Condensed Matter Physics: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #722

by Ross H. McKenzie

There are many more states of matter than just solid, liquid, and gas. Examples include liquid crystal, magnet, glass, and superconductor. New states are continually, and unexpectedly, being discovered. Some states, such as superconductor, can act like Schrödinger's cat and exhibit the weirdness normally associated with the quantum theory of atoms, photons, and electrons. Condensed matter physics seeks to understand how states of matter and their distinct physical properties emerge from the atoms of which a material is composed.

A system of many interacting parts can have properties that the parts do not have. Water is wet, but a single water molecule is not. Your brain is conscious, but a single neuron is not. Such emergent phenomena are central to condensed matter physics and also occur in many fields, from biology to computer science to sociology, leading to rich intellectual connections. When do quantitative differences become qualitative differences? Can simple models describe rich and complex behaviour? What is the relationship between the particular and the universal? How is the abstract related to the concrete? Condensed matter physics is all about these big questions.

The materials in silicon chips, liquid crystal displays, and magnetic computer memories, may have transformed society, but understanding them has transformed how we think about complex systems.

ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Genres: Science, Physics

176 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2023

Reviews

[Selim Reza · Rating 4 out of 5]

খুব সরল ভাষায় লিখা একটা বই। অনেকটা গল্পের বইয়ের মত করা পড়া যায়। কিছু সময় ইতিহাস নিয়েও লেখক আলাপ করেছেন। কিভাবে রাজনীতি এবং তৎকালীন পরিবেশ বিজ্ঞানীদের উপর প্রভাব ফেলেছে। যদিও এই এই ইতিহাস খুব বেশি আনেননি তারপরও এটা দারুণ লেগেছে। পদার্থবিজ্ঞান সম্পর্কিত বই সাধারণত গল্পের ঢঙে লেখা হয়না। থাকে প্রচুর সমীকরণ আর দুর্বোধ্য বাক্য। এই সিরিজের বইগুলো এই দিক থেকে ব্যতিক্রম।

[Timo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid introduction. I liked the historical parts (as usual when reading VSIs). But I guess condensed matter physics is just not my favourite cup of tea. 🫖

[sbs transit · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's growing hype around condensed matter physics that fails to appreciate the forces behind its rise to prominence in the first place.

For one thing, condensed matter isn't _new_ physics by any means but represents a unique culmination of thermo, high-energy physics and quantum in a more applied wrapper. For all the conventional wisdom positioning it as the antipode of high energy physics thus, it's actually a child of the topological investigations conducted at the largest scales now recursed through at the (sub)atomic levels of existence, and also newly relevant precisely to power the machines and mechanisms that will power our fusion reactors, maglev trains, supercomputers and basically the built world of the future.

So, I certainly appreciated seeing the interconnections between topics but find the petty turf war they seem to cultivating with colleagues in chaos, theory, materials engineering and the like quite disingenuous. As funding oscillates back towards materials, paving the way for us to first slowly then with ever-increasing speed reap the benefits of the synergies between materials, compute (AI), energy and quantum I hope folks wisen up to the centrality of CMP to the technological (and thus economic, as well as political) forefront.

[Павел Качнов · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpectedly engaging dive into condensed matter physics! The book takes readers on a journey through the development of this recent field, tracing its roots back to the discovery of the atom in the early 20th century. The author masterfully balances clarity and depth, telling the story almost chronologically and pausing to explain major breakthroughs and share anecdotes about the pioneers behind them.

While a few chapters were a bit dense for me, the straightforward language and ample references made it easy to stay interested—and I might revisit those trickier sections with a little external help. Condensed matter physics has won 13 Nobel Prizes in the last 30 years alone, and this book shows why: it’s a field filled with fascinating discoveries. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in the evolving frontiers of physics.

[Wing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems to be written for high school students to entice them to study the eponymous discipline at university. At the heart of condensed matter physics is the concepts of emergence and phase. These are explained in the context of symmetry and topology. As expected, without any detailed mathematics, these can only be discussed briefly. However, the book succeeds in demystifying emergence and bringing out its profound implications. Reality is all about interactions, relationships, scales, and constraints. At times the book is a bit rushed and background concepts are left unexplained. It’s nevertheless a good introduction to a fascinating and encompassing topic.

[Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great!, Beautiful explanations and full of interesting historical stories.
This is the first book that I read on this series, **A Very Short Introduction**, but I should say that his was great!
I put the book aside for a little bit, but nevertheless, the content was great and very easy to follow, but don't get me wrong the physics it's hard to understand, it's just that the explanations are fantastic.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

no idea what the second half was talking about but love the fact that one of the future directions is a research project i'm currently working on hehe

3.5/5

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of the current state of condensed matter physics. The information was very interestingly sorted and the organizing principles were appreciated, at least by a lay reader like myself.

[Aaron Jackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

smooth, engaging, refresher or update (depending on your familiarity) of the basics

[Chrysovalantis Kamprogiannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

For such a short and popular science book it is amazing that he covers all the fundamental and most interesting aspects of condensed matter physics, excepting perhaps band structure