This book is aimed at researchers who are working in a field of quasicrystals to provide a reference to recent developments and ideas in the field and also at graduate students, who intend to study quasicrystals, to provide introduction of ideas. Topics in this book cover an entire field of quasicrystals, both experimental and theoretical, including new developments: the state of the art in quasicrystallography, new families of quasicrystals, phasons in aperiodic solids, ab initio studies on stability mechanism, quantum transport phenomena, elastic/plastic properties and surface of quasicrystals.
. Comprehensive reviews by experts in the field
. Complete reference of original papers and new topics
. Intelligible introduction of quasicrystals by experts

Aimed at graduate physics and chemistry students, this is the first comprehensive monograph covering the concept of the geometric phase in quantum physics from its mathematical foundations to its physical applications and experimental manifestations. It contains all the premises of the adiabatic Berry phase as well as the exact Anandan-Aharonov phase. It discusses quantum systems in a classical time-independent environment (time dependent Hamiltonians) and quantum systems in a changing environment (gauge theory of molecular physics). The mathematical methods used are a combination of differential geometry and the theory of linear operators in Hilbert Space. As a result, the monograph demonstrates how non-trivial gauge theories naturally arise and how the consequences can be experimentally observed. Readers benefit by gaining a deep understanding of the long-ignored gauge theoretic effects of quantum mechanics and how to measure them.

This book presents the "helical wormlike chain" model - a general model for both flexible and semiflexible polymer chains. It explains how statistical-mechanical, hydrodynamic, and dynamic theories of their solution properties can be developed on the basis of this model. This new second edition has been carefully updated and thoroughly revised. It includes a new chapter covering "Simulation and More on Excluded-Volume Effects", as well as the discussion of new experimental data and the application of the theory to ring polymers. The authors provide analysis of important recent experimental data by the use of their theories for flexible polymers over a wide range of molecular weights, including the oligomer region, and for semiflexible polymers, including biological macromolecules such as DNA. This is all clearly illustrated using a reasonable number of theoretical equations, tables, figures, and computer-aided forms, which support the understanding of the basic theory and help to facilitate its application to experimental data for the polymer molecular characterization.

This book provides course material in theoretical physics intended for undergraduate and graduate students specializing in condensed matter. The book derives from teaching activity, offering readable and mathematical treatments explained in sufficient detail to be followed easily. The main emphasis is always on the physical meaning and applicability of the results. Many examples are provided for illustration; these also serve as worked problems.

Discussion extends to atomic physics, relativistic quantum mechanics, elementary QED, electron spectroscopy, nonlinear optics, and various aspects of the many-body problem. Methods such as group representation theory, Green 's functions, the Keldysh formalism and recursion techniques were also imparted.

The 2007 Spring Meeting of the Arbeitskreis Festk rperphysik was held in Regensburg, Germany, March 2007, in conjunction with the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. It was one of the largest physics meetings in Europe. The present volume 47 of the Advances in Solid State Physics contains written versions of a large number of the invited talks and gives an overview of the present status of solid state physics where low-dimensional systems are dominating.

During confined flow of bulk solids in silos some characteristic phenomena can be created, such as: sudden and significant increase of wall stresses, different flow patterns, formation and propagation of wall and interior shear zones, fluctuation of pressures and, strong autogenous dynamic effects.

These phenomena have not been described or explained in detail yet. The main intention of the experimental and theoretical research presented in this book is to explain the above mentioned phenomena in granular bulk solids and to describe them with numerical FE models verified by experimental results.

Models for the mechanical behavior of porous media introduced more than 50 years ago are still relied upon today, but more recent work shows that, in some cases, they may violate the laws of thermodynamics. In The Thermophysics of Porous Media, the author shows that physical consistency requires a unique description of dynamic processes that involve porous media, and that new dynamic variables-porosity, saturation, and megascale concentration-naturally enter into the large-scale description of porous media. The new degrees of freedom revealed in this study predict new dynamic processes that are not associated with compressional motions.

