This book summarizes some of the most exciting theoretical developments in the topological phenomena of skyrmions in noncentrosymmetric magnetic systems over recent decades. After presenting pedagogical backgrounds to the Berry phase and homotopy theory, the author systematically discusses skyrmions in the order of their development, from the Ginzburg-Landau theory, CP1 theory, Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert theory, and Monte Carlo numerical approaches. Modern topics, such as the skyrmion-electron interaction, skyrmion-magnon interaction, and various generation mechanisms of the skyrmion are examined with a focus on their general theoretical aspects. The book concludes with a chapter on the skyrmion phenomena in the cold atom context. The topics are presented at a level accessible to beginning graduate students without a substantial background in field theory. The book can also be used as a text for those who wish to engage in the physics of skyrmions in magnetic systems, or as an introduction to the various theoretical methods used in studying current condensed-matter systems.

The techniques of magnetic neutron and photon scattering provide information on the electronic properties of materials that is obtainable in no other way. With both techniques information on an atomic scale is obtained on the spatial and temporal developments of the spin and current densities which are fundamental quantities in a basic understanding of magnetic phenomena. To date most magnetic scattering studies have used neutron beams, and the use of photon beams is, relatively speaking, in its infancy. This book is the first monograph devoted to the theory required for a full interpretation of magnetic scattering experiments. It is designed to meet the needs of postgraduates and researchers new to the techniques. At the same time, the requirements of theoretical chemists and physicists are catered for through chapters that present the basic formalism in detail. Special features of the book include extensive tables of quantities that occur frequently in applications of theory, and a number of worked examples.

This Advanced Study Institute on the topic of SOLID STATE MICROBATTERIES is the third and final institute on the general theme of a field of study now termed "SOLID STATE IONICS". The institute was held in Erice, Sicily, Italy, 3 - 15 July 1988. The objective was to assemble in one location individuals from industry and academia expert in the fields of microelectronics and solid state ionics to determine the feasibility of merging a solid state microbattery with microelectronic memory. Solid electrolytes are in principle amenable to vapor deposition, RF or DC sputtering, and other techniques used to fabricate microelectronic components. A solid state microbattery 1 1 mated on the same chip carrier as the chip can provide on board memory backup power. A solid state microbattery assembled from properly selected anode/solid electrolyte/cathode materials could have environmental endurance properties equal or superior to semiconductor memory chips. Lectures covering microelectronics, present state-of-art solid state batteries, new solid electrolyte cathode materials, theoretical and practical techniques for fabrication of new solid electrolytes, and analytical techniques for study of solid electrolytes were covered. Several areas where effort is required for further understanding of materials in pure form and their interactions with other materials at interfacial contact points were identified. Cathode materials for solid state batteries is one particular research area which requires attention. Another is a microscopic model of conduction in vitreous solid electrolytes to enhance the thermodynamic macroscopic Weak ~lectrolyte Iheory (WET).

This book on solid state physics has been written with an emphasis on recent developments in quantum many-body physics approaches. It starts by covering the classical theory of solids and electrons and describes how this classical model has failed. The authors then present the quantum mechanical model of electrons in a lattice and they also discuss the theory of conductivity. Extensive reviews on the topic are provided in a compact manner so that any non-specialist can follow from the beginning.The authors cover the system of magnetism in a similar way and various problems in magnetic materials are discussed. The book also discusses the Ising chain, the Heisenberg model, the Kondo effect and superconductivity, amongst other relevant topics.In the final chapter, the authors present some works related to contemporary research topics, such as quantum entanglement in many-body systems and quantum simulations. They also include a short review of some of the possible applications of solid state quantum information in biological systems.

Introduction to Epitaxy provides the essential information for a comprehensive upper-level graduate course treating the crystalline growth of semiconductor heterostructures. Heteroepitaxy represents the basis of advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices today and is considered one of the top fields in materials research. The book covers the structural and electronic properties of strained epitaxial layers, the thermodynamics and kinetics of layer growth, and the description of the major growth techniques metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy, molecular beam epitaxy and liquid phase epitaxy. Cubic semiconductors, strain relaxation by misfit dislocations, strain and confinement effects on electronic states, surface structures and processes during nucleation and growth are treated in detail. The Introduction to Epitaxy requires only little knowledge on solid-state physics. Students of natural sciences, materials science and electrical engineering as well as their lecturers benefit from elementary introductions to theory and practice of epitaxial growth, supported by pertinent references and over 200 detailed illustrations.

