Solid-state physics

These interactions produce the mechanical (e.g. hardness and elasticity), thermal, electrical, magnetic and optical properties of solids.

Likewise, crystalline materials often have electrical, magnetic, optical, or mechanical properties that can be exploited for engineering purposes.

In solid form, the noble gases are held together with van der Waals forces resulting from the polarisation of the electronic charge cloud on each atom.

The DSSP catered to industrial physicists, and solid-state physics became associated with the technological applications made possible by research on solids.

[1][2] Large communities of solid state physicists also emerged in Europe after World War II, in particular in England, Germany, and the Soviet Union.

Properties of materials such as electrical conduction and heat capacity are investigated by solid state physics.

The free electron model gave improved predictions for the heat capacity of metals, however, it was unable to explain the existence of insulators.

By introducing the idea of electronic bands, the theory explains the existence of conductors, semiconductors and insulators.