Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-82). Also available in electronic version.

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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-141). Also available in electronic version.

<p> Field modulation techniques were used to observe the de Haas-van Alphen effect in magnetic fields up to 5.5 tesla and at temperatures below 1.1°K. A data acquisition system recorded on magnetic tape the large amount of data necessary for computer fourier analysis of the oscillations. All of the orbits predicted by Keeton and Loucks' model of the Fermi surface of mercury were at least tentatively identified. The data on the β, τ and α orbits were in essential agreement with previous work. The γ and X-face orbits were also investigated in some detail, while tentative identification was made of the μ and T-face orbits. When the data permitted, the areas were fitted to ellipsoids or hyperboloids of revolution by a least squares calculation.</p> <p> A search was made for modifications to the de Haas-van Alphen theory due to phonons. Accurate torque de Haas-van Alphen amplitude measurements were taken as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The analysis of the results revealed no systematic dependence of either the cyclotron effective mass or the Dingle temperature on temperature from 1.25°K to 4.2°K or on magnetic field from 1.5 tesla to 2.3 tesla. Thus no effects due to phonons were observed.</p> <p> A method of observing the open orbits in metallic single crystals was developed and used to observe the open orbits in mercury. The method utilized the eddy currents induced in the sample by the rotation of a magnetic field. This provided a signal which was dependent on the conductivity in the plane perpendicular to the open orbit. The torque amplitude, which indicated the number of open orbit carriers, was used to detect the angular range of the bands of open orbits in mercury. The method was experimentally simple since no special sample geometry was necessary and no electrical connections to the sample were needed.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)