Fakultät > Vorlesungen > Wintersemester 2026/2027 > Condensed Matter Theory 1 (MVTheoCM1, MVSpec)

Condensed Matter Theory 1 (MVTheoCM1, MVSpec)

Wintersemester 2026/27
Dozent: Schmidt R
52 Teilnehmer/innen

Condensed Matter Theory I

 
The complexity of 1023 particles interacting with each other in a solid give rise to many emergent phenomena one would not predict from the simple interactions between two electrons. In this lecture we will, starting from simple models and theories work our way into the contemporary theory of many particle physics. 
 
The lecture follows for a large part the textbook of Ashcroft and Mermin, with one big difference. The formentioned text-book is based on a text over 50 years old. During the last decades new methods have emerged, often removing the need to know the full wave-function of the system to answer the problem, by using Green's functions. Whenever possible the later will be used within this lecture.
 
Concepts of many particle systems discused are:
  • The Drude Theory of Metals
  • The Sommerfeld Theory of Metals
  • Electrons in a periodic potential
  • Tight binding
  • Band-structure, Fermi-surface, Density of states, Metals, Insulators
  • Semiconductor physics, Electrons and Holes
  • Green's functions and selfenergy
  • Variational techniques
  • Phonons and disorder
  • Electron-phonon interactions and polaron formation
Theoretical / Mathematical tools used will be
  • Second quantization
  • Green's functions (on an independent particle level)
  • Self energy and variational methods

Prerequisites

  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Basic quantum statistics
  • Second quantization (creation, annihilation operators and their algebra)

     

Recommended Literature

  • Ashcroft / Mermin
    Solid State Physics
  • Sakurai
    Quantum Mechanics
  • Kittel
    Introduction to Solid State Physics
  • Altland / Simons
    Condensed Matter Field Theory
  • Auerbach
    Interacting electrons and quantum magnetism
  • Haken / Wolf
    The Physics of Atoms and Quanta
  • There is a script that acompanies the lecture. It will be updated and expanded as we go along.
    Feedback and remarks about typos are most welcome.

    

Übungsgruppen

Organization of Tutorials (Practice groups)

- Please hand in your solutions (hand-written, digital is fine), as pdf by Thursdays 23:59.

- You can build teams of up to three students (all in the same tutorial). Indicated your names in the pdf.

- The solutions will be read by your tutors to identify common challenges, but they will not be corrected in detail, nor will they be graded. 

- Solutions will likely be made available.

- The new exercise sheets will be made available on this webpage shortly before the Friday lectures.

   

Rough timeline of the lecture

 

12.10.2026
-
18.10.2026

First lecture on 14.10.2026
Time: 11:15-13:00
Location: PW12, Kleiner Hörsaal (kHS)

No Tutorials in this week

Introduction and Classical Approach, Drude Model
19.10.2026
-
25.10.2026

No Tutorials in this week

Free electrons and Sommerfeld Model
26.10.2026
-
01.11.2026

First tutorials on 26.10.2026

Crystal structures and Bloch theorem
02.11.2026
-
08.11.2026		 Band structure and Mean-field theories I
09.11.2026
-
15.11.2026		 Mean-field theories II, Tight-binding
16.11.2026
-
22.11.2026		 Tight-binding models and orbitals
23.11.2026
-
29.11.2026		 Green's functions for independent electrons
30.11.2026
-
06.12.2026		 Applications of Green's functions, Dyson equation
07.12.2026
-
13.12.2026		 Selfenergy and resistivity due to disorder
14.12.2026
-
20.12.2026		 Variational Techniques
21.12.2026
-
27.12.2026		 No lectures -- Christmas Break
28.12.2026
-
03.01.2027		 No lectures -- Christmas Break
04.01.2027
-
10.01.2027		 Phonons
11.01.2027
-
17.01.2027		 Electron-Phonon interactions, Polaron Formation
18.01.2027
-
24.01.2027		 Open Topic
25.01.2027
-
31.01.2027		 No lecture -- Study Week
01.02.2027
-
07.02.2027		 Exam Week -- Exam on 03.02.2027, Time: 11:00-13:00, Locations: Kleiner Hörsaal (kHS), PW12
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Condensed Matter Theory 1 (MVTheoCM1, MVSpec)
Wintersemester 2026/27
Schmidt R
52 Teilnehmer/innen
Schedule
  • The lectures are on Wednesday and Friday from 11:15 to 13:00 in Philosphenweg 12, kleiner Hörsaal (kHS). 
  • There are two tutorials on Mondays:
    - 9:15 to 11:00 in Philosophenweg 19, Seminarraum 
    - 14:15 to 16:00 in Philosophenweg 12, Room 070
  • The first lecture is on Wednesday, October 14th.
  • The first tutorials are on Monday, October 26th.
  • The first exercise sheet will be made available in the first week of the lecture. 
  • The lecture will be in person.
  • There will be no video recording available.
  • There will be strong overlap with the recorded course by Maurits Haverkort. Hence, if you miss a lecture you can find videos of related lectures recorded in 2020 on Youtube.