In-situ scattering and diffraction measurements using synchrotron and neutron beam lines have become a viable tool to look at the non-equilibrium processing of advanced materials. This volume presents the subject from the theoretical and experimental standpoint, in order to provide a closer insight into the different synchrotron and neutron diffraction techniques as well as innovative microscopy techniques.

It addresses the following items:

- Phase detection and quantification

- In-situ welding experiments

- Stress/strain build-up

- Model development and Simulation

- Analysis tools and programming

This book addresses the application of methods used in statistical physics to complex systems-from simple phenomenological analogies to more complex aspects, such as correlations, fluctuation-dissipation theorem, the concept of free energy, renormalization group approach and scaling. Statistical physics contains a well-developed formalism that describes phase transitions. It is useful to apply this formalism for damage phenomena as well. Fractals, the Ising model, percolation, damage mechanics, fluctuations, free energy formalism, renormalization group, and scaling, are some of the topics covered in Statistical Physics of Phase Transitions.

Written by the inventor of Raman lasers, this reference describes their developments, fundamentals, operation characteristics and application methods. It is for optoelectronic researchers, system engineers and researchers in nonlinear optics, crystal optics and metrology.

The polycrystalline and nanocrystalline states play an increasingly important role in exploiting the properties of materials, encompassing applications as diverse as pharmaceuticals, catalysts, solar cells and energy storage. A knowledge of the three-dimensional atomic and molecular structure of materials is essential for understanding and controlling their properties, yet traditional single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods lose their power when only polycrystalline and nanocrystalline samples are available. It is here that powder diffraction and single-crystal electron diffraction techniques take over, substantially extending the range of applicability of the crystallographic principles of structure determination. This volume, a collection of teaching contributions presented at the Crystallographic Course in Erice in 2011, clearly describes the fundamentals and the state-of-the-art of powder diffraction and electron diffraction methods in materials characterisation, encompassing a diverse range of disciplines and materials stretching from archeometry to zeolites. As such, it is a comprehensive and valuable resource for those wishing to gain an understanding of the broad applicability of these two rapidly developing fields.

Advances in the Theory of Atomic and Molecular Systems, is a collection of contributions presenting recent theoretical and computational developments that provide new insights into the structure, properties, and behavior of a variety of atomic and molecular systems. This volume (subtitled: Conceptual and Computational Advances in Quantum Chemistry) focuses on electronic structure theory and its foundations.

This volume is an invaluable resource for faculty, graduate students, and researchers interested in theoretical and computational chemistry and physics, physical chemistry and chemical physics, molecular spectroscopy, and related areas of science and engineering.

Over the course of nearly half a century, Sam Edwards has led the field of condensed matter physics into new directions, ranging from the electronic and statistical properties of disordered materials to the mechanical properties of granular materials. Along the way, he has provided seminal contributions to fluid mechanics, polymer science, surface science and statistical mechanics. This volume celebrates the immense scope of his influence by presenting a collection of original articles by recognized leaders in theoretical physics, including two Nobel Laureates and a Fields Medalist, which describe the genesis, evolution and future prospects of the various sub-fields of condensed matter theory, along with reprints of a selection of Edwards' seminal papers that helped give birth to the subject. 'Stealing the Gold', Edwards' favourite caricature of the relationship between theoretical physicists and Nature, will be of singular interest to graduate students looking for an overview of some of the most exciting areas of theoretical physics, as well as to researchers in condensed matter physics looking for a comprehensive, broad and uniquely incisive snapshot of their subject at the dawn of the 21st century.

