Physics Department
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Physics 598
Superconductivity, Ancient and Modern, Parts 1 and 2.
Fall 2011
General information
Time and location:
Time: Mon Wed 1:00 - 2:20 p.m.
Place: 136 Loomis Laboratory
Instructor:
A.J. Leggett: Office hour 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Mondays, 2113 ESB
TA:
Zhenhua Ning: Office hour 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays, 4101 ESB
Announcements
Course announcement
Syllabus and schedule of lectures (provisional)
Written assignments
(subject to revision)
Problem Sheet 1
Problem Sheet 2
Problem Sheet 3
Problem Sheet 4
Lecture notes
Part 1
Lecture 2. Phenomenology of (classic) superconductivity
Lecture 3. Phenomenological theory of the EM properties of superconductors
Lecture 4. Recap: normal metals and the clectron-phonon interaction
Lecture 5. Fundamental Ideas of BCS Theory
Lecture 6. Quantitative Development of BCS Theory
Lecture 7. Thermodynamic and response properties of superconductors (other than EM)
Lecture 8. Microscopic Properties of BCS Superconductors (cont.)
Lecture 9. Superconducting alloys: electrodynamics of clean and dirty superconductors
Lecture 10. Ginzburg-Landau Theory: Simple Applications
Lecture 11. The Bogoliubov-de Gennes and Andreev Equations: Andreev Reflection
Lecture 12. Magnetic impurity and other pair-breaking effects
Lecture 13. The Josephson Effect
Lecture 14. The stability of supercurrents: Fluctuation effects
(Mini-) Lecture 15. Miscellaneous topics in BCS theory
Part 2
Lecture 1. Non-BCS Superconductivity: Diagnostics
Lecture 2. Non-cuprate exotics I: BKBO, MgB2, alkali fullerides
Lecture 3. Non-cuprateExotics II: Heavy-fermions, Ruthenates, Organics
Lecture 4. The cuprate superconductors: generalities (composition, structure, phase diagram ...)
Lecture 5. Normal-state Properties: Optimal Doping: ( + overdoped regime)
Lecture 6. The phase diagram: the pseudogap regime. Systematics of Tc.
Lecture 7. Superconducting-state properties (static + transport)
Lecture 8. Superconducting state II: Spectroscopic probes. Preliminary overview of the experimental situation
Lecture 9. What do we know for sure about the cuprate superconductors?
Lecture 10. What do we know for sure about the cuprate superconductors? II. Symmetry of the order parameter.
Lecture 11. Microscopic Theories of Cuprate Superconductivity: A Smorgasbord.
Fall09_L13.pdf
Lecture 12. Where is the energy saved?
Lecture 13. Non-cuprate exotics III: The ferropnictide (FeAs) superconductors