This book addresses the fabrication of responsive functional nanomaterials and their use in sustainable energy and environmental applications. Responsive functional nanomaterials can change their physiochemical properties to adapt to their environment. Accordingly, these novel materials are playing an increasingly important role in a diverse range of applications, such as sensors and actuators, self-healing materials, separation, drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering, functional coatings and textiles. This book reports on the latest advances in responsive functional nanomaterials in a wide range of applications and will appeal to a broad readership across the fields of materials, chemistry, sustainable energy, environmental science and nanotechnology.

The best way to understand chemical bonding may be to take a view appropriate to each individual system, a view which may be quite different for various systems. Sometimes two very different views are appropriate for the same system, and then the combination may even give the parameters needed to estimate the bonding energy by hand. Density Functional Theory, on the other hand, generally tries to take one view as applicable to all systems, and proceeds computationally.In contrast to the author's two previous well-known textbooks, Electronic Structure and the Properties of Solids (1989) and Elementary Electronic Structure (1999), in this book he tries to distill the essence of the representation of electronic structure in a much briefer description. It is shortened by focusing primarily on the bonding energies, the energy gained in assembling atoms as a molecule or a solid, or as a solid with a surface. A central point is that the same description of the electronic structure which gives this cohesion, can also be used to understand all of the other properties, though those other properties are not emphasized here. The effort is characterized by the title, which combines the modern word "theory" with the ancient effort of "alchemy" to make sense of the material world.

Semiconductor devices are ubiquitous in the modern computer and telecommunications industry. A precise knowledge of the transport equations for electron flow in semiconductors when a voltage is applied is therefore of paramount importance for further technological breakthroughs.

In the present work, the author tackles their derivation in a systematic and rigorous way, depending on certain key parameters such as the number of free electrons in the device, the mean free path of the carriers, the device dimensions and the ambient temperature. Accordingly a hierarchy of models is examined which is reflected in the structure of the book: first the microscopic and macroscopic semi-classical approaches followed by their quantum-mechanical counterparts.

This book provides comprehensive coverage of the materials characteristics, process technologies, and device operations for memory field-effect transistors employing inorganic or organic ferroelectric thin films. This transistor-type ferroelectric memory has interesting fundamental device physics and potentially large industrial impact. Among various applications of ferroelectric thin films, the development of nonvolatile ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) has been most actively progressed since the late 1980s and reached modest mass production for specific application since 1995. There are two types of memory cells in ferroelectric nonvolatile memories. One is the capacitor-type FeRAM and the other is the field-effect transistor (FET)-type FeRAM. Although the FET-type FeRAM claims the ultimate scalability and nondestructive readout characteristics, the capacitor-type FeRAMs have been the main interest for the major semiconductor memory companies, because the ferroelectric FET has fatal handicaps of cross-talk for random accessibility and short retention time. This book aims to provide the readers with development history, technical issues, fabrication methodologies, and promising applications of FET-type ferroelectric memory devices, presenting a comprehensive review of past, present, and future technologies. The topics discussed will lead to further advances in large-area electronics implemented on glass, plastic or paper substrates as well as in conventional Si electronics. The book is composed of chapters written by leading researchers in ferroelectric materials and related device technologies, including oxide and organic ferroelectric thin films.

This thesis presents a comprehensive theoretical description of classical and quantum aspects of plasmonics in three and two dimensions, and also in transdimensional systems containing elements with different dimensionalities. It focuses on the theoretical understanding of the salient features of plasmons in nanosystems as well as on the multifaceted aspects of plasmon-enhanced light-matter interactions at the nanometer scale. Special emphasis is given to the modeling of nonclassical behavior across the transition regime bridging the classical and the quantum domains. The research presented in this dissertation provides useful tools for understanding surface plasmons in various two- and three-dimensional nanostructures, as well as quantum mechanical effects in their response and their joint impact on light-matter interactions at the extreme nanoscale. These contributions constitute novel and solid advancements in the research field of plasmonics and nanophotonics that will help guide future experimental investigations in the blossoming field of nanophotonics, and also facilitate the design of the next generation of truly nanoscale nanophotonic devices.

Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie. Supplement Volume 41 presents the complete Abstracts of all contributions to the 29th Annual Conference of the German Crystallographic Society in Hamburg (Germany) 2021: - Plenary Talks - Microsymposia - Poster Session Supplement Series of Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie publishes Abstracts of international conferences on the interdisciplinary field of crystallography.

Between the microscopic world of quarks and atoms, and the macroscopic (observable) one of pebbles, planets and galaxies, there is another world, strangely neglected by science since Isaac Newton. It is inhabited by pollen, DNA and viruses - not to mention globules of paint, shampoo, milk and chocolate. Its tiny denizens have one thing in common: they cannot keep still. Physicist Mark Haw tells the pacy story of how scientists finally saw the restless middle world 200 years ago, having ignored it for so long. How, at the beginning of the twentieth century, it spectacularly answered Einstein's most basic question about the nature of matter. And how we then ignored it again until the past decade or so. Finally Haw reveals that, today, understanding the weird, jiggling 'mesoscale' has become central to nanotechnology, medicine and working out the origins of life.

