This comprehensive collection of lectures by leading experts in the field introduces and reviews all relevant computer simulation methods and their applications in condensed matter systems. Volume 1 is an in-depth introduction to a vast spectrum of computational techniques for statistical mechanical systems of condensed matter. Volume 2 is a collection of state-of-the-art surveys on numerical experiments carried out for a great number of systems.

At present, there is an increasing interest in the prediction of properties of classical and new materials such as substitutional alloys, their surfaces, and metallic or semiconductor multilayers. A detailed understanding based on a thus of the utmost importance for fu microscopic, parameter-free approach is ture developments in solid state physics and materials science. The interrela tion between electronic and structural properties at surfaces plays a key role for a microscopic understanding of phenomena as diverse as catalysis, corrosion, chemisorption and crystal growth. Remarkable progress has been made in the past 10-15 years in the understand ing of behavior of ideal crystals and their surfaces by relating their properties to the underlying electronic structure as determined from the first principles. Similar studies of complex systems like imperfect surfaces, interfaces, and mul tilayered structures seem to be accessible by now. Conventional band-structure methods, however, are of limited use because they require an excessive number of atoms per elementary cell, and are not able to account fully for e.g. substitu tional disorder and the true semiinfinite geometry of surfaces. Such problems can be solved more appropriately by Green function techniques and multiple scattering formalism."

In this thesis, the author introduces various bio-inspired smart nanochannel systems. A strategy for design and preparation of novel artificial responsive symmetric/asymmetric single nanochannel systems under various symmetric/asymmetric stimuli is presented for the first time. The author's research work utilizes ion track etching polymer nanochannels with different shapes as examples to demonstrate the feasibility of the design strategy for building novel artificial functional nanochannels using various symmetric/asymmetric physicochemical modifications. The development of these nanochannels and their potential applications is a burgeoning new area of research, and a number of exciting breakthroughs may be anticipated in the near future from the concepts and results reported in this thesis. Research into artificial functional nanochannels continues to drive new developments of various real-world applications, such as biosensors, energy conversion systems and nanofluidic devices. The work in this thesis has led to more than 15 publications in high-profile journals.

Lithium niobate, LiNbO , is an oxide ferroelectric with various kinds of pro- 3 nouncedphysicalproperties. Thisversatilityhaspromoteditscareerinscience anddevices. Ithasbeenparticularlyfruitfulintheopticalregime,wheremany e?ects have been found in LiNbO and devices introduced using it as a host. 3 One of the few big drawbacks, namely the low level laser damage threshold based on photorefraction due to extrinsic defects was discovered very early. A relatively new topic, not involved so far in any general description, is a fundamental dependence of the optical properties of LiNbO on intrinsic de- 3 fects. Their importance has been realised out due to the development of varies growthtechniquesintherecentpast. Theprogressinthegrowthandstudiesof LiNbO crystals with di?erent composition, particularly almost stoichiomet- 3 ric ones, has revealed a signi?cant and sometimes decisive role of the intrinsic defects. For example, the photoinduced charge transport, and therefore the photorefractive properties governing the recording of the phase gratings in LiNbO , are strongly controlled by the content of intrinsic defects. The re- 3 cently found impact of intrinsic defects on the coercive ?eld in LiNbO is 3 of fundamental importance for the creation of periodically poled structures (PPLN) aimed at the optical-frequency conversion in the quasi-phase mat- ing (QPM) mode of operation. As a consequence of these results, an idea of the intrinsic defects in LiNbO has been developed during the last decade 3 and involves microscopic studies on defects, photorefraction and ferroelectric switching using spectroscopic and structure methods.

This volume contains a selection of important papers by P.G. de Gennes (1991 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics) which have had a long-lasting impact on the understanding of condensed matter (solid state physics, liquid crystals, polymers, interfaces, wetting and adhesion). A typical example is the original article on "reptation" of polymer chains. The author has added some "afterthoughts" to the main papers (explaining their successes or weaknesses), and some current views on each special problem. Complex systems (polymers or granular matters, and so forth) are explained without heavy calculations, using simple scaling laws as the main tool.

The Handbook Series on Semiconductor Parameters will consist of 5 volumes and will include data on the most popular semiconductor materials. These volumes aim to be a basic reference for scientists, engineers, students and technicians working in semiconductor materials and devices. The books have been kept compact but comprehensive and contain the values of frequently needed parameters selected and commented by leading experts on these materials. The first volume will include data on Si, Ge, diamond, GaAs, GaP, GaSb, InAs, InP, and InSb.

