These proceedings of the NATO-ARW "Electron transport in nanosystems" held at the "Russia" Hotel, Yalta, Ukraine from 17-21 September 2007 resulted in many discussions between various speakers. The wide range of topics discussed at the Yalta NATO meeting included the new nanodevice applications, novel materials, superconductivity and s- sors. There have been many signi?cant advances in the past 2 years and some entirely new directions of research in these ?elds are just opening up. Recent advances in nanoscience have demonstrated that fundamentally new phy- cal phenomena are found when systems are reduced in size with dimensions, comparable to the fundamental microscopic length scales of the investigated material. Late developments in nanotechnology and measurement techniques now allow experimental investigation of transport properties of nanodevices. Great interest in this research is focused on development of spintronics, molecular electronics and quantum information processing and graphene. At the workshop, important open problems concerning cuprate superconductity, mesoscopic superconductors and novel superconductors such MgB,CeCoIn 2 5 whereconsidered.Therewasmuchdiscussionofthemechanismandsymmetry of pairing for cuprate superconductorsas well as the nature of the pseudogap. In the sessiononnovelsuperconductors,the physicalproperties of MgB were 2 discussed. There were also lively debates about two-gap superconductivity in MgB .

This book introduces the core concepts of the shock wave physics of condensed matter, taking a continuum mechanics approach to examine liquids and isotropic solids. The text primarily focuses on one-dimensional uniaxial compression in order to show the key features of condensed matter's response to shock wave loading. The first four chapters are specifically designed to quickly familiarize physical scientists and engineers with how shock waves interact with other shock waves or material boundaries, as well as to allow readers to better understand shock wave literature, use basic data analysis techniques, and design simple 1-D shock wave experiments. This is achieved by first presenting the steady one-dimensional strain conservation laws using shock wave impedance matching, which insures conservation of mass, momentum and energy. Here, the initial emphasis is on the meaning of shock wave and mass velocities in a laboratory coordinate system. An overview of basic experimental techniques for measuring pressure, shock velocity, mass velocity, compression and internal energy of steady 1-D shock waves is then presented. In the second part of the book, more advanced topics are progressively introduced: thermodynamic surfaces are used to describe equilibrium flow behavior, first-order Maxwell solid models are used to describe time-dependent flow behavior, descriptions of detonation shock waves in ideal and non-ideal explosives are provided, and lastly, a select group of current issues in shock wave physics are discussed in the final chapter.

A concise introduction to the basics of semiconductor physics, Essentials of Semiconductor Physics presents the foundations of the most important and interesting aspects of semiconductors, varying from electronic band structure, via effective mass treatments and quantum devices to transport phenomena and optics, including some of the latest developments in these fields. Based on the author's undergraduate course, the book is oriented towards physicists and to engineers with a scientific background as it approaches the subject from quantum mechanics.

• Provides an alternative approach to semiconductors from traditional books.
• Bridges the gap between fundamental subjects such as quantum mechanics and Maxwell's equations and the processes determining the behaviour of semiconductors
• Includes a description of semiconductor theory from a full quantum mechanical approach

Contents: General. Materials: Single Crystals, Ceramics, Polymers, Composites, Polar Glass Ceramics. Measurements and Standards: Constants of Alpha Quartz, Acoustic Microscopy, IEEE Standard. Devices and Applications (16 papers). Appendices. Author Index.

The Carbon Nanomaterials Sourcebook contains extensive, interdisciplinary coverage of carbon nanomaterials, encompassing the full scope of the field-from physics, chemistry, and materials science to molecular biology, engineering, and medicine-in two comprehensive volumes. Written in a tutorial style, this first volume of the sourcebook: Focuses on graphene, fullerenes, nanotubes, and nanodiamonds Describes the fundamental properties, growth mechanisms, and processing of each nanomaterial discussed Explores functionalization for electronic, energy, biomedical, and environmental applications Showcases materials with exceptional properties, synthesis methods, large-scale production techniques, and application prospects Provides the tools necessary for understanding current and future technology developments, including important equations, tables, and graphs Each chapter is dedicated to a different type of carbon nanomaterial and addresses three main areas: formation, properties, and applications. This setup allows for quick and easy search, making the Carbon Nanomaterials Sourcebook: Graphene, Fullerenes, Nanotubes, and Nanodiamonds, Volume I a must-have reference for scientists and engineers.