This thesis presents the application of non-perturbative, or functional, renormalization group to study the physics of critical stationary states in systems out-of-equilibrium. Two different systems are thereby studied. The first system is the diffusive epidemic process, a stochastic process which models the propagation of an epidemic within a population. This model exhibits a phase transition peculiar to out-of-equilibrium, between a stationary state where the epidemic is extinct and one where it survives. The present study helps to clarify subtle issues about the underlying symmetries of this process and the possible universality classes of its phase transition. The second system is fully developed homogeneous isotropic and incompressible turbulence. The stationary state of this driven-dissipative system shows an energy cascade whose phenomenology is complex, with partial scale-invariance, intertwined with what is called intermittency. In this work, analytical expressions for the space-time dependence of multi-point correlation functions of the turbulent state in 2- and 3-D are derived. This result is noteworthy in that it does not rely on phenomenological input except from the Navier-Stokes equation and that it becomes exact in the physically relevant limit of large wave-numbers. The obtained correlation functions show how scale invariance is broken in a subtle way, related to intermittency corrections.

The book is aimed at assessing the capabilities of state-of-the-art optical techniques in elucidating the fundamental electronic and structural properties of semiconductor and metal surfaces, interfaces, thin layers, and layer structures, and assessing the usefulness of these techniques for optimization of high quality multilayer samples through feedback control during materials growth and processing. Particular emphasis is dedicated to the theory of nonlinear optics and to dynamical processes through the use of pump-probe techniques together with the search for new optical sources. Some new applications of Scanning Probe Microscopy to Material Science and biological samples, dried and in vivo, with the use of different laser sources are also presented. Materials of particular interest are silicon, semiconductor-metal interfaces, semiconductor and magnetic multi-layers and III-V compound semiconductors.

The study of energy landscapes holds the key to resolving some of the most important contemporary problems in chemical physics. Many groups are now attempting to understand the properties of clusters, glasses and proteins in terms of the underlying potential energy surface. The aim of this book is to define and unify the field of energy landscapes in a reasonably self-contained exposition. This is the first book to cover this active field. The book begins with an overview of each area in an attempt to make the subject matter accessible to workers in different disciplines. The basic theoretical groundwork for describing and exploring energy landscapes is then introduced followed by applications to clusters, biomolecules and glasses in the final chapters. Beautifully illustrated in full colour throughout, this book is aimed at graduate students and workers in the field.

This book offers a compact overview on crystallography, symmetry, and applications of symmetry concepts. The author explains the theory behind scattering and diffraction of electromagnetic radiation. X-ray diffraction on single crystals as well as quantitative evaluation of powder patterns are discussed.

Two typical hybrid laser surface modification processes, i.e. electro/magnetic field aided laser process and supersonic laser deposition technology, are introduced in the book, to solve the common problems in quality control and low efficiency of the laser-only surface modification technology, high contamination and high consumption of the traditional surface modification technology. This book focuses on the principle, characteristics, special equipment, process and industrial applications of the hybrid laser surface modification processes based on the recent research results of the author's group, and provides theoretical guidance and engineering reference for the researchers and engineers engaging in the field of surface engineering and manufacturing.

This book focuses on the thermophysical properties of Ge-Sb-Te alloys, which are the most widely used phase change materials, and the technique for measuring them. Describing the measuring procedure and parameter calibration in detail, it provides readers with an accurate method for determining the thermophysical properties of phase change materials and other related materials. Further, it discusses combining thermal and electrical conductivity data to analyze the conduction mechanism, allowing readers to gain an understanding of phase change materials and PCM industry simulation.

This status report features the most recent developments in the field, spanning a wide range of topical areas in the computer simulation of condensed matter/materials physics. Both established and new topics are included, ranging from the statistical mechanics of classical magnetic spin models to electronic structure calculations, quantum simulations, and simulations of soft condensed matter.

Many technological applications exploit a variety of magnetic structures, or magnetic phases, to produce and optimise solid-state functionality. However, most research advances are restricted to a reduced number of phases owing to computational and resource constraints. This thesis presents an ab-initio theory to efficiently describe complex magnetic phases and their temperature-dependent properties. The central assumption is that magnetic phases evolve slowly compared with the underlying electronic structure from which they emerge. By describing how the electronic structure adapts to the type and extent of magnetic order, a theory able to describe multi-spin correlations and their effect on the magnetism at finite temperature is obtained. It is shown that multi-spin correlations are behind the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the diverse magnetism in the heavy rare earth elements. Magnetically frustrated Mn-based materials and the effect of strain are also investigated. These studies demonstrate that the performance of solid-state refrigeration can be enhanced by multi-spin effects.

This thesis reports a rare combination of experiment and theory on the role of geometry in materials science. It is built on two significant findings: that curvature can be used to guide crack paths in a predictive way, and that protected topological order can exist in amorphous materials. In each, the underlying geometry controls the elastic behavior of quasi-2D materials, enabling the control of crack propagation in elastic sheets and the control of unidirectional waves traveling at the boundary of metamaterials. The thesis examines the consequences of this geometric control in a range of materials spanning many orders of magnitude in length scale, from amorphous macroscopic networks and elastic continua to nanoscale lattices.

