Light scattering from particles in the nanometric and micrometric size range is relevant in several research fields, such as aerosol science and nanotechnology. In many applications, the description of the optical properties of non-spherical, inhomogeneous particles is still inadequate or requires demanding numerical calculations. Lorenz-Mie scattering and effective medium approximations represent currently the main theoretical tools to model such particles, but their effectiveness has been recently called into question. This work examines how the morphology of a particle affects its scattering parameters from an experimental standpoint, supporting findings with extensive simulations. The dust content of Antarctic, Greenlandic, and Alpine ice cores is analysed with a particle-by-particle approach. Moreover, a study on colloidal aggregates shows that correlations among the fields radiated by primary particles are responsible for the poor agreement of effective medium approximations with experimental results. On the theoretical side, an interpretation in terms of the structure factor is given, which satisfactorily describes the data. The insights of this thesis are relevant for quantifying the contribution of mineral dust to the radiative energy balance of the Earth.

This book presents photoelectron spectroscopy as a valuable method for studying the electronic structures of various solid materials in the bulk state, on surfaces, and at buried interfaces. This second edition introduces the advanced technique of high-resolution and high-efficiency spin- and momentum-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy using a novel momentum microscope, enabling high-precision measurements down to a length scale of some tens of nanometers. The book also deals with fundamental concepts and approaches to applying this and other complementary techniques, such as inverse photoemission, photoelectron diffraction, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, as well as photon spectroscopy based on (soft) x-ray absorption and resonance inelastic (soft) x-ray scattering. This book is the ideal tool to expand readers' understanding of this marvelously versatile experimental method, as well as the electronic structures of metals and insulators.

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.

This book gives a comprehensive introduction to the field of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and modules. In thirteen chapters, it addresses a wide range of topics including the spectrum of light received by PV devices, the basic functioning of a solar cell, and the physical factors limiting the efficiency of solar cells. It places particular emphasis on crystalline silicon solar cells and modules, which constitute today more than 90 % of all modules sold worldwide. Describing in great detail both the manufacturing process and resulting module performance, the book also touches on the newest developments in this sector, such as Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCON) and heterojunction modules, while dedicating a major chapter to general questions of module design and fabrication. Overall, it presents the essential theoretical and practical concepts of PV solar cells and modules in an easy-to-understand manner and discusses current challenges facing the global research and development community.

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 reveals unique transport phenomena and functionalities in topological insulators coupled with magnetism and superconductivity. Topological insulators are a recently discovered class of materials that possess a spin-momentum-locked surface state. Their exotic spin texture makes them an exciting platform for investigating emergent phenomena, especially when coupled with magnetism or superconductivity. Focusing on the strong correlation between electricity and magnetism in magnetic topological insulators, the author presents original findings on current-direction-dependent nonreciprocal resistance, current-induced magnetization reversal and chiral edge conduction at the domain wall. In addition, he demonstrates how the coupling between superconductivity and topological surface state leads to substantial nonreciprocal resistance. The author also elucidates the origins of these phenomena and deepens readers' understanding of the topologically nontrivial electronic state. The book includes several works which are published in top journals and were selected for the President's Award by the University of Tokyo and for the Ikushi Prize, awarded to distinguished Ph.D. students in Japan.

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.

This book summarizes and records the recent notable advances in diverse topics in organic crystal chemistry, which has made substantial progress along with the rapid development of a variety of analysis and measurement techniques for solid organic materials. This review book is one of the volumes that are published periodically on this theme. The previous volume, published in 2015, systematically summarized the remarkable progress in assorted topics of organic crystal chemistry using organic solids and organic-inorganic hybrid materials during the previous 5 years, and it has been widely read. The present volume also shows the progress of organic solid chemistry in the last 5 years, with contributions mainly by invited members of the Division of Organic Crystal Chemistry of the Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ), together with prominent invited authors from countries other than Japan.