This book is an in-depth treatment of the theoretical background relevant to an understanding of materials that can be obtained by using high-energy electron diffraction and microscopy.

Liquid Crystal Sensors discusses novel applications of liquid crystals that lie beyond electrically driven optical switches and displays. The main focus is on recent progress in the area of sensors based on low molar mass and polymer liquid crystals. This area of research became "hot" in recent years since the possibilities for applications of liquid crystal sensors are growing in many areas, ranging from the detection of mechanical displacements to the detection of environmental pollutants and chemical agents. This book is well-suited for students, as well as scientists from different backgrounds. For students and researchers new to the field, it gives a thorough introduction. For experienced researchers it shows the latest breakthroughs and serves as an inspiration for solving problems or sparking new ideas. Key Features: Emphasizes how liquid crystals are extremely sensitive to external stimuli and therefore can be used for the construction of stimuli-responsive devices, such as sensors Includes the contributions of editors who are deeply involved in the field and author chapters on hot topics such as the sensitivity of liquid crystals to pollutants, UV light, and strain Provides an exclusive on LC sensors where having the data in one place will be very useful to the community Gives more information on sensors and broadens the scope by having a contributed volume rather than authored Combines recent data on advances in the area of liquid crystal sensors that includes many types of liquid crystal materials

This up-to-date reference is the most comprehensive summary of the field of nanoscience and its applications. It begins with fundamental properties at the nanoscale and then goes well beyond into the practical aspects of the design, synthesis, and use of nanomaterials in various industries. It emphasizes the vast strides made in the field over the past decade - the chapters focus on new, promising directions as well as emerging theoretical and experimental methods. The contents incorporate experimental data and graphs where appropriate, as well as supporting tables and figures with a tutorial approach.

This 21st Century Nanoscience Handbook 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 seventh volume in a ten-volume set covers bioinspired systems and methods. 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.

Completely revised and updated, the second edition of the Handbook of Superconductivity is now available in three stand-alone volumes. As a whole they cover the depth and breadth of the field, drawing on an international pool of respected academics and industrial engineers. The three volumes provide hands-on guidance to the manufacturing and processing technologies associated with superconducting materials and devices. A comprehensive reference, the handbook supplies a tutorial on techniques for the beginning graduate student and a source of ancillary information for practicing scientists. The past twenty years have seen rapid progress in superconducting materials, which exhibit one of the most remarkable physical states of matter ever to be discovered. Superconductivity brings quantum mechanics to the scale of the everyday world where a single, coherent quantum state may extend over a distance of metres, or even kilometres, depending on the size of a coil or length of superconducting wire. Viable applications of superconductors rely fundamentally on an understanding of this intriguing phenomena and the availability of a range of materials with bespoke properties to meet practical needs. This first volume covers the fundamentals of superconductivity and the various classes of superconducting materials, which sets the context for volumes 2 and 3. Volume 1 ends with a tutorial on phase diagrams, and a glossary relevant to all 3 volumes.

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.

Cryogen-free cryogenics is leading a revolution in research and industry by its significant advantages over traditional liquid helium systems. This is the first overview for the field, covering the key technologies, conceptual design, fabrication, operation, performance, and applications of these systems. The contents cover important topics such as the operating principles of 4 K cryocoolers, enabling technologies (including vibration reduction) for cryogen-free systems, the cryogen-free superconducting magnet, and cryogen-free systems that reach millikelvin. It highlights the wide range of applications in materials science, quantum physics, astronomy and space science, medical sciences, etc. Key features: * Introduces technologies and practical know-how employed for cryogen-free systems of using 4 K cryocoolers to replace liquid helium * Addresses state-of-the-art of cryogen-free superconducting magnets, subkelvin refrigeration systems of the He-3 sorption cooler, adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) and dilution refrigerators (DR) * Discusses applications of cryogen-free systems in modern instruments and equipment

