PVB306 Solid State Physics and Quantum Statistics

The development of new materials is pivotal for the technology advancements of our society, with outcomes in every aspect of human life, spanning from reducing our environmental impact, to improving communication and computing, to achieving a better healthcare. The aim of this unit is to establish fundamental concepts and physical principles that describe the behaviour of solids at both the macroscopic level and at the atomic level. This is an advanced unit that builds upon conceptual physical and mathematical principles of earlier units (in particular quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, electrodynamics, and statistical mechanics) and you will apply them to understand the properties of real-world materials. Through lectures, practical classes and simulations the unit will provide you with strong foundation in solid state physics.

Unit information

Unit code: PVB306
Faculty: Faculty of Science
School/Discipline: School of Chemistry and Physics
Study area: Science
Credit points: 6

Dates and locations

Teaching period	Dates	Locations
Semester 1, 2026	23 February 2026 - 20 June 2026	Gardens Point

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Previous study requirements

Prerequisites: PVB206 and PVB207

Guide to previous study requirements

Prerequisites: To enrol in this unit, you must have completed these prerequisite units (or have credit, advanced standing or exemption for them), or be able to demonstrate that you have equivalent background knowledge.
Anti-requisites: You can’t enrol in this unit if you have completed any of these anti-requisite units.
Co-requisites: To enrol in this unit, you must have already completed these co-requisite units, or you must enrol in them at the same time.
Equivalents: You can’t enrol in this unit if you have completed any of these equivalent units.
Assumed knowledge: We assume that you have a minimum level of knowledge in certain areas before you start this unit.

Unit outlines

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Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.