Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-quantum-condensed-matter-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2004/section-a/4/solution

A straight line in against means . Reading its intercept and slope gives approximately and ; the graphical precision is only a few percent. Hence the molar heat capacity is approximately
The linear electronic heat capacity comes from conduction electrons within energy of order of the Fermi energy; the Pauli exclusion principle prevents deeply occupied states from contributing freely. The cubic lattice term is the low-temperature Debye heat capacity of three-dimensional acoustic phonons, whose low-frequency density of states is proportional to frequency squared. These are molar coefficients, so the temperature powers carry the extra kelvin factors indicated.

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