Bacon and Osetsky present an atomistic model of dislocation-particle interactions in metal systems, including irradiated materials. This work is important in simulating actual behavior, removing earlier reliance on assumed mechanisms for dislocation motion. New mechanisms for dislocation generation under shock loading are presented by Meyers et al. These models provide a basis for understanding the constitutive behavior of shocked material. Saada and Dirras provide a new perspective on the Hall-Petch relation, with particular emphasis on nanocrystals. Of particular significance, deviations from the traditional stress proportional to the square-root of grain size relation are explained. Robertson et al consider a number of effects of hydrogen on plastic flow and provide a model that provides an explanation of the broad range of properties. .
Flow stress of metal systems with particle hardening, including radiation effects
New model for dislocation kinetics under shock loading
Explanation of effects of nanoscale grain size on strength
Mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement in metal alloys

This book puts forward the concept of the Diameter-Transformed Fluidized Bed (DTFB): a fluidized bed characterized by the coexistence of multiple flow regimes and reaction zones, achieved by transforming the bed into several sections of different diameters. It reviews fundamental aspects, including computational fluid dynamics simulations and industrial practices in connection with DTFB. In particular, it highlights an example concerning the development of maximizing iso-paraffins (MIP) reactors for regulating complex, fluid catalytic cracking reactions in petroleum refineries. The book is a must-have for understanding how academic and industrial researchers are now collaborating in order to develop novel catalytic processes.

This book deals with the electro-chemo-mechanical properties characteristic of and unique to solid electrode surfaces, covering interfacial electrochemistry and surface science. Electrochemical reactions such as electro-sorption, electro-deposition or film growth on a solid electrode induce changes in surface stress or film stress that lead to transformation of the surface phase or alteration of the surface film. The properties of solid electrode surfaces associated with the correlation between electrochemical and mechanical phenomena are named "electro-chemo-mechanical properties". The book first derives the surface thermodynamics of solid electrodes as fundamentals for understanding the electro-chemo-mechanical properties. It also explains the powerful techniques for investigating the electro-chemo-mechanical properties, and reviews the arguments for derivation of surface thermodynamics of solid electrodes. Further, based on current experimental findings and theories, it discusses the importance of the contribution of surface stress to the transformation of surface phases, such as surface reconstruction and underpotential deposition in addition to the stress evolution during film growth and film reduction. Moreover, the book describes the nano-mechanical properties of solid surfaces measured by nano-indentation in relation to the electro-chemo-mechanical properties. This book makes a significant contribution to the further development of numerous fields, including electrocatalysis, materials science and corrosion science.

This book highlights a novel and holistic approach to multiscaled PVA bionanocomposite films used for electrical sensing, medical and packaging applications. With a combination of material characterization and modeling to understand the effect of nanoparticle size and shape, as well as 3D interphase properties and features such as interphase modulus and nanoscale dimensions, this book substantiates how excellent mechanical and thermal properties of these materials are achieved. Also it addresses the importance of using economical and ecofriendly bionanocomposites as potential green materials to support the goal of environmental sustainability with multifunctional properties.

This book highlights recent advances in thin-film photonics, particularly as building blocks of metamaterials and metasurfaces. Recent advances in nanophotonics has demonstrated remarkable control over the electromagnetic field by tailoring the optical properties of materials at the subwavelength scale which results in the emergence of metamaterials and metasurfaces. However, most of the proposed platforms require intense lithography which makes them of minor practical relevance. Stacked ultrathin-films of dielectrics, semi-conductors, and metals are introduced as an alternative platform that perform unique or similar functionalities. This book discusses the new era of thin film photonics and its potential applications in perfect and selective light absorption, structural coloring, biosensing, enhanced spontaneous emission, reconfigurable photonic devices and super lensing.

Each chapter in this volume is focused on a specific set of solvent properties which determine its choice, effect on properties of solutes and solutions, properties of different groups of solvents and the summary of their applications' effect. This includes effectson health and environment (given in tabulated form), swelling of solids in solvents, solvent diffusion and drying processes, nature of interaction of solvent and solute in solutions, acid-base interactions, effect of solvents on spectral and other electronic properties of solutions, effect of solvents on rheology of solution, aggregation of solutes, permeability, molecular structure, crystallinity, configuration, and conformation of dissolved high molecular weight compounds, methods of application of solvent mixtures to enhance the range of their applicability, and effect of solvents on chemical reactions and reactivity of dissolved substances.
Provides key insight to help engineers and scientists select the best solvent for the jobPractical information and ideas to improve existing processes involving solventsBrings together the latest advances in solvent technology and applications"

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.