This volume contains a selection of important papers by P.G. de Gennes (1991 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics) which have had a long-lasting impact on the understanding of condensed matter (solid state physics, liquid crystals, polymers, interfaces, wetting and adhesion). A typical example is the original article on "reptation" of polymer chains. The author has added some "afterthoughts" to the main papers (explaining their successes or weaknesses), and some current views on each special problem. Complex systems (polymers or granular matters, and so forth) are explained without heavy calculations, using simple scaling laws as the main tool.

The operation of semiconductor devices depends upon the use of electrical potential barriers (such as gate depletion) in controlling the carrier densities (electrons and holes) and their transport. Although a successful device design is quite complicated and involves many aspects, the device engineering is mostly to devise a "best" device design by defIning optimal device structures and manipulating impurity profIles to obtain optimal control of the carrier flow through the device. This becomes increasingly diffIcult as the device scale becomes smaller and smaller. Since the introduction of integrated circuits, the number of individual transistors on a single chip has doubled approximately every three years. As the number of devices has grown, the critical dimension of the smallest feature, such as a gate length (which is related to the transport length defIning the channel), has consequently declined. The reduction of this design rule proceeds approximately by a factor of 1. 4 each generation, which means we will be using 0. 1-0. 15 ). lm rules for the 4 Gb chips a decade from now. If we continue this extrapolation, current technology will require 30 nm design rules, and a cell 3 2 size < 10 nm , for a 1Tb memory chip by the year 2020. New problems keep hindering the high-performance requirement. Well-known, but older, problems include hot carrier effects, short-channel effects, etc. A potential problem, which illustrates the need for quantum transport, is caused by impurity fluctuations.

Intended to provide an up-to-date overview of the field, this book is also likely to become a standard work of reference on the science of droplets. Beginning with the theoretical background important for droplet dynamics, it continues with a presentation of the various methods for generating single droplets and regular droplet systems. Also included is a detailed description of the experimental methods employed in droplet research. A special chapter is devoted to the various types of droplet interactions without phase transition. A separate chapter then treats many examples of the possible phase transition processes. The final part of the book gives a summary of important applications. With its comprehensive content, this book will be of interest to all scientists and lecturers concerned with two-phase flow, spray technology, heterogeneous combustion, and aerosol science.

"Nanotechnology" is now very well known as one of the most important key technologies in science and industry. In the field of material science and engineering, nanoparticles should be unit materials, as well as atoms and molecules, to build ceramics, devices, catalysts, and machines, and the "nanoparticle technology" is thus attracting. This novel technology includes various methodologies for nanoparticles: preparation, surface-modification via chemical and/or physical treatments, immobilization and arrangement on supports or substrates, to achieve high performance for luminescence properties in light emitting devices, and high efficiency for catalytic and photocatalytic reactions in chemical synthesis, chemical decomposition, and artificial photosynthesis, etc. It should be needless to say that the preparation of nanoparticles, having precisely controlled particle size, size distribution, chemical composition, and surface properties, is essentially important to realize "true nanoparticle technology." This book, written by Dr. Dibyendu Ganguli and Dr. Munia Ganguli, deals with the preparation methodologies for inorganic nanoparticles using macro- and microemulsions as "microreactor." There are several differences between these two emulsions, in addition to water droplet size: thermodynamic stability, and fusion-redispersion dynamics of the droplets. The properties of the nanoparticles prepared in these emulsion systems are seriously influenced and controlled by the selection of dynamic and static conditions.

Concepts of nonlinear physics are applied to an increasing number of research disciplines. With this volume, the editors offer a selection of articles on nonlinear topics in progress, ranging from physics and chemistry to biology and some applications of social science. The book covers quantum optics, electron crystallization, cellular or flow patterns in fluids and in granular media, biological systems, and the control of brain structures via neuronal excitation. Chemical patterns are looked at both in bulk solutions and on surfaces in heterogeneous systems. From regular structures, the authors turn to the more complex behavior in biology and physics, such as hydrodynamical turbulence, low-dimensional dynamics in solid-state physics, and gravity.

This book introduces recent theoretical developments concerning the dynamic behaviour of fracture. Readers learn how the recent development of molecular dynamics and other state-of-the-art methods can help to solve the important problem of fracture from the atomic level.

