Transition Metal Oxides (PHYS 790A Special Topics in Physics, Condensed Matter)
Instructor: Prof. Bogdan Dabrowski, Physics Department, NIU. You can find me in my office (LT 216; phone: 815 341-3163 or in my labs LT 215 and FR 110 (phone: 815 753-6472). If I am not at NIU you can also reach me at Argonne National Laboratory (phone: 630-252-5541) or at emails or .
Course meeting time and place: 3:30 – 4:45 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays at LT 227.
Office hours: on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 PM at LT 216 or by appointment.
The helpful textbooks: Ashcroft and Mermin, Solid State Physics;William D. Callister and David G. Rethwisch,Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction; P.A. Cox, Transition Metal Oxides: An Introduction to Their Electronic Structure and Properties;Donald R. Askeland, Pradeep P. Fulay, and Wandelin J. Wright, The Science and Engineering of Materials.
Other reading materials: Assigned literature publications and dissertations.
The course will be delivered as a combination of lectures and student’s presentations.Seminar-style presentations will be based on selected references and research papers. Presenters please cometo my office with a draft of your presentationfor discussiononeweek before your talk.
The following topics will be covered:
Introduction to CourseTransition Metal Oxides (1 class)
Drude Theory of Metals (1 class)
Atomic Structure and Interatomic Bonding (Bishampresentation)
Sommerfeld Theory of Metals (Reading Assignment in lieu of 1 class, Jan. 30)
Crystal and Reciprocal Lattices (2 classes)
X-ray Diffraction (1 class)
Refinements of Crystal Structure (2 classes)
Defects and non-stoichiometry (Maleeha presentation)
Diffusion: Atomic and Ionic Movements in Materials (Wadiah presentation)
Synthesis of Oxides (Saber presentation)
Oxygen production and storage (Maleeha presentation)
Solid Solutions, Phase Equilibrium and Phase Diagrams (Wadiah presentation)
Oxygen non-stoichiometry, Thermogravimetry (1 class)
Band Structure of Metals (Bisham presentation)
Measuring Fermi Surface(1 class)
Photoemission (1 class)
Insulating and ferroelectric do compounds (Saber presentation)
Crystal field theory, Energy levels (Kamal presentation)
Metallic Oxides, Resistivity (Bisham presentation)
Exchange interactions between cations (Kamal presentation)
Jahn-Teller electronic and magnetic correlations (Bisham presentation)
Magnetic Oxides (Kamal presentation)
Classical and Oxide Superconductors (Bisham presentation)
Multiferroic Oxides (Kamal presentation)
Ferromagnetic perovskites (1 class)
Thermal and Thermoelectric Properties of Materials (1 class)
Stability of Perovskites, Tolerance Factor (1 class)
The grades will be based on the total amount of points you would accumulate during the course (presentations 80% and class activity 20%). Presentation grades will be based on the merit of your presentation and excellence of your answers to questions. Class activity will be based on attendance and activity during discussions.
A (4.00) 92 – 100%
A- (3.67) 84 – 91 %
B+ (3.33) 76 – 83%
B (3.00) 68 – 75%
B- (2.67) 60 - 67%
C+ (2.33)52 – 59%
C (2.00) 44 – 51%
D (1.00)36 – 43%
F (0.00)35% or less
NIU abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding provision of reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Moreover, your academic success is of importance to me. If you have a disability that may have a negative impact on your performance in this course and you may require some type of instructional and/or examination accommodation, please contact me early in the semester so that I can provide or facilitate in providing accommodations you may need. If you have not already done so, you will need to register with the Center for Access Ability Resources (CAAR), the designated office on campus to provide services and administer exams with accommodations for students with disabilities. CAAR is located on the 4th floor of the University Health Services building (753-1303). I look forward to talking with you to learn how I may be helpful in enhancing your academic success in this course.
I hope you will enjoy the course!