The book details the construction of a Lorentz invariant thermodynamic lattice gas model and shows how the associated nonrelativistic, Galilean invariant model can be used to describe flow in porous media. The author develops the equations of seismic wave propagation in porous media, the associated boundary conditions, and surface waves. He also constructs the equations for both immiscible and miscible flows in porous media and their related instability problems.

The implications of the physical theory presented in this book are significant, particularly in applications in geophysics and the petroleum industry. The Thermophysics of Porous Media offers a unique opportunity to examine the dynamic role that porosity plays in porous materials.

Covering colloids, polymers, surfactant phases, emulsions, and granular media, Soft and Fragile Matter: Nonequilibrium Dynamics, Metastability and Flow (PBK) provides self-contained and pedagogical coverage of the rapidly advancing field of systems driven out of equilibrium, with a strong emphasis on unifying conceptual principles rather than material-specific details. Written by internationally recognized experts, the book contains introductions at the level of a graduate course in soft condensed matter and statistical physics to the following areas: experimental techniques, polymers, rheology, colloids, computer simulation, surfactants, phase separation kinetics, driven systems, structural glasses, slow dynamics, and granular materials. These topics lead to a range of exciting applications at the forefront of current research, including microplasticity of emulsions, sequence design of copolymers, branched polymer dynamics, nucleation kinetics in colloids, multiscale modeling, flow-induced surfactant textures, fluid demixing under shear, two-time correlation functions, chaotic sedimentation dynamics, and sound propagation in powders. Balancing theory, simulation, and experiment, this broadly-based, pedagogical account of a rapidly developing field is an excellent compendium for graduate students and researchers in condensed matter physics, materials science, and physical chemistry.

Most recent publications on spin-related phenomena focus on technological aspects of spin-dependent transport, with emphasis on the specific needs of spintronics. The present publication targets rather fundamental problems related to the physics of spin in solids, such as: (1) manifestation of spin and orbital polarization in spectroscopy, including valence and X-ray photoemission, magneto-optics, low-energy electron scattering on the surface; (2) application of new methods for interpretation and determination of magnetic low-lying excitations in the bulk and on the surface; (3) recent progress in evaluation of different type of magnetic forces including spin-orbit and exchange interaction, with subsequent determination of anisotropy and spin-ordering structure; (4) general problems of spin-dependent transport in semiconductors and metals, such as current-caused torque effect on spins at interfaces and spin injection in quantum dot systems; (5) problems in understanding the spin-dependent trends in unconventional superconductors; (6) many-body problems in solid state physics and recent progress in evaluation of self-energy effects; (7) fabrication of new magnetic materials with pre-programmed properties based on assembly from nano-particles, etc.

In its combination of an advanced teaching standpoint with an emphasis on new perspectives and recent advances in the study of liquids formed by simple molecules, Molecular Liquids: New Perspectives in Physics and Chemistry provides a clear, understandable guide through the complexities of the subject. A wide range of topics is covered in the areas of intermolecular forces, statistical mechanics, the microscopic dynamics of simple liquids, thermodynamics of solutions, nonequilibrium molecular dynamics, molecular models for transport and relaxation in fluids, liquid simulations, statistical band shape theories, conformational studies, fast-exchange dynamics, and hydrogen bonding. The experimental techniques covered include: neutron scattering, X-ray diffraction, IR, Raman, NMR, quasielastic neutron scattering, and high-precision, time-resolved coherent Raman spectroscopy.

Singularities in Fluids, Plasmas and Optics, which contains the proceedings of a NATO Workshop held in Heraklion, Greece, in July 1992, provides a survey of the state of the art in the analysis and computation of singularities in physical problems drawn from fluid mechanics, plasma physics and nonlinear optics. The singularities include curvature singularities on fluid interfaces, the onset of turbulence in 3-D inviscid flows, focusing singularities for laser beams, and magnetic reconnection. The highlights of the book include the nonlinear Schr dinger equation for describing laser beam focusing, the method of complex variables for the analysis and computation of singularities on fluid interfaces, and studies of singularities for the 3-D Euler equations. The book is suitable for graduate students and researchers in these areas.