Micro/nano-mechanical systems are a crucial part of the modern world providing a plethora of sensing and actuation functionalities used in everything from the largest cargo ships to the smallest hand-held electronics; from the most advanced scientific and medical equipment to the simplest household items. Over the past few decades, the processes used to produce these devices have improved, supporting dramatic reductions in size, but there are fundamental limits to this trend that require a new production paradigm. The 2004 discovery of graphene ushered in a new era of condensed matter physics research, that of two-dimensional materials. Being only a few atomic layers thick, this new class of materials exhibit unprecedented mechanical strength and flexibility and can couple to electric, magnetic and optical signals. Additionally, they can be combined to form van der Waals heterostructures in an almost limitless number of ways. They are thus ideal candidates to reduce the size and extend the capabilities of traditional micro/nano-mechanical systems and are poised to redefine the technological sphere. This thesis attempts to develop the framework and protocols required to produce and characterise micro/nano-mechanical devices made from two-dimensional materials. Graphene and its insulating analogue, hexagonal boron nitride, are the most widely studied materials and their heterostructures are used as the test-bed for potential device architectures and capabilities. Interlayer friction, electro-mechanical actuation and surface reconstruction are some of the key phenomena investigated in this work.

This volume is the latest of the "Kirchberg-Proceedings". The previous 11 International Winterschools on Electronic Properties of Novel Materials, all held in Kirchberg, Austria, were devoted to conducting polymers, high temperature superconductors, fullerenes, and carbon nanotubes. Fullerenes and nanotubes are still in the center of interest, but the topic of the school and the proceedings is molecular nanostructures in general. The organizers have attempted to treat carbon nanostructures as a special case of molecular nanostructures, which also include silicon clusters, gold clusters, vanadium oxide tubes, and many others. The Winterschool provides a platform for reviewing and discussing new developments in the field of molecular nanostructures and their applications. Materials discussed include fullerenes, fullerene-derived structures, carbonaceous nanotubes, non-carbonaceous nanotubes, layer by layer systems, molecular clusters, new phases of carbon, endohedral compounds and related materials. The book aims to give an overview of the current status of fullerenes, carbon-nanotubes and related molecular nanostructures. The majority of the contributions present the latest results of experiments and calculations conducted in the field. However, about a dozen contain some degree of instructional material which even newcomers will benefit from.

This volume is a collection of lectures presented during the 2009 International School on High-pressure Crystal- graphy, which took place at the Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture, between June 4 and 14, 2009, in the very picturesque Sicilian town of Erice. st The 2009 school was the 41 course of the "International School of Cryst- lography" organized at the Majorana Center and was directed by Elena Figure 1. Audience, including local Boldyreva (Novosibirsk University) organizers (orange scarfs) and student and Przemyslaw Dera (University of participants during one of the lectures. Chicago). Unmatched support and excellent on-site organization was provided by the expert team consisting of Prof. Paola Spadon (Uniersity of Padova), Prof. Lodovico Riva di San Severino (University of Bologna), Elena Papinutto and Prof. John Irvin (University of California, San Franciso), aided by great team of young local organizers ("orange scarfs"). Major part of funding for the school was provided by a grant from the NATO Science for Peace and Security program, through which the 2009 Erice school was recognized as a NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI).

After an introduction by J.G. Bednorz, describing the discovery of high Tc superconductivity and its consequences, the book goes on to describe modern research, dealing with general problems, new materials and structures, phase separation, electronic homogeneities and related problems, and applications. Specific systems dealt with include the La-cuprates. the Bi-cuprates and the Y-cuprates and related compounds.

Magnetic control of the properties and the flow of liquids is a challenging field for basic research and for applications. This book is meant to be both an introduction to, and a state-of-the-art review of, this topic. Written in the form of a set of lectures and tutorial reviews, the book addresses the synthesis and characterization of magnetic fluids, their hydrodynamical description and their rheological properties. The book closes with an account of magnetic drug targeting.

In this book, the authors give an up-to-date account of thermoluminescence (TL) and other thermally stimulated phenomena. Although most recent experimental results of TL in different materials are described in some detail, the main emphasis in the present book is on general processes, and the approach is more theoretical. Thus the details of the possible processes which can take place during the excitation of the sample, and during its heating, are carefully analysed. The methods for analysing TL glow curves are critically discussed, and recommendations as to their application are made. Also discussed is the expected behavior of these phenomena as functions of the experimental parameters, for example, dose of excitation. The consequences of the main applications of TL (for example, radiation dosimetry) are also discussed in detail as are the similarities and dissimilarities of other thermally stimulated phenomena, and the simultaneous measurements of the latter and TL.

