistry, physics, biochemistry, engineering and environmental science. The main objective is to help the student to learn to think about properties of materials in order to understand the principle behind new (or old) material. This course should be viewed as introductory survey of principles in material science complementary to the course “Materials Chemistry«.

Prerequisites

Basics of Physics and Chemistry

Content

PART I Introduction to Material Science PART II Color and other optical properties of materials
2. Atomic and Molecular Origin of Color
-) Atomic transition
-) Black body radiation
-) Vibrational transition as source of color
-) Crystal field colors
-) Color centers
-) Charge delocalization
4. Color from interaction of light waves and with bulk matter
- refraction
- interference
- scattering of light
- diffraction grating
5. Other optical effect
- Optical activity and related effects
- birifrangence
- circular dichroism and optical rotator dispersion
- nonlinear optical effects
PART III Thermal properties of materials
6. Heat capacity, heat content and Energy storage
- equipartition of energy (heat capacity of monoatomic gas and of non-linear triatomic gas)
- real heat capacity and heat content of real gases (Joule’s and Joule Thomson experiment)
- heat capacity of solids (Dulong-Petit law, Einstein model, Debye model, heat capacity of metals)
- heat capacity of liquids
- phase stability and phase transition including their order
7. Thermal expansion
- compressibility and thermal expansion of gases
- Thermal expansion of solid
8. Thermal conductivity
- Thermal conductivity of gases, insulating solids and metals
9. Thermodynamic aspect of stability
- Pure gases
- Phase equilibria in pure materials: the Clapeyron equation
- Phase diagram of pure materials
- the phase rule
- liquid-liquid binary phase diagrams
- liquid-vapor binary phase diagrams
- relative proportions of phases: the lever principle
- liquid-solid binary phase diagrams
- compound formation
- three component phase diagrams
10. Surface and interface phenomena
- surface energetic
- surface investigation
- surface tension and capillarity
- liquid films on surfaces
PART IV Electrical and magnetic properties of materials
9. Electrical properties
- Metals, insulators and semiconductor: band theory
- Temperature dependence of electrical conductivity (metals, intrinsic semiconductor)
- properties of extrinsic semiconductor
- electrical devices using extrinsic semiconductors (p-n junction, transistor)
- dielectrics
- superconductivity
10. Magnetic properties
- origin of magnetic behavior
- magnetic induction as a function of field strength
- temperature dependence of magnetization Part V: Mechanical properties of materials
- Elasticity and related properties
- beyond the elastic limit
- defects and dislocation
- crack propagation
- adhesion
- electromechanical properties: the Piezoelectric effect

  1. Color in metal and semiconductor
    -) color of pure semiconductor
    -) color of doped semiconductor

Intended learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding:
Students will learn to think about properties of materials in order to understand the principle behind new (or old) material. At the end of the course the student should be able to learn about a new material, giving minimal scientific information, and from that decipher the scientific principles on which the use of the material is based.
The course is divided into parts based on the various properties of materials. After a general introduction to material science issues, the student will learn about the origin of the colors and other optical properties of materials. The next parts concerns thermal, electrical, magnetic and mechanical properties of materials.

Readings

• Physical properties of materials, Marie Anne White, CRC Press, 2012. Catalogue E-version
• The Physics and Chemistry of Materials, Joel I. Gersten, Frederick W. Smith, Wiley, 2001.

Assessment

• Written exam
• Oral examination
• Evaluation of seminar work

Lecturer's references

Prof. dr. Sandra Gardonio:
Izredna profesorica za področje fizike na Univerzi v Novi Gorici AssiociateProfessor of Physics at the University of Nova Gorica

Izbrane publikacije / Selected publications:
1. GARDONIO, Sandra, KAROLAK, Michael, WEHLING, Tim Oliver, PETACCIA, Luca, LIZZIT, Silvano, GOLDONI, Andrea, LICHTENSTEIN, Alexander, CARBONE, Carlo. Excitation spectra of transition- metal atoms on the Ag (100) surface controlled by hund’s exchange. Physical review letters, ISSN 0031-9007. [Print ed.], 2013, vol. 110, no. 18, str. 186404-1-186404-5. [COBISS.SI-ID 2741755].
2. DRAGOMIR, Mirela, ARČON, Iztok, GARDONIO, Sandra, VALANT, Matjaž. Phase relations and optoelectronic characteristics in the NdVO4-BiVO4 system. Acta materialia, ISSN 1359-6454. [Print ed.], Feb. 2013, vol. 61, no. 4, str. 1126-1135, doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2012.10.020.
[COBISS.SI-ID 21319654].
3. GARDONIO, Sandra, WEHLING, Tim Oliver, PETACCIA, Luca, LIZZIT, Silvano, VILMERCATI, Paolo, GOLDONI, Andrea, KAROLAK, Michael, LICHTENSTEIN, Alexander, CARBONE, Carlo. Spectral functions of isolated Ce adatoms on paramagnetic surfaces. Physical review letters, ISSN 0031- 9007. [Print ed.], 2011, vol. 107, no. 2, str. 026801-1-026801-4. [COBISS.SI-ID 1968635].
4. CARBONE, Carlo, GARDONIO, Sandra, MORAS, Paolo, LOUNIS, Samir, HEIDE, Marcus, BIHLMAYER,
Marcus, ATODIRESEI, Nicolae, DEDERICHS, Peter Heinz, BLÜGEL, Stefan, VLAIC, Sergio, LEHNERT, Anne, OUAZI, Safia, RUSPONI, Stefano, BRUNE, Harald, HONOLKA, Jan, ENDERS, Axel, KERN, Klaus, STEPANOW Sebastian, KRULL, Cornelius, BALASHOV, Timofey, MUGARZA, Aitor, GAMBERDELLA, Pietro, Self-assembled nanometer-scale magnetic networks on surfaces : fundamental interactions and functional properties. Advanced functional materials, ISSN 1616-301X, apr. 2011, vol. 21, no. 7, str. 1212-1228. [COBISS.SI-ID 1908475].
5. OTERO, Gonzalo, GONZALEZ Cesar,PINARDI Anna Lisa, MERINO, Pablo, GARDONIO, Sandra, LIZZIT, Silvano, BLANCO-REY, Maria, VAN DE RUIT, Kevin, FLIPSE, C. F. J., MENDEZ, Javier, DE ANDRES,
Pedro, and MARTIN GAGO, Jose Angel, Ordered vacancy network induced by the growth of epitaxial graphene on Pt(111). Physical review letters, ISSN 0031-9007. [Print ed.], 2010, vol. 105, no. 21, str. 216102-1-216102-4. [COBISS.SI-ID 1908987].