Effects of many-body interactions and superconducting correlations have become central questions in the quantum transport community. While most previous works investigating current fluctuations in nanodevices have been restricted to the stationary regime, Seoane's thesis extends these studies to the time domain. It provides relevant information about the time onset of electronic correlations mediated by interactions and superconductivity. This knowledge is essential for the development of fast electronic devices, as well as novel applications requiring fast manipulations, such as quantum information processing. In addition, the thesis establishes contact with issues of broad current interest such as non-equilibrium quantum phase transitions.

This book presents the findings of experimental and theoretical (including first-principles molecular dynamics simulation) studies of nanostructured and nanocomposite metal-based materials, and nanoscale multilayer coatings fabricated by physical or chemical vapor deposition, magnetron sputtering, electrospark alloying, ionic layer absorption, contact melting, and high-current electron beam irradiation. It also discusses novel methods of nanocomposite formation, as well as the structure of the deposited films, coatings and other nanoscale materials, their elemental and phase composition, and their physical-mechanical, tribological, magnetic and electrical properties. Lastly, it explores the influence of a various surface modification methods, such as thermal annealing, pulsed laser modification, and thermomechanical and ultrasonic treatment, as well as different properties of nanostructured films.

This book provides an overview on transport theories, focusing on applications and the relativistic off-shell transport theory which are of particular interest for physicists working in the field of relativistic strong-interaction physics, e.g. relativistic or ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions or the evolution of the early universe. In this regard, a thorough derivation of the transport equations and a careful analysis of the approximations employed is given. The text is enriched with a multitude of Appendices that partly recall elements of quantum mechanics and field theory or present examples for specific models. Specific exercises are given throughout the chapters. As a basic knowledge the reader should be familiar with quantum mechanics and its principles as well as some basic concepts of the quantum many-body physics and field theory. All chapters close with a short summary and numerical calculations are provided to master and illustrate the subject.

This book presents both a qualitative and quantitative description of the device. The second edition has been refined to improve pedagogical effectiveness.

This volume comprises the expert contributions from the invited speakers at the 17th International Conference on Thin Films (ICTF 2017), held at CSIR-NPL, New Delhi, India. Thin film research has become increasingly important over the last few decades owing to the applications in latest technologies and devices. The book focuses on current advances in thin film deposition processes and characterization including thin film measurements. The chapters cover different types of thin films like metal, dielectric, organic and inorganic, and their diverse applications across transistors, resistors, capacitors, memory elements for computers, optical filters and mirrors, sensors, solar cells, LED's, transparent conducting coatings for liquid crystal display, printed circuit board, and automobile headlamp covers. This book can be a useful reference for students, researchers as well as industry professionals by providing an up-to-date knowledge on thin films and coatings.

This book introduces readers to experimental techniques of general utility that can be used to practically and reliably determine nucleation rates. It also covers the basics of gas hydrates, phase equilibria, nucleation theory, crystal growth, and interfacial gaseous states. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in the field of hydrate nucleation. The formation of gas hydrates is a first-order phase transition that begins with nucleation. Understanding nucleation is of interest to many working in the chemical and petroleum industry, since nucleation, while beneficial in many chemical processes, is also a concern in terms of flow assurance for oil and natural gas pipelines. A primary difficulty in the investigation of gas hydrate nucleation has been researchers' inability to determine and compare the nucleation rates of gas hydrates across systems with different scales and levels of complexity, which in turn has limited their ability to study the nucleation process itself. This book introduces readers to experimental techniques that can be used to practically and reliably determine the nucleation rates of gas hydrate systems. It also covers the basics of gas hydrates, phase equilibria, nucleation theory, crystal growth, and interfacial gaseous states. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in the field of hydrate nucleation.

This book presents those terms, concepts, equations, and models that are routinely used in describing the operational behavior of solid state devices. The second edition provides many new problems and illustrative examples.

Quantum Wells, Wires and Dots provides all the essential information, both theoretical and computational, to develop an understanding of the electronic, optical and transport properties of these semiconductor nanostructures. The book will lead the reader through comprehensive explanations and mathematical derivations to the point where they can design semiconductor nanostructures with the required electronic and optical properties for exploitation in these technologies. This fully revised and updated 4th edition features new sections that incorporate modern techniques and extensive new material including: * Properties of non-parabolic energy bands * Matrix solutions of the Poisson and Schrodinger equations * Critical thickness of strained materials * Carrier scattering by interface roughness, alloy disorder and impurities * Density matrix transport modelling * Thermal modelling Written by well-known authors in the field of semiconductor nanostructures and quantum optoelectronics, this user-friendly guide is presented in a lucid style with easy to follow steps, illustrative examples and questions and computational problems in each chapter to help the reader build solid foundations of understanding to a level where they can initiate their own theoretical investigations. Suitable for postgraduate students of semiconductor and condensed matter physics, the book is essential to all those researching in academic and industrial laboratories worldwide. Instructors can contact the authors directly ([email protected] / [email protected]) for Solutions to the problems.