Humans have been "manually" extracting patterns from data for centuries, but the increasing volume of data in modern times has called for more automatic approaches. Early methods of identifying patterns in data include Bayes' theorem (1700s) and Regression analysis (1800s). The proliferation, ubiquity and incre- ing power of computer technology has increased data collection and storage. As data sets have grown in size and complexity, direct hands-on data analysis has - creasingly been augmented with indirect, automatic data processing. Data mining has been developed as the tool for extracting hidden patterns from data, by using computing power and applying new techniques and methodologies for knowledge discovery. This has been aided by other discoveries in computer science, such as Neural networks, Clustering, Genetic algorithms (1950s), Decision trees (1960s) and Support vector machines (1980s). Data mining commonlyinvolves four classes of tasks: * Classi cation: Arranges the data into prede ned groups. For example, an e-mail program might attempt to classify an e-mail as legitimate or spam. Common algorithmsinclude Nearest neighbor,Naive Bayes classi er and Neural network. * Clustering: Is like classi cation but the groups are not prede ned, so the algorithm will try to group similar items together. * Regression: Attempts to nd a function which models the data with the least error. A common method is to use Genetic Programming. * Association rule learning: Searches for relationships between variables. For example, a supermarket might gather data of what each customer buys.

NMR has made important contributions to our understanding of structure& #150; property relationships in polymers. This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of NMR, with applications of multidimensional NMR and the new solution and solid-state methods in polymer science. < B> NMR of Polymers< /B> is written by leading authorities for graduate students and professionals in academia and industry.< br> < br> Key Features< br> * Provides comprehensive overview of NMR in Polymer Science< br> * Covers multidimensional NMR< br> * Includes new solution and solid state methods< br> * Addresses chain conformation and dynamics

"This volume deals with the interaction of acoustic fields with bubbles in liquids, with emphasis on the principles of cavitation--the generation of bubbles in liquids by rapid changes, such as those introduced by ultrasound. When cavity bubbles implode they produce shock waves in the liquid. If cavitation is induced by turbulent flow, components can be damaged. These phenomena have important implications, particularly in underwater acoustics, one of the fastest growing fields in acoustics research. The Acoustic Bubble skillfully explains the physical processes involved in cavitation both by analogy and formulation, making the concepts accessible to those with a minimal background in mathematics. This book willbe of great interest to those engaged in research in a wide range of areas, from sonochemistry to the sensitization of explosives.

This superb new book is one of the first publications in recent years to provide a broad overview of this interdisciplinary field. Most of the book is written in a self contained manner, assuming only a general knowledge of statistical mechanics and basic probabilty theory . It provides the reader with a sound introduction to the field and to the analytical techniques necessary to follow its most recent developments

This book gives a systematic overview on the scientific fundamentals of crystal growth from the classical phenomenological description to the recent theoretical contributions of statistical physics such as studies on surface roughening and on the pattern formation in the diffusion-limited growth.The book emphasizes physical concepts as well as mathematical details, and is intended to serve as lecture notes for postgraduate courses.

This second edition of a successful and highly-accessed monograph has been extended by more than 100 pages. It includes an enlarged coverage of applications for materials characterization and analysis. Also a more detailed description of strategies for determining free energies of ion transfer between miscible liquids is provided. This is now possible with a "third-phase strategy" which the authors explain from theoretical and practical points of view. The book is still the only one detailing strategies for solid state electroanalysis. It also features the specific potential of the techniques to use immobilized particles (for studies of solid materials) and of immobilized droplets of immiscible liquids for the purpose of studying the three-phase electrochemistry of these liquids. This also includes studies of ion transfer between aqueous and immiscible non-aqueous liquids. The bibliography of all published papers in this field of research has been expanded from 318 to now 444 references in this second edition. Not only are pertinent references provided at the end of each chapter, but the complete list of the cited literature is also offered as a separate chapter for easy reference.

This volume contains the collected works of the eminent chemist and physicist Lars Onsager, one of the most influential scientists of the 20th Century. The volume includes Onsager's previously unpublished PhD thesis, a biography by H C Longuet-Higgins and M E Fisher, an autobiographical commentary, selected photographs, and a list of Onsager discussion remarks in print. Onsager's scientific achievements were characterized by deep insights into the natural sciences. His two best-known accomplishments are his reciprocal relations for irreversible processes, for which he received the 1968 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and his explicit solution of the two-dimensional Ising model, a mathematical tour de force that created a sensation when it appeared. In addition, he made significant theoretical contributions to other fields, including electrolytes, colloids, superconductivity, turbulence, ice, electrons in metals, and dielectrics. In this volume, Onsager's contributions are divided into the following fields: irreversible processes; the Ising model; electrolytes; colloids; helium II and vortex quantization; off-diagonal long-range order and flux quantization; electrons in metal; turbulence; ion recombination; fluctuation theory; dielectrics; ice and water; biology; Mathieu functions. The different fields are evaluated by leading experts. The commentators are P W Anderson, R Askey, A Chorin, C Domb, R J Donnelly, W Ebeling, J-C Justice, H N W Lekkerkerker, P Mazur, H P McKean, J F Nagle, T Odijk, A B Pippard, G Stell, G H Weiss, and C N Yang.