course-details-portlet

TFY4255

Materials Physics

Choose study year
Credits 7.5
Level Second degree level
Course start Autumn 2025
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Aggregate score

About

About the course

Course content

  • Structure: Structure representation in solid state physics. Elementary introduction to crystallography: symmetry and group theory.
  • Radiation sources for X-rays, neutrons and electrons. Large scale facilities: synchrotrons and X-ray free electron lasers (XFEL), Reactors and spallation sources.
  • Interactions between radiation and matter: electromagnetic radiation, neutrons, electrons. Rayleigh scattering, Raman scattering, photoelectric effect, Compton scattering. Resonant scattering. Polarization. Index of refraction, refraction and reflection for X-rays and neutrons. Brilliance and coherence.
  • Scattering from amorphous and weakly ordered materials. Small-angle scattering.
  • Diffraction: Kinematic theory for electron, neutron and x-ray diffraction. The Born approximation. Fourier transforms and diffraction. Discrete Fourier transform. Dynamic theory. Analysis of ordered materials in polycrystalline and monocrystalline form. Crystal structure determination. Texture.
  • Spectroscopy: Basic introduction to emission and absorption spectroscopy techniques, including UV-vis and Raman.
  • Imaging: Connection between imaging and diffraction. Wave optics. Fourier optics. Imaging with and without lenses. Electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). Neutron, and X-ray microscopy. 3D imaging, computed tomography (CT). Introduction to holography and computational imaging.

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the candidate should gain knowledge of:

  • The prominent role of advanced scattering-based characterization techniques across the natural sciences.
  • Scattering-based structural analysis of materials using electron, X-ray and neutron radiation and the complementarity of these different probes.
  • The role of symmetry and group theory in crystallography.
  • Basic principles of spectroscopy.
  • Fourier techniques for describing and analyzing kinematic diffraction.
  • The production and properties of electron, X-ray and neutron radiation for materials research.
  • The use, potential and limitations of microscopy and imaging in scientific and industrial applications.
  • Modern developments within imaging, tomography and holography.

Skills: the candidate should be able to:

  • Perform scattering based experiments in the laboratory
  • Analyze and report results of scattering and imaging experiments on materials in the solid, liquid and gaseous phases.
  • Carry out kinematical diffraction calculations.
  • Explain and exploit the differences related to the wide- and small angle regimes of scattering (WAXS, SAXS / SANS).
  • Judiciously choose experimental techniques for specific challenges.
  • Explain and exploit the connection between diffraction and imaging.
  • Estimate requirements in key parameters like resolution, contrast and incident flux needed to perform a given experiment.
  • Judge the feasibility of using the covered experimental techniques to address structure-related problems in a wide range of organic and inorganic material classes.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, calculation exercises, and laboratory exercises. The course will be given in English if students on an international master program in physics are attending the course. Lecture material is in English. Expected workload in the course is 225 hours.

Joint lectures with FY8905.

Further on evaluation

Partial assessment. "Delvurdering"; written exam and report. The student must pass both the exam and the report. The re-sit examination (in August) may be changed from written to oral. The exam is in English.

Course materials

"Elements of Modern X-ray Physics", 2nd Ed. Jens Als-Nielsen, Des McMorrow. Wiley 2011.

Additional literature will be specified at the beginning of the course.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
SIF4067 7.5 sp
FY8905 7.5 sp Autumn 2010
This course has academic overlap with the courses in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Materials Science and Solid State Physics
  • Physics
  • Nanotechnology
  • Technological subjects

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Physics

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Aggregate score
Grade: Letter grades

Ordinary examination - Autumn 2025

School exam
Weighting 70/100 Examination aids Code C Date 2025-11-27 Time 09:00 Duration 4 hours Exam system Inspera Assessment
Place and room for school exam

The specified room can be changed and the final location will be ready no later than 3 days before the exam. You can find your room location on Studentweb.

Sluppenvegen 14
Room SL311 lyseblå sone
13 candidates
Report
Weighting 30/100 Exam system Inspera Assessment

Re-sit examination - Summer 2026

School exam
Weighting 70/100 Examination aids Code C Duration 4 hours Exam system Inspera Assessment Place and room Not specified yet.