The lecture aims to establish a link between the fundamentals of solid state physics and specialized lectures on actual research topics. The following topics will be covered:

• Structure of solids, thin films, and surfaces
• Electronic states in 3-, 2-, and 1-dimensional solids, quantum stability
• Magnetism, phase transitions, magnetoresistance, principles of spin electronics

The course program will cover the basics of each topic but likewise discuss current methods and problems of solid state physics. The relevant experimental techniques (diffraction and imaging techniques, spectroscopic techniques, and magnetometry) will be introduced and discussed using examples from actual research.

- Ashcroft/Mermin: Solid state physics;

- Kittel: Introduction to solid state physics;

- Lüth: Solid surfaces, interfaces and thin films;

- Bland and Heinrich: Ultrathin magnetic structures