Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials

Heads up! This course may be archived and/or unavailable.

This course is a part of xMinor in Materials for Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Devices, a 4-course XSeries series from edX.

This course from MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering introduces the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, solid state physics, and electricity and magnetism. We use these principles to describe the origins of the electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of materials, and we discuss how these properties can be engineered to suit particular applications, including diodes, optical fibers, LEDs, and solar cells.

In this course, you will find out how the speed of sound is connected to the electronic band gap, what the difference is between a metal and a semiconductor, and how many magnetic domains fit in a nanoparticle. You will explore a wide range of topics in the domains of materials engineering, quantum mechanics, solid state physics that are essential for any engineer or scientist who wants to gain a fuller understanding of the principles underlying modern electronics.

What you'll learn

• Discover the quantum mechanical origins of materials properties
• Explain the origin of electronic bands in semiconductors
• Learn the operating principles of solid state devices such as solar cells and LEDs
• Understand the materials physics that underlies the optical and magnetic behavior of materials
• Hamiltonian Mechanics
• Vibrations in Crystals–Phonons
• Elastic Bandgap
• Schrödinger’s Equation
• 1-Dimensional Problems
• Measurements—The Ehrenfest Theorem
• Three Dimensions—Hydrogen Atom
• Periodic Potential
• Central Equation
• Understanding Band Diagrams
• Engineering conductivity in Semiconductors
• PN Junctions
• Solar Cells
• LEDs
• Wave Equation
• E/M Waves at Interfaces
• Photonic Crystals
• Classification of Magnets
• Hysteresis in Ferromagnetic Materials
• Magnetic Domains