Conformations and Solution Properties of Star-Branched Polyelectrolytes, by Oleg V. Borisov, Ekaterina B. Zhulina, Frans A. M. Leermakers, Matthias Ballauff and Axel H. E. Muller; Self-Assembled Structures of Amphiphilic Ionic Block Copolymers: Theory, Self-Consistent Field Modeling and Experiment, by Oleg V. Borisov, Ekaternia B. Zhulina, Frans A. M. Leermakers and Axel H. E. Muller; Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes Based on Polyionic Species of Branched Topology, by Dmitry V. Pergushov, Oleg V. Borisov, Alexander B. Zezin and Axel H. E. Muller; Co-assembly of Charged Copolymers as a Novel Pathway Towards Reversible Janus Micelles, by Ilja K. Voets, Frans A. Leermakers, Arie de Keizer, Marat Charlaganov and Martien A. Cohen Stuart; Fluorescence Spectroscopy as a Tool for Investigating the Self-Organized Polyelectrolyte Systems, by Karel Prochazka, Zuzana Limpouchova, Filip Uhlik, Peter Ko ovan, Pavel Matejicek, Miroslav tepanek, Mariusz Uchman, Jitka Kuldova, Radek achl, Jana Humpolickova, and M. Hof

The common belief is that light is completely reflected by metals. In reality they also exhibit an amazing property that is not so widely known: under some conditions light flows along a metallic surface as if it were glued to it. Physical phenomena related to these light waves, which are called Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPP), have given rise to the research field of plasmonics. This thesis explores four interesting topics within plasmonics: extraordinary optical transmission, negative refractive index metamaterials, plasmonic devices for controlling SPPs, and field enhancement phenomena near metal nanoparticles.

In his groundbreaking paper "Absence of diffusion in certain random lattices (1958)", Philip W Anderson originated, described and developed the physical principles underlying the phenomenon of the localization of quantum objects due to disorder. Anderson's 1977 Nobel Prize citation featured that paper, which was fundamental for many subsequent developments in condensed matter physics and technical applications. After more than a half century, the subject continues to be of fundamental importance. In particular, in the last 25 years, the phenomenon of localization has proved to be crucial for the understanding of the quantum Hall effect, mesoscopic fluctuations in small conductors, some aspects of quantum chaotic behavior, and the localization and collective modes of electromagnetic and matter waves.This unique and invaluable volume celebrates the five decades of the impact of Anderson localization on modern physics. In addition to the historical perspective on its origin, the volume provides a comprehensive description of the experimental and theoretical aspects of Anderson localization, together with its application in various areas, which include disordered metals and the metal-insulator transition, mesoscopic physics, classical systems and light, strongly-correlated systems, and mathematical models.The volume is edited by E Abrahams, who has been a contributor in the field of localization. A distinguished group of experts, each of whom has left his mark on the developments of this fascinating theory, contribute their personal insights in this volume. They are: A Amir (Weizmann Institute of Science), P W Anderson (Princeton University), G Bergmann (University of Southern California), M Buttiker (University of Geneva), K Byczuk (University of Warsaw & University of Augsburg), J Cardy (University of Oxford), S Chakravarty (University of California, Los Angeles), V Dobrosavljevic (Florida State University), R C Dynes (University of California, San Diego), K B Efetov (Ruhr University Bochum), F Evers (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), A M Finkel'stein (Weizmann Institute of Science & Texas A&M University), A Genack (Queens College, CUNY), N Giordano (Purdue University), I V Gornyi (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), W Hofstetter (Goethe University Frankfurt), Y Imry (Weizmann Institute of Science), B Kramer (Jacobs University Bremen), S V Kravchenko (Northeastern University), A MacKinnon (Imperial College London), A D Mirlin (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), M Moskalets (NTU "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute"), T Ohtsuki (Sophia University), P M Ostrovsky (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), A M M Pruisken (University of Amsterdam), T V Ramakrishnan (Indian Institute of Science), M P Sarachik (City College, CUNY), K Slevin (Osaka University), T Spencer (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton), D J Thouless (University of Washington), D Vollhardt (University of Augsburg), J Wang (Queens College, CUNY), F J Wegner (Ruprecht-Karls-University) and P Woelfle (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology).