This book focuses on novel electrochemical materials particularly designed for specific energy applications. It presents the relationship between materials properties, state-of-the-art processing, and device performance and sheds light on the research, development, and deployment (RD&D) trend of emerging materials and technologies in this field. Features: Emphasizes electrochemical materials applied in PEM fuel cells and water splitting Summarizes anode, cathode, electrolyte, and additive materials developed for lithium-ion batteries and reviews other batteries, including lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, sodium- and potassium-ion batteries, and multivalent-ion batteries Discusses advanced carbon materials for supercapacitors Highlights catalyst design and development for CO2RR and fundamentals of proton facilitated reduction reactions With a cross-disciplinary approach, this work will be of interest to scientists and engineers across chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, and other disciplines working to advance electrochemical energy conversion and storage capabilities and applications.

An Introduction to High-Pressure Science and Technology provides you with an understanding of the connections between the different areas involved in the multidisciplinary science of high pressure. The book reflects the deep interdisciplinary nature of the field and its close relationship with industrial applications. Thirty-nine specialists in high-pressure research guide you through the process of learning why pressure is considered a powerful scientific and technological tool, how pressure can be introduced into the laboratory, and which problems can be solved using this thermodynamic variable. The book presents basic thermodynamic equations and state-of-the-art computational tools. It shows how many experimental techniques, when combined with pressure, are powerful sources of information for understanding natural phenomena and reveal clear paths for the design of novel materials. The book also addresses the responses of microorganisms, Earth constituents, and icy planets to pressure.

This book fills a gap between many of the basic solid state physics and materials sciencebooks that are currently available. It is written for a mixed audience of electricalengineering and applied physics students who have some knowledge of elementaryundergraduate quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. This book, based on asuccessful course taught at MIT, is divided pedagogically into three parts: (I) ElectronicStructure, (II) Transport Properties, and (III) Optical Properties. Each topic is explainedin the context of bulk materials and then extended to low-dimensional materials whereapplicable. Problem sets review the content of each chapter to help students to understandthe material described in each of the chapters more deeply and to prepare them to masterthe next chapters.

The subject of low-energy excitations has evolved since two-level-tunneling systems were first proposed ~50 years ago. Initially they were used to explain the common anomalous properties of oxide glasses and polymers; now the subject includes a wide range of other materials containing disorder: amorphous semiconductors and metals, doped- mixed- and quasi-crystals, surface adsorbates, ... and topics such as dephasing of quantum states and interferometer noise. A fairly simple empirical description using a remarkably small range of parameters serves well to describe the effect of these excitations, but the structures causing these effects are known in only a few materials and the reasons for their similarity across disparate materials has only been qualitatively addressed.This book provides a unified, comprehensive description of tunneling systems in disordered solids suitable for graduate students/researchers wishing an introduction to the field. Its focus is on the tunneling systems intrinsic to glassy solids. It describes the experimental observations of 'glassy' properties, develops the basic empirical tunneling model, and discusses the dynamics changes on cooling to temperatures where direct excitation interactions become important and on heating to where tunneling gives way to thermal activation. Finally, it discusses how theories of glass formation can help us understand the ubiquity of these excitations.The Development of the basic tunneling model is the core of the book and is worked out in considerable detail. To keep the total within bounds of our expertise and the readers' patience, many related experimental and theoretical developments are only sketched out here; the text is heavily cited to allow readers to follow their specific interests in much more depth.

This book presents, in the form of reviews by world's leading physicists in wide-ranging fields in theoretical physics, the influence and prescience of Skyrme's daring idea of 1960, originally conceived for nuclear physics, that fermions can arise from bosons via topological solitons, pervasively playing a powerful role in wide-ranging areas of physics, from nuclear/astrophysics, to particle physics, to string theory and to condensed matter physics.The skyrmion description, both from gauge theory and from gauge/gravity duality, offers solutions to some long-standing and extremely difficult problems at high baryonic density, inaccessible by QCD proper. It also offers explanations and makes startling predictions for fascinating new phenomena in condensed matter systems. In both cases, what is at the core is the topology although the phenomena are drastically different, even involving different spacetime dimensions.This second edition has been expanded with addition of new reviews and extensively updated to take into account the latest developments in the field.