The book is an introduction to the science and possible applications of Graphene, the first one-atom-thick crystalline form of matter. Discovered in 2004 by now Nobelists Geim and Novoselov, the single layer of graphite, a hexagonal network of carbon atoms, has astonishing electrical and mechanical properties. It supports the highest electrical current density of any material, far exceeding metals copper and silver. Its absolute minimum thickness, 0.34 nanometers, provides an inherent advantage in possible forms of digital electronics past the era of Moore's Law. The book describes the unusual physics of the material, that it offers linear rather than parabolic energy bands. The Dirac-like electron energy bands lead to high constant carrier speed, similar to light photons. The lattice symmetry further implies a two-component wave-function, which has a practical effect of cancelling direct backscattering of carriers. The resulting high carrier mobility allows observation of the Quantum Hall Effect at room temperature, unique to Graphene. The material is two-dimensional, but in sizes micrometers nearly to meters displays great tensile strength but vanishing resistance to bending. The book reviews theoretical predictions of excessive atomic vibrational motion, tied to the dimensionality. As explained, these predictions seem not of practical consequence, and such effects are unobservable in samples up to nearly one meter size. The disintegration temperature of this refractory material is estimated as 4900K, certainly higher than the measured sublimation temperature of graphite, 3900K. As explained, applications of Graphene come in classes that range from additives to composite materials to field effect transistor elements capable of extremely high frequency operation. The classes of applications correlate with differing methods of fabrication, from inexpensive chemical exfoliations of graphite, to chemical vapour deposition on catalytic substrates as Cu and Ni, at temperatures around 1300K. The book reviews potential applications within existing electronics, to include interconnect wires, flash-memory elements, and high frequency field effect transistors. The chance to supplant the dominant CMOS family of silicon logic devices is assessed.

This is the first book to give a comprehensive and coherent account of the basic methods of characterizing a solid through its interaction with electromagnetic fields. The theoretical treatment focuses on the determination of the essential parameters of a solid (energy bands, energy levels, effective mass of electrons and holes, etc.) from measured absorption coefficients, scattering data, magneto-optical results, etc. The discussion is at an intermediate level and all the formulas are carefully deduced and explained. All types of solids (semiconductors, crystals, metals, etc.) are covered and the latest experimental results are also presented.

21st Century Nanoscience - A Handbook: Public Policy, Education, and Global Trends (Volume 10) will be the most comprehensive, up-to-date large reference work for the field of nanoscience. Its predecessor, Handbook of Nanophysics, by the same editor was published in the fall of 2010 and was embraced as the first comprehensive reference to consider both fundamental and applied aspects of nanophysics. This follow-up project has been conceived as a necessary expansion and full update that considers the significant advances made in the field since 2010. It goes well beyond the physics as warranted by recent developments in the field. This tenth volume in a ten-volume set covers nanophotonics, nanoelectronics, and nanoplasmonics. Key Features: Provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date large reference work for the field. Chapters written by international experts in the field. Emphasizes presentation and real results and applications. This handbook distinguishes itself from other works by its breadth of coverage, readability and timely topics. The intended readership is very broad, from students and instructors to engineers, physicists, chemists, biologists, biomedical researchers, industry professionals, governmental scientists, and others whose work is impacted by nanotechnology. It will be an indispensable resource in academic, government, and industry libraries worldwide. The fields impacted by nanophysics extend from materials science and engineering to biotechnology, biomedical engineering, medicine, electrical engineering, pharmaceutical science, computer technology, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, food science, and beyond.

This book is dedicated to the fundamental physical aspects of stability, the influence of structural defects on the properties and structural phase transformations of BCC alloys. The authors present patterns that occur in the structural-phase states of functional alloys with low stability or instability under thermal cycling effects. Structural-phase transformations and the physical laws governing the influence of the thermomechanical effect on the properties of alloys are examined to advance development of technological processes for processing functional materials. Features: Studies the correlation between structural phase states and changes in the physico-mechanical properties of intermetallic compounds Explores the influence of thermomechanical cycling on the properties of functional alloys Details low-stability pretransition states in alloys