This thesis presents optical methods to split the energy levels of electronic valleys in transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) by means of coherent light-matter interactions. The electronic valleys found in monolayer TMDs such as MoS2, WS2, and WSe2 are among the many novel properties exhibited by semiconductors when thinned down to a few atomic layers, and have have been proposed as a new way to carry information in next generation devices (so-called valleytronics). These valleys are, however, normally locked in the same energy level, which limits their potential use for applications. The author describes experiments performed with a pump-probe technique using transient absorption spectroscopy on MoS2 and WS2. It is demonstrated that hybridizing the electronic valleys with light allows one to optically tune their energy levels in a controllable valley-selective manner. In particular, by using off-resonance circularly polarized light at small detuning, one can tune the energy level of one valley through the optical Stark effect. Also presented within are observations, at larger detuning, of a separate contribution from the so-called Bloch--Siegert effect, a delicate phenomenon that has eluded direct observation in solids. The two effects obey opposite selection rules, enabling one to separate the two effects at two different valleys.

This thesis offers a comprehensive introduction to surface acoustic waves in the quantum regime. It addresses two of the most significant technological challenges in developing a scalable quantum information processor based on spins in quantum dots: (i) decoherence of the electronic spin qubit due to the surrounding nuclear spin bath, and (ii) long-range spin-spin coupling between remote qubits. Electron spins confined in quantum dots (QDs) are among the leading contenders for implementing quantum information processing. To this end, the author pursues novel strategies that turn the unavoidable coupling to the solid-state environment (in particular, nuclear spins and phonons) into a valuable asset rather than a liability.

While basic features of polarons were well recognized a long time ago and have been described in a number of review papers and textbooks, interest in the role of electron-phonon interactions and polaron dynamics in di?- ent materials has recently gone through a vigorous revival. Electron-phonon interactions have been shown to be relevant in many inorganic and organic semiconductors and polymers, colossal magnetoresistance oxides, and tra- port through nanowires and quantum dots also often depends on vibronic displacements of ions. These interactions presumably play a role in hi- temperature superconductors as well. The continued interest in polarons extends beyond the physical description of advanced materials. The ?eld has been a testing ground for analytical, semi-analytical, and numerical techniques, such as path integrals, strong-coupling perturbation expansion, advanced variational methods, exact diagonalization, Quantum Monte Carlo, and other techniques. This book reviews some recent developments in the ?eld of polarons, starting with the basics and covering a number of active directions of research. Single- and multipolaron theories have o?ered more insight into colossal magnetoresistance and in a broad spectrum of ph- ical properties of structures with reduced dimension and dimensionality such as transport, optical absorption, Raman scattering, photoluminescence, magneto-optics, etc. While nobody - at present - has a ?nal theory of hi- temperature superconductivity, we discuss one alternative (polaronic) route. We have bene?ted from discussions with many experts in the ?eld.

Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers, by F. Brommel, D. Kramer, H. Finkelmann Applications of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers, by C. Ohm, M. Brehmer und R. Zentel Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Light, by Peter Palffy-Muhoray Electro-Opto-Mechanical Effects in Swollen Nematic Elastomers, by Kenji Urayama The Isotropic-to-Nematic Conversion in Liquid Crystalline Elastomers, by Andrija Lebar, George Cordoyiannis, Zdravko Kutnjak und Bostjan Zalar Order and Disorder in Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers, by Wim H. de Jeu und Boris I. Ostrovskii"

This book presents an up-to-date overview on the main classes of metallic materials currently used in aeronautical structures and propulsion engines and discusses other materials of potential interest for structural aerospace applications. The coverage encompasses light alloys such as aluminum-, magnesium-, and titanium-based alloys, including titanium aluminides; steels; superalloys; oxide dispersion strengthened alloys; refractory alloys; and related systems such as laminate composites. In each chapter, materials properties and relevant technological aspects, including processing, are presented. Individual chapters focus on coatings for gas turbine engines and hot corrosion of alloys and coatings. Readers will also find consideration of applications in aerospace-related fields. The book takes full account of the impact of energy saving and environmental issues on materials development, reflecting the major shifts that have occurred in the motivations guiding research efforts into the development of new materials systems. Aerospace Alloys will be a valuable reference for graduate students on materials science and engineering courses and will also provide useful information for engineers working in the aerospace, metallurgical, and energy production industries.

