Lecture
This lecture introduces amorphous materials, focusing on their similarities and differences with crystalline materials. It covers the properties of well-known amorphous materials like glass, the glass transition, and specific volume. The lecture also discusses the atomic structure of amorphous silicon, probing techniques, and the effect of hydrogen on the structure. Furthermore, it explores the optical properties of amorphous materials, including dispersion, absorption, and band diagrams. The lecture concludes with discussions on energy gaps, phonons, and the origin of band gaps in materials with short-range order.