Covers the State of the Art in Superfluidity and Superconductivity Superfluid States of Matter addresses the phenomenon of superfluidity/superconductivity through an emergent, topologically protected constant of motion and covers topics developed over the past 20 years. The approach is based on the idea of separating universal classical-field superfluid properties of matter from the underlying system's "quanta." The text begins by deriving the general physical principles behind superfluidity/superconductivity within the classical-field framework and provides a deep understanding of all key aspects in terms of the dynamics and statistics of a classical-field system. It proceeds by explaining how this framework emerges in realistic quantum systems, with examples that include liquid helium, high-temperature superconductors, ultra-cold atomic bosons and fermions, and nuclear matter. The book also offers several powerful modern approaches to the subject, such as functional and path integrals. Comprised of 15 chapters, this text: Establishes the fundamental macroscopic properties of superfluids and superconductors within the paradigm of the classical matter field Deals with a single-component neutral matter field Considers fundamentals and properties of superconductors Describes new physics of superfluidity and superconductivity that arises in multicomponent systems Presents the quantum-field perspective on the conditions under which classical-field description is relevant in bosonic and fermionic systems Introduces the path integral formalism Shows how Feynman path integrals can be efficiently simulated with the worm algorithm Explains why nonsuperfluid (insulating) ground states of regular and disordered bosons occur under appropriate conditions Explores superfluid solids (supersolids) Discusses the rich dynamics of vortices and various aspects of superfluid turbulence at T 0 Provides account of BCS theory for the weakly interacting Fermi gas Highlights and analyzes the most crucial developments that has led to the current understanding of superfluidity and superconductivity Reviews the variety of superfluid and superconducting systems available today in nature and the laboratory, as well as the states that experimental realization is currently actively pursuing

This book presents the wide range of topics in two-dimensional physics of quantum Hall systems, especially fractional quantum Hall states. It covers the fundamental problems of two-dimensional quantum statistics in terms of topology and the corresponding braid group formalism for composite fernions, and the main formalism used in many-body quantum Hall theories, the Chern-Simons theory. Numerical studies are introduced for spherical systems and the composite fermion theory is tested. The book introduces the concept of the hierarchy of condensed states, the BCS paired Hall state, and multi-component quantum Hall systems and spin quantum Hall systems.

Modern Power Devices: Technology for High Power Devices (T. Ohmi). The MosControlled Thyristor and its Limits (F. Bauer). High Power Reverse Conducting GTO (P. Streit). Review of Power Device Concepts (R. Sittig). Simulation: Tool Integration for Power Device Modeling Including 3D Aspects (R.W. Dutton, J.D. Plummer). Use of CAD Tools in Power Device Optimization (W. Fichter et al.). Modeling the Limit of Stable Device Behavior (K. Lilja). Circuits and Control Concepts: Comparative Study of High Power Devices in Converter Circuits (H.Ch. Skudelny et al.). HVDC Valves with Light Triggered Thyristors (B.E. Danielsson). Intelligent Power Integrated Circuits (J.M. Peter). Future Trends: New Circuit Topologies (T.A. Lipo, D.M. Divan). Advanced Power Modules for Drives and Automation (H.J. Krokoszinsky, S. Kjellnas). Power Electronics in Electrical Power Transmission Systems (A. Ekstroem). New Materials Beyond Silcon (B.J. Baliga). Index.

This book describes the various methods currently used to deposit highly ordered organic films, and the physical techniques employed in characterising their properties. Such films are the subject of a great deal of research, motivated by their potential application in micro-electronics. Beginning with a discussion of the necessary basic physics and chemistry, the book proceeds to a description of the main topics of current research in this field. The Langmuir-Blodgett technique, self-assembly, and methods of film deposition exploiting the ordered structure of mesophases are described in detail. Liquid crystals, films at the air/water interface and biomembranes are also discussed. The book is aimed at those graduate students and established research workers with an interest in the physics and chemistry of these fascinating structures.