This book covers advanced topics in dynamic modeling of soil-foundation interaction, as well as the response of elastic semi-infinite media from an applications viewpoint. Advanced concepts such as solutions for analysis of elastic semi-infinite mediums, fluid motion in porous media, and nonlinearities in dynamic behavior are explained in great detail. Related theories and numerical analysis for vertical vibration, and rocking vibration of a rigid rectangular mass-less plate, and horizontal vibration of a rigid mass-less plate are presented. Throughout the book, a strong emphasis is placed on applications, and a laboratory model for elastic half-space medium is provided.

Volume 15 in this series continues the voyage of discovery started almost a decade ago. Chapter 98 adds significantly to an evaluation of systematic, experimental low-temperature studies of the ambivalent behaviours of cerium (ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, spin glass, superconductivity etc.) which depend upon its environment in materials. The conclusions arrived at should provide new data against which the theory can be advanced. The next chapter provides a review of rare earth carbides, emphasizing the thermodynamics, phase diagrams, crystal structures and physical properties. The binary rare earth carbides present an exceptionally wide range of compositions and structures both as solids and gas-phase molecules. Complex carbides with additional metal and non-metal components also receive attention. Metal-rich halides (i.e. compounds with an X/R ratio <2) are the subject of the next chapter. The compounds are classified according to their structure and chemical bonding characteristics and their electrical and magnetic properties are also reviewed. Chapter 101 deals with the preparation, structure, chemical and physical properties of heavy-metal fluoride glasses. Large amounts of rare earths can be added into these, and they possess a great potential for optical applications in the mid-infrared range as fiber optic glasses for communication and transmission of information, optical wave guides, fiber lasers and sensors. The following chapter explores the chemical kinetics of solvent and ligand exchange in aqueous lanthanide solutions. A wealth of tabulated information on rate and equilibrium constants is provided in textual and tabular form. Chapter 103 considers the fundamentally important reactions of the lanthanide ions with water. These interactions are discussed for both solids and solutions. The hydrated species are considered in detail for the aqueous solution, revealing the consequences of the lanthanide series sequence. The concluding chapter reviews macrocyclic complexes formed by rare earth and dioxouranium ions as templates. Synthetic trends and reactivity are considered as well as potential uses of these intriguing wrap-around structures.

New materials addressed for the first time include the chapters on minerals by Barber et al and the chapter on dislocations in colloidal crystals by Schall and Spaepen. Moriarty et al extend the first principles calculations of kink configurations in bcc metals to high pressures, including the use of flexible boundary conditions to model dilatational effects. Rabier et al clarify the issue of glide-shuffle slip systems in diamond cubic and related III-V compounds. Metadislocations, discussed by Feuerbacher and Heggen, represent a new type of defect in multicomponent metal compounds and alloys.
Kink mechanisms for dislocation motion at high pressure in bcc metals

Dislocation core structures identified in silicon at high stress

Metadislocations, a new type of defect, identified and described

Extension of dislocation concepts to complex minerals

First observations of dislocations in colloidal crystals

The understanding in science implies insights from several different points of view. Alternative modern outlooks on electronic structure of atoms and molecules, all rooted in quantum mechanics, are presented in a single text. Together these complementary perspectives provide a deeper understanding of the localization of electrons and bonds, the origins of chemical interaction and reactivity behavior, the interaction between the geometric and electronic structure of molecules, etc. In the opening two parts the basic principles and techniques of the contemporary computational and conceptual quantum chemistry are presented, within both the wave-function and electron-density theories. This background material is followed by a discussion of chemical concepts, including stages of the bond-formation processes, chemical valence and bond-multiplicity indices, the hardness/softness descriptors of molecules and reactants, and general chemical reactivity/stability principles. The insights from Information Theory, the basic elements of which are briefly introduced, including the entropic origins and Orbital Communication Theory of the chemical bond, are the subject of Part IV. The importance of the non-additive (interference) information tools in exploring patterns of chemical bonds and their covalent and ionic components will be emphasized.