Over the course of the last century it has become clear that both elementary particle physics and relativity theories are based on the notion of symmetries. These symmetries become manifest in that the "laws of nature" are invariant under spacetime transformations and/or gauge transformations. The consequences of these symmetries were analyzed as early as in 1918 by Emmy Noether on the level of action functionals. Her work did not receive due recognition for nearly half a century, but can today be understood as a recurring theme in classical mechanics, electrodynamics and special relativity, Yang-Mills type quantum field theories, and in general relativity. As a matter of fact, as shown in this monograph, many aspects of physics can be derived solely from symmetry considerations. This substantiates the statement of E.P. Wigner ..". if we knew all the laws of nature, or the ultimate Law of nature, the invariance properties of these laws would not furnish us new information." Thanks to Wigner we now also understand the implications of quantum physics and symmetry considerations: Poincare invariance dictates both the characteristic properties of particles (mass, spin, ...) and the wave equations of spin 0, 1/2, 1, ... objects. Further, the work of C.N. Yang and R. Mills reveals the consequences of internal symmetries as exemplified in the symmetry group of elementary particle physics. Given this pivotal role of symmetries it is thus not surprising that current research in fundamental physics is to a great degree motivated and inspired by considerations of symmetry. The treatment of symmetries in this monograph ranges from classical physics to now well-established theories of fundamental interactions, to the latest research on unified theories and quantum gravity.

Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction for Device Physicists and Electrical Engineers, Third Edition provides a complete course in quantum mechanics for students of semiconductor device physics and electrical engineering. It provides the necessary background to quantum theory for those starting work on micro- and nanoelectronic structures and is particularly useful for those beginning work with modern semiconductors devices, lasers, and qubits. This book was developed from a course the author has taught for many years with a style and order of presentation of material specifically designed for this audience. It introduces the main concepts of quantum mechanics which are important in everyday solid-state physics and electronics. Each topic includes examples which have been carefully chosen to draw upon relevant experimental research. It also includes problems with solutions to test understanding of theory. Full updated throughout, the third edition contains the latest developments, experiments, and device concepts, in addition to three fully revised chapters on operators and expectations and spin angular momentum, it contains completely new material on superconducting devices and approaches to quantum computing.

This book provides an interdisciplinary guide to quasicrystals, the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winning topic, by presenting an up-to-date and detailed introduction to the many fundamental aspects and applications of quasicrystals science. It reviews the most characteristic features of the peculiar geometric order underlying their structure and their reported intrinsic physical properties, along with their potential for specific applications. The role of quasiperiodic order in science and technology is also examined by focusing on the new design capabilities provided by this novel ordering of matter. This book is specifically devoted to promoting the very notion of quasiperiodic order, and to spur its physical implications and technological capabilities. It, therefore, explores the fundamental aspects of intermetallic, photonic, and phononic quasicrystals, as well as soft-matter quasicrystals, including their intrinsic physical and structural properties. In addition, it thoroughly discusses experimental data and related theoretical approaches to explain them, extending the standard treatment given in most current solid state physics literature. It also explores exciting applications in new technological devices of quasiperiodically ordered systems, including multilayered quasiperiodic systems, along with 2D and 3D designs, whilst outlining new frontiers in quasicrystals research. This book can be used as a reader-friendly introductory text for graduate students, in addition to senior scientists and researchers coming from the fields of physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering. Key features: * Provides an updated and detailed introduction to the interdisciplinary field of quasicrystals in a tutorial style, considering both fundamental aspects and additional freedom degrees provided by designs based on quasiperiodically ordered materials. * Includes 50 fully worked out exercises with detailed solutions, motivating, and illustrating the different concepts and notions to provide readers with further learning opportunities. * Presents a complete compendium of the current state of the art knowledge of quasicrystalline matter, and outlines future next generation materials based on quasiperiodically ordered designs for their potential use in useful technological devices. Dr. Enrique Macia-Barber is Professor of condensed matter physics at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. His research interests include the thermoelectric properties of quasicrystals and DNA biophysics. In 2010 he received the RSEF- BBVA Foundation Excellence Physics Teaching Award. His book Aperiodic Structures in Condensed Matter: Fundamentals and Applications (CRC Press, Boca-Raton, 2009) is one of the Top Selling Physics Books according to YBP Library Services.

Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction for Device Physicists and Electrical Engineers, Third Edition provides a complete course in quantum mechanics for students of semiconductor device physics and electrical engineering. It provides the necessary background to quantum theory for those starting work on micro- and nanoelectronic structures and is particularly useful for those beginning work with modern semiconductors devices, lasers, and qubits. This book was developed from a course the author has taught for many years with a style and order of presentation of material specifically designed for this audience. It introduces the main concepts of quantum mechanics which are important in everyday solid-state physics and electronics. Each topic includes examples which have been carefully chosen to draw upon relevant experimental research. It also includes problems with solutions to test understanding of theory. Full updated throughout, the third edition contains the latest developments, experiments, and device concepts, in addition to three fully revised chapters on operators and expectations and spin angular momentum, it contains completely new material on superconducting devices and approaches to quantum computing.