This textbook presents various methods to deal with quantum many-body systems, mainly addressing interacting electrons. It focusses on basic tools to tackle quantum effects in macroscopic systems of interacting particles, and on fundamental concepts to interpret the behavior of such systems as revealed by experiments. The textbook starts from simple concepts like second quantization, which allows one to include the indistinguishability and statistics of particles in a rather simple framework, and linear response theory. Then, it gradually moves towards more technical and advanced subjects, including recent developments in the field. The diagrammatic technique is comprehensively discussed. Some of the advanced topics include Landau's Fermi liquid theory, Luttinger liquids, the Kondo effect, and the Mott transition. The ultimate goal of the book is to gain comprehension of physical quantities that are routinely measured experimentally and fully characterize the system, therefore it is useful for graduate students but also young researchers studying and investigating the theoretical aspects of condensed matter physics.

This thesis provides the first comprehensive theoretical overview of the electronic and optical properties of two dimensional (2D) Indium Selenide: atomically thin films of InSe ranging from monolayers to few layers in thickness. The thesis shows how the electronic propertes of 2D InSe vary significantly with film thickness, changing from a weakly indirect semiconductor for the monolayer to a direct gap material in the bulk form, with a strong band gap variation with film thickness predicted and recently observed in optical experiments. The proposed theory is based on a specially designed hybrid k.p tight-binding model approach (HkpTB), which uses an intralayer k.p Hamiltonian to describe the InSe monolayer, and tight-binding-like interlayer hopping. Electronic and optical absorption spectra are determined, and a detailed description of subbands of electrons in few-layer films and the influence of spin-orbit coupling is provided. The author shows that the principal optical excitations of InSe films with the thickness from 1 to 15 layers broadly cover the visible spectrum, with the possibility of extending optical functionality into the infrared and THz range using intersubband transitions.

Geometry and topology have been a fascination in physics since the start of the 20th century. A leading example is Einstein's geometrical theory of gravity. At the beginning of the 1970s, topological ideas entered areas of condensed matter physics. These advances were driven by new seminal ideas resolving a serious contradiction between experiment and the standard interpretation of a rigorous mathematical theorem which led to the study of new exotic topological phases of matter. Topological defect driven phase transitions in thin, two dimensional films of superfluids, superconductors and crystals have provided great insight into the mechanism governing these topological phases present in those physical systems. Moreover, many of these topological properties remain 'protected' against disorder and topological distortion perturbations. An example of possible applications of such robustness to perturbations is in the search for encoding information in quantum computers, potentially providing the platform for fault-tolerant quantum computations.In the past four decades, the discovery of topological phases engendered great interest in condensed matter physics. It also attracted the attention of researchers working on quantum information, quantum materials and simulations, high energy physics and string theory. This unique volume contains articles written by some of the most prominent names in the field, including Nobel Laureate John Michael Kosterlitz and Professor Jorge V Jose. They originate from talks and discussions by leading experts at a recent workshop. They review previous works as well as addressing contemporary developments in the most pressing and important issues on various aspects of topological phases and topological phase transitions.

The IGBT device has proved to be a highly important Power Semiconductor, providing the basis for adjustable speed motor drives (used in air conditioning and refrigeration and railway locomotives), electronic ignition systems for gasolinepowered motor vehicles and energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs. Recent applications include plasma displays (flat-screen TVs) and electric power transmission systems, alternative energy systems and energy storage. This book is the first available to cover the applications of the IGBT, and provide the essential information needed by applications engineers to design new products using the device, in sectors including consumer, industrial, lighting, transportation, medical and renewable energy. The author, B. Jayant Baliga, invented the IGBT in 1980 while working for GE. His book will unlock IGBT for a new generation of engineering applications, making it essential reading for a wide audience of electrical engineers and design engineers, as well as an important publication for semiconductor specialists.