Tin (Sn) whiskers are electrically conductive, single crystal eruptions that grow from Sn film surfaces. Their high aspect ratio presents reliability problems for the electronics industry due to bridging and metal arcing, leading to malfunctions and catastrophic failures in many electronic systems (including satellite and defense sectors). Due to legislation in the EU, Japan, and the U.S., mandating a gradual shift from lead (Pb)-based to lead-free solders and board finishes, there has been a reemergence of Sn whiskers. Continuing reports of Sn whisker induced failures coupled with the lack of an industry-accepted understanding of whisker growth and/or test methods to identify whisker prone products has made pure/high Sn substitutes a risky proposition in high reliability systems. This thesis is designed to clarify and control the fundamental mechanisms that govern whisker formation. The research focuses on reproducible "laboratory" created whiskers under a variety of rigorously controlled environmental factors such as film thickness, film stress, substrate material, gas environment, and humidity exposure, which are known to play a significant role in whisker production. The ultimate question of how to impede and/or prevent whisker growth is also addressed and shows that whisker prevention is possible via hard metal capping films, which are impenetrable by whiskers.

Understandable by anyone concerned with crystals or solid state properties dependent on structure

Presents a general system using simple notation to reveal similarities and differences among crystal structures

More than 300 selected and prepared figures illustrate structures found in thousands of compounds

Includes a CD-ROM with CrystalMakerTM data files to allow the reader to view and manipulate the structures

The art of chemistry is to thoroughly understand the properties of molecular compounds and materials and to be able to prepare novel compounds with p- dicted and desirable properties. The basis for progress is to fully appreciate and fundamentally understand the intimate relation between structure and function. The thermodynamic properties (stability, selectivity, redox potential), reactivities (bond breaking and formation, catalysis, electron transfer) and electronic properties (spectroscopy, magnetism) depend on the structure of a compound. Nevertheless, the discovery of novel molecular compounds and materials with exciting prop- ties is often and to a large extent based on serendipity. For compounds with novel and exciting properties, a thorough analysis of experimental data - state-of-the-art spectroscopy, magnetism, thermodynamic properties and/or detailed mechanistic information - combined with sophisticated electronic structure calculations is p- formed to interpret the results and fully understand the structure, properties and their interrelation. From these analyses, new models and theories may emerge, and this has led to the development of ef cient models for the design and interpre- tion of new materials and important new experiments. The chapters in this book therefore describe various fundamental aspects of structures, dynamics and physics of molecules and materials. The approaches, data and models discussed include new theoretical developments, computational studies and experimental work from molecular chemistry to biology and materials science.

This thesis describes the construction of a rotatable spin-polarized electron source and its use in spin- and angle-resolved inverse photoemission to investigate the unoccupied electron states of Tl/Si(111)-(1x1) with special emphasis on their spin texture. Towards more efficient electronics - with the electron spin as information carrier: This motto is the motivation for numerous studies in solid state physics that deal with electron states whose spin degeneracy is lifted by spin-orbit interaction. This thesis addresses the spin-orbit-induced spin textures in momentum space in the surface electronic structure of a prototypical Rashba-type hybrid system: heavy metal thallium on semiconducting silicon. For Tl/Si(111)-(1x1), the thallium adlayer provides surface states with strong spin-orbit interaction and peculiar spin-orbit-induced spin textures: spin rotations and spin chirality in momentum space for unoccupied surface states with giant spin splittings. Almost completely out-of-plane spin-polarized valleys in the vicinity of the Fermi level are identified. As the valley polarization is oppositely oriented at specific points in momentum space, backscattering should be strongly suppressed in this system.

This book addresses in an integrated manner all the critical aspects for building the next generation of biorecognition platforms - from biomolecular recognition to surface fabrication. The most recent strategies reported to create surface nano and micropatterns are thoroughly analyzed. This book contains descriptions of the types of molecules immobilized at surfaces that can be used for specific biorecognition, how to immobilize them, and how to control their arrangement and functionality at the surface. Small molecules, peptides, proteins and oligonucleotides are at the core of the biorecognition processes and will constitute a special part of this book. The authors include detailed information on biological processes, biomolecular screening, biosensing, diagnostic and detection devices, tissue engineering, development of biocompatible materials and biomedical devices.