The Phase Field Crystal (PFC) model incorporates microscopic structural details into a mesoscopic continuum theory. Methods for fast propagation of PFC interfaces are discussed in this book. They can handle a wide range of thermal gradients, supersaturations and supercoolings, including applications such as selective laser melting. The reader will find theoretical treatment in the first half, while the latter half discusses numerical models.

This book offers a concise primer on energy conversion efficiency and the Shockley-Queisser limit in single p-n junction solar cells. It covers all the important fundamental physics necessary to understand the conversion efficiency, which is indispensable in studying, investigating, analyzing, and designing solar cells in practice. As such it is valuable as a supplementary text for courses on photovoltaics, and bridges the gap between advanced topics in solar cell device engineering and the fundamental physics covered in undergraduate courses. The book first introduces the principles and features of solar cells compared to those of chemical batteries, and reviews photons, statistics and radiation as the physics of the source energy. Based on these foundations, it clarifies the conversion efficiency of a single p-n junction solar cell and discusses the Shockley-Queisser limit. Furthermore, it looks into various concepts of solar cells for breaking through the efficiency limit given in the single junction solar cell and presents feasible theoretical predictions. To round out readers' knowledge of p-n junctions, the final chapter also reviews the essential semiconductor physics. The foundation of solar cell physics and engineering provided here is a valuable resource for readers with no background in solar cells, such as upper undergraduate and master students. At the same time, the deep insights provided allow readers to step seamlessly into other advanced books and their own research topics.

This book presents the basics and methods of nanoscale analytical techniques for tribology field. It gives guidance to the application of mechanical, microstructural, chemical characterization methods and topography analysis of materials. It provides an overview of the of state-of-the-art for researchers and practitioners in the field of tribology. It shows different examples to the application of mechanical, microstructural, chemical characterization methods and topography analysis of materials. Friction and Wear phenomena are governed by complexe processes at the interface of sliding surfaces. For a detailed understanding of these phenomena many surface sensitive techniques have become available in recent years. The applied methods are atom probe tomography, in situ TEM, SERS, NEXAFS, in situ XPS, nanoindentation and in situ Raman spectroscopy. A survey of new related numerical calculations completes this book. This concerns ab-initio coupling, numerical calculations for mechanical aspects and density functional theory (DFT) to study chemical reactivity.

This book discusses non-equilibrium quantum many-body dynamics, recently explored in an analog quantum simulator of strongly correlated ultracold atoms. The first part presents a field-theoretical analysis of the experimental observability of the Higgs amplitude mode that emerges as a relativistic collective excitation near a quantum phase transition of superfluid Bose gases in an optical lattice potential. The author presents the dynamical susceptibilities to external driving of the microscopic parameters, taking into account a leading-order perturbative correction from quantum and thermal fluctuations and shows clear signatures of the Higgs mode in these observables. This is the first result that strongly supports the stability of the Higgs mode in three-dimensional optical lattices even in the presence of a spatially inhomogeneous confinement potential and paves the way for desktop observations of the Higgs mode. In the second part, the author applies the semi-classical truncated-Wigner approximation (TWA) to far-from-equilibrium quantum dynamics. Specifically, he considers the recent experiments on quantum-quench dynamics in a Bose-Hubbard quantum simulator. A direct comparison shows remarkable agreement between the numerical results from TWA and the experimental data. This result clearly indicates the potential of such a semi-classical approach in reliably simulating many-body systems using classical computers. The book also includes several chapters providing comprehensive reviews of the recent studies on cold-atomic quantum simulation and various theoretical methods, including the Schwinger-boson approach in strongly correlated systems and the phase-space semi-classical method for far-from-equilibrium quantum dynamics. These chapters are highly recommended to students and young researchers who are interested in semi-classical approaches in non-equilibrium quantum dynamics.