This book covers recent developments in the understanding, quantification, and exploitation of entanglement in spin chain models from both condensed matter and quantum information perspectives. Spin chain models are at the foundation of condensed matter physics and quantum information technologies and elucidate many fundamental phenomena such as information scrambling, quantum phase transitions, and many-body localization. Moreover, many quantum materials and emerging quantum devices are well described by spin chains. Comprising accessible, self-contained chapters written by leading researchers, this book is essential reading for graduate students and researchers in quantum materials and quantum information. The coverage is comprehensive, from the fundamental entanglement aspects of quantum criticality, non-equilibrium dynamics, classical and quantum simulation of spin chains through to their experimental realizations, and beyond into machine learning applications.

This book addresses to the materials scientists, physicists, chemists, biologists, and electrical engineers engaged in fundamental and applied research or technical investigations on such materials. The goal of the International Symposium on Dielectric Materials and Applications conference series is to provide an innovative platform for key researchers, scientists from all over the world to exchange ideas and to hold wide ranging discussions on recent developments in dielectric materials and their new and emerging applications. The aim of ISyDMA meeting is to provide an international forum for the discussion of current research on high k-dielectric, electrical insulation, dielectric phenomena, and topics related to emerging applications.

The widespread interest this book has found among professors, scientists and stu dents working in a variety of fields has made a new edition necessary. I have used this opportunity to add three new chapters on recent developments. One of the most fascinating fields of modern science is cognitive science which has become a meet ing place of many disciplines ranging from mathematics over physics and computer science to psychology. Here, one of the important links between these fields is the concept of information which, however, appears in various disguises, be it as Shan non information or as semantic information (or as something still different). So far, meaning seemed to be exorcised from Shannon information, whereas meaning plays a central role in semantic (or as it is sometimes called "pragmatic") information. In the new chapter 13 it will be shown, however, that there is an important interplay between Shannon and semantic information and that, in particular, the latter plays a decisive role in the fixation of Shannon information and, in cognitive processes, al lows a drastic reduction of that information. A second, equally fascinating and rapidly developing field for mathematicians, computer scientists and physicists is quantum information and quantum computa tion. The inclusion of these topics is a must for any modern treatise dealing with in formation. It becomes more and more evident that the abstract concept of informa tion is inseparably tied up with its realizations in the physical world."

The main objective of this book is to cover the basic understanding of thermal conduction mechanisms in various high thermal conductivity materials including diamond, cubic boron nitride, and also the latest material like carbon nanotubes.

The book is intended as a good reference book for scientists and engineers involved in addressing thermal management issues in a broad spectrum of industries.

Leading researchers from industry and academic institutions who are well known in their areas of expertise have contributed a chapter in the field of their interest.

An up-to-date collection of tutorial papers on the latest advances in the deposition and growth of thin films for micro and nano technologies. The emphasis is on fundamental aspects, principles and applications of deposition techniques used for the fabrication of micro and nano devices. The deposition of thin films is described, emphasising the gas phase and surface chemistry and its effects on the growth rates and properties of films. Gas-phase phenomena, surface chemistry, growth mechanisms and the modelling of deposition processes are thoroughly described and discussed to provide a clear understanding of the growth of thin films and microstructures via thermally activated, laser induced, photon assisted, ion beam assisted, and plasma enhanced vapour deposition processes.

A handbook for engineers and scientists and an introduction for students of microelectronics.

Spectroscopy of Defects in Organic Crystals presents a masterly summary of the widespread and voluminous literature on the subject, presenting theoretical and experimental investigations of electron and vibronic optical spectra of organic crystals. Electronic states of defects combine to form crystal near-to-band and band levels. These are discrete states in the vicinity of exciton bands, surface and dislocational excitons, etc. Some studies have expressed dissimilar or even conflicting opinions about the nature of observed phenomena. In the choice of the material, preference has been given to phenomena which have received a theoretical interpretation. Some attention is paid to observations which are not completely understood and also to effects predicted but not yet confirmed. The monograph will be useful for scientists as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students of solid state physics.

