Assignment
1. Superconductor:
i. What is superconductor? Explain the types of superconductor.
ii. Explain Meissner Effect, Magnetic Levitation, BCS theory,
Josephson Effect.
iii. Lists some applications of superconductor.
iv. Explain SQUIDS and Cryotron.
v. What is a Cooper pair?
A: A Cooper pair is two (a pair) of electrons that attract each other and thereby
make having the Cooper pair lower in total energy than the two electrons
separately. Since a pair of electrons have an integral value of angular momentum,
the Cooper pairs are bosons. As bosons, any number of Cooper pairs can exist,
which means macroscopic superconductivity can exist.
vi. How do Cooper pairs interact with the lattice to cause superconductivity?
A: In what are called low-Tc superconductors, essentially those discovered prior to
the cuprates in 1986, two electrons form a Cooper pair indirectly. One electron
electrically attracts nearby nuclei, which lowers the Coulomb potential energy. The
second electron of the pair encounters this lower potential energy and for that
reason a pair of electrons has a lower total energy that the two separate electrons.
If we think of the two electrons forming a Cooper pair as doing so by having a
“glue”- exchanging a boson that causes their energy to lower- then the boson is a
lattice vibration, a phonon. Starting with the cuprates many superconductors have
been discovered in which the pairing that makes Cooper pairs involves magnetic
excitations rather than lattice vibrations, and the glue, the exchange boson, is a
magnon (which is a unit of magnetic excitation energy).
vii. What is pseudogap?
viii. How to arrive at the highest temperature superconductivity?
When the pairing gap is calculated in the wave vector space, we find that the
anisotropy of the electronic structure is a key to arrive at the high temperature
superconductivity. One may have understood that the BCS theory is suitable for
the common metals, and the metals are almost isotropic in physical properties.
Here there is a secret that the isotropic materials necessarily are the low
temperature superconductors according to our theory. If the metals are the
weakly correlated ones again, they should be the phonon-mediated
superconductors. Therefore, the BCS theory is suitable for the weakly correlated
metals. Our works show that the electronic interactions are important for the
strongly correlated superconductors. When the electron number is determined,
to arrive at the highest temperature superconductors, the appropriate strong
electron correlation and the evident anisotropy are the two key factors. The
electron number, the appropriate strong correlation and the evident anisotropy
are the decisive factors of superconductivity, and we will call it “three factor
theory”.
2. Crystal Structure:
i. Draw some crystal structures: a) Orthorhombic, b) Rhombohedral c)
Monoclinic
ii. Explain FCC, BCC, HCP and Atomic Packing Factor.
iii. If the atomic radius for Pb=
0.175nm, find the volume of the
unit cell.
iv. Magnesium is hcp with c/a =1.624,
density = 1.74g/cm^3. Find the atomic
radius of magnesium.
v. Draw the crystal structure and show the direction for: a) 111 b) 111
c) 111
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x. Explain Bravais Lattice.
1) Mention the electrical characteristics of metal semiconductor and insulator?
2) Interpret ohm’s law in terms of atomic theory.
3) Obtain the equation relating the relaxation timer to the mean time c as 𝜏 =
4) Explain Wiedemann - Franz law in the light of thermal conductivity.
5) Explain the modern approach to the phenomenon of electrical resistivity.
6) Explain Matthiessen’s rule & deloye temperature
7) Explain London’s theory & Explain Josephson’s Junetion of superconductor.
8) Explain BCS theory of superconductor
9) Explain perfect diamagnetism of superconductor from the view point of Meissmer-
Ochserfield experiment
10) The continuity equation
11) Establish the relationship of wave nature of electron from the Schrodinger equation
12) What is work function and contact potential?
13) Establish the Ebers-Moll equation in a transistor
14) Show that current density, 𝐽 = 𝜌𝑣
15) What is LASER? Explain working principle of LASER.
16) Explain all the types of LASER.
17) Explain LASER beam characteristics.
18) Lists some applications of LASER.
19) Define: Absorption, Stimulated Emission, Spontaneous Emission.