Surface Structure Modification and Hardening of Al-SI Alloys explores the hardening of material surfaces using concentrated energy flows resulting in the nanostructuring of surface layers. The authors demonstrate how these methods achieve a reduction in plastic deformation of the surface and a more uniform distribution of elastic stresses near the surface during operational use, significantly reducing part failure. It presents results from research and scientific and technological enterprises involved with the modification of light alloy surfaces for use in the automobile and aerospace industries. Additional key features include: Addresses theoretical and experimental research computer simulations of structural phase transformations at the nanolevel to create new materials Details and compares electroexplosion alloying, electron beam processing and electron-plasma alloying of an Al-Si Alloy Explains multiphase plasma jet treatment to obtain high-quality coatings with good and high functional properties This reference is a valuable resource for specialists in the field of physical material science, condensed state physics, metal science and thermal treatment and will be of interest to undergraduate and post-graduate students in these fields.

Electroinduced Drift of Neutral Charge Clusters in Salt Solutions presents studies of the processes accompanying the effect of periodic electric and magnetic fields on salt solutions in polar dielectric liquids. The authors explain phenomena from a physical point of view, without theoretical constructions and mathematical calculations. This is done in order to make the book accessible to a wide audience and to help the reader navigate in a multilateral topic that is touched upon when studying processes that occur in liquid media under the external influence of an electromagnetic nature. Additional Features: Explores the phenomenon of selective drift of solvated ions in polar dielectric liquids Applies general principles of electricity and magnetism to describe experimental results Demonstrates how small perturbations of the equilibrium distribution determine not the corrections to the effects but the effects themselves Approaches nonequilibrium molecular physics as a science of physical and chemical processes This book will be useful to specialists, engineers and graduate students, especially those recording and transmitting information in liquid media.

Turbulence in plasma surface interaction holds crucial uncertainties for its impact on material erosion in the operation of fusion reactors. In this thesis, the design, development and operation of a Thomson scattering diagnostic and its novel implementation with fast visual imaging created a versatile tool to investigate intermittently occuring plasma oscillations. Specifically, ballistic transport events in the plasma edge, constituting turbulent transport, have been targeted in this thesis. With the help of a custom photon counting algorithm, the conditional averaging technique was applied on Thomson scattering for the first time to allow spatial and pseudo-time-resolved measurements. Since plasma turbulence and the emerging transport phenomena are comparable in most magnetized devices, the diagnostic development and the results from the linear plasma device PSI-2 are useful for an implementation of similar techniques in larger fusion experiments. Furthermore, the obtained results indicate a strong enhancement of erosion with turbulent transport and thus underline the importance of dedicated experiments investigating plasma turbulence in the framework of erosion in future fusion reactors.

Nuclear structure Physics connects to some of our fundamental questions about the creation of universe and its basic constituents. At the same time, precise knowledge on the subject has lead to develop many important tools of human kind such as proton therapy, radioactive dating etc. This book contains chapters on some of the crucial and trending research topics in nuclear structure, including the nuclei lying on the extremes of spin, isospin and mass. A better theoretical understanding of these topics is important beyond the confines of the nuclear structure community. Additionally, the book will showcase the applicability and success of the different nuclear effective interaction parameters near the drip line, where hints for level reordering have already been seen, and where one can test the isospin-dependence of the interaction. The book offers comprehensive coverage of the most essential topics, including: * Nuclear Structure of Nuclei at or Near Drip-Lines * Synthesis challenges and properties of Superheavy nuclei * Nuclear Structure and Nuclear models - Ab-initio calculations, cluster models, Shell-model/DSM, RMF, Skyrme * Shell Closure, Magicity and other novel features of nuclei at extremes * Structure of Toroidal, Bubble Nuclei, halo and other exotic nuclei These topics are not only very interesting from theoretical nuclear physics perspective but are also quite complimentary for ongoing nuclear physics experimental program worldwide. It is hoped that the book chapters written by experienced and well known researchers/experts will be helpful for the master students, graduate students and researchers and serve as a standard & uptodate research reference book on the topics covered.

Cosmic inflation and dark energy hold the key to the origin and the eventual fate of the Universe. Despite the increasing prominence of these subjects in research and teaching over the past decade or more, no introductory textbook dedicated to these topics has been previously published. Dr. Konstantinos Dimopoulos is a highly regarded expert in the field, and an experienced communicator of the subject to students. In this book, he provides advanced undergraduate and early graduate students with an accessible introduction and equips them with the tools they need to understand the cosmology of cosmic inflation and dark energy. Features: Provides a concise, pedagogical "crash course" in big bang cosmology, focusing on the dynamics and the history of the Universe, with an emphasis on the role of dark energy Chapters contain questions and problems for readers to test their understanding The first book to make cosmic inflation and dark energy accessible to students

21st Century Nanoscience - A Handbook: Nanophotonics, Nanoelectronics, and Nanoplasmonics (Volume 6) will be the most comprehensive, up-to-date large reference work for the field of nanoscience. Handbook of Nanophysics by the same editor published in the fall of 2010 and was embraced as the first comprehensive reference to consider both fundamental and applied aspects of nanophysics. This follow-up project has been conceived as a necessary expansion and full update that considers the significant advances made in the field since 2010. It goes well beyond the physics as warranted by recent developments in the field. This sixth volume in a ten-volume set covers nanophotonics, nanoelectronics, and nanoplasmonics. Key Features: Provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date large reference work for the field. Chapters written by international experts in the field. Emphasises presentation and real results and applications. This handbook distinguishes itself from other works by its breadth of coverage, readability and timely topics. The intended readership is very broad, from students and instructors to engineers, physicists, chemists, biologists, biomedical researchers, industry professionals, governmental scientists, and others whose work is impacted by nanotechnology. It will be an indispensable resource in academic, government, and industry libraries worldwide. The fields impacted by nanophysics extend from materials science and engineering to biotechnology, biomedical engineering, medicine, electrical engineering, pharmaceutical science, computer technology, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, food science, and beyond.

This book covers the advances in the studies of hydrogen-bonding-driven supramolecular systems made over the past decade. It is divided into four parts, with the first introducing the basics of hydrogen bonding and important hydrogen bonding patterns in solution as well as in the solid state. The second part covers molecular recognition and supramolecular structures driven by hydrogen bonding. The third part introduces the formation of hollow and giant macrocycles directed by hydrogen bonding, while the last part summarizes hydrogen bonded supramolecular polymers. This book is designed to bring together in a single volume the many important aspects of hydrogen bonding supramolecular chemistry and will be a valuable resource for graduates and researchers working in supramolecular and related sciences. Zhan-Ting Li, PhD, is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, China. Li-Zhu Wu, PhD, is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

An extensive body of research is involved in pushing miniaturisation to its physical limit, encompassing the miniaturisation of electronic devices, the manipulation of single atoms by scanning tunnelling microscopy, bio-engineering, the chemical synthesis of complex molecules, microsensor technology, and information storage and retrieval. In parallel to these practical aspects of miniaturisation there is also the necessity to understand the physics of small structures. Ultimate Limits of Fabrication and Measurement brings together a number of leading articles from a variety of fields with the common aim of ultimate miniaturisation and measurement.

"Polymineral-Metasomatic Crystallogenesis" is dedicated to the foundations of polymineral crystallogenesis in solutions typically occurring in nature. Effects, laws, and mechanisms of a metasomatic crystal replacement, joint crystal growth of different phases, mixed crystal formation, and aggregate re-crystallization as well as oriented overgrowth (epitaxy and quasi-epitaxy) and crystal habit origin are considered experimentally. The behaviour of these processes in nature are discussed in addition to pseudomorphs, poikilitic crystals (and other replacement forms), features of rapakivi structure, fluorite morphology, and many more. The concept is a generalization of the classic theory on crystallogenesis which is complicated by phase interaction in polymineral systems.

"Polymineral-Metasomatic Crystallogenesis" is designed for chemists, geologists, physicists, and postgraduates and advanced undergraduate students of these fields.

Structure- and Adatom-Enriched Essential Properties of Graphene Nanoribbons offers a systematic review of the feature-rich essential properties in emergent graphene nanoribbons, covering mainstream theoretical and experimental research. It includes a wide range of 1D systems; namely, armchair and zigzag graphene nanoribbons with and without hydrogen terminations, curved and zipped graphene nanoribbons, folded graphene nanoribbons, carbon nanoscrolls, bilayer graphene nanoribbons, edge-decorated graphene nanoribbons, and alkali-, halogen-, Al-, Ti, and Bi-absorbed graphene nanoribbons. Both multiorbital chemical bondings and spin arrangements, which are responsible for the diverse phenomena, are explored in detail. First-principles calculations are developed to thoroughly describe the physical, chemical, and material phenomena and concise images explain the fundamental properties. This book examines in detail the application and theory of graphene nanoribbons, offering a new perspective on up-to-date mainstream theoretical and experimental research.