Particulate products make up around 80% of chemical products, from all industry sectors. Examples given in this book include the construction materials, fine ceramics and concrete; the delicacies, chocolate and ice cream; pharmaceutical, powders, medical inhalers and sun screen; liquid and powder paints. Size distribution and the shape of the particles provide for different functionalities in these products. Some functions are general, others specific. General functions are powder flow and require at the typical particulate concentrations of these products that the particles cause adequate rheological behavior during processing and/or for product performance. Therefore, this book addresses particle packing as well as its relation to powder flow and rheological behavior. Moreover, general relationships to particle size are discussed for e.g. color and sensorial aspects of particulate products. Product-specific functionalities are often relevant for comparable product groups. Particle size distribution and shape provide, for example, the following functionalities:

- dense particle packing in relation to sufficient strength is required in concrete construction, ceramic objects and pharmaceutical tablets

- good sensorial properties (mouthfeel) to chocolate and ice cream

- effective dissolution, flow and compression properties for pharmaceutical powders

- adequate hiding power and effective coloring of paints for protection and the desired esthetical appeal of the objects

- adequate protection of our body against sun light by sunscreen

- effective particle transport and deposition to desired locations for medical inhalers and powder paints.

Adequate particle size distribution, shape and porosity of particulate products have to be achieved in order to reach optimum product performance. This requires adequate management of design and development as well as sufficient knowledge of the underlying principles of physics and chemistry. Moreover, flammability, explosivity and other health hazards from powders, during handling, are taken into account. This is necessary, since great risks may be involved. In all aspects, the most relevant parameters of the size distribution (and particle shape) have to be selected.

In this book, experts in the different product fields have contributed to the product chapters. This provides optimum information on what particulate aspects are most relevant for behavior and performance within specified industrial products and how optimum results can be obtained. It differs from other books in the way that the critical aspects of different products are reported, so that similarities and differences can be identified. We trust that this approach will lead to improved optimization in design, development and quality of many particulate products."

Advanced fiber materials have been developed for various superior applications because of their higher mechanical flexibility, high-temperature resistance, and outstanding chemical stability. This book presents an overview of the current development of advanced fiber materials, fabrication methods, and applications. Applications covered include pollution control, environment, energy, information storage technology, optical and photonic, photocatalysis, textile, drug delivery, tumor therapy, corrosion protection applications, and a state of art of advanced fiber materials.

Warm Dense Matter (WDM) occupies a loosely defined region of phase space intermediate between solid, liquid, gas, and plasma, and typically shares characteristics of two or more of these phases. WDM is generally associated with the combination of strongly coupled ions and moderately degenerate electrons, and careful attention to quantum physics and electronic structure is essential. The lack of a small perturbation parameter greatly limits approximate attempts at its accurate description. Since WDM resides at the intersection of solid state and high energy density physics, many high energy density physics (HEDP) experiments pass through this difficult region of phase space. Thus, understanding and modeling WDM is key to the success of experiments on diverse facilities. These include the National Ignition Campaign centered on the National Ignition Facility (NIF), pulsed-power driven experiments on the Z machine, ion-beam-driven WDM experiments on the NDCX-II, and fundamental WDM research at the Linear Coherent Light Source (LCLS). Warm Dense Matter is also ubiquitous in planetary science and astrophysics, particularly with respect to unresolved questions concerning the structure and age of the gas giants, the nature of exosolar planets, and the cosmochronology of white dwarf stars. In this book we explore established and promising approaches to the modeling of WDM, foundational issues concerning the correct theoretical description of WDM, and the challenging practical issues of numerically modeling strongly coupled systems with many degrees of freedom.

The exciting field of nanostructured materials offers many challenging perspectives for fundamental research and technological applications. The combination of quantum mechanics, interaction, phase coherence, and magnetism are important for understanding many physical phenomena in these systems. This book provides an overview of many aspects of interacting electrons in nanostructures, including such interesting topics as quantum dots, quantum wires, molecular electronics, dephasing, spintronics, and nanomechanics. The content reflects the current research in this area and is written by leading experts in the field.

The thesis presents a systematic study of the Mpemba effect in a colloidal system with a micron-sized particle diffusing in a water bath. While the Mpemba effect, where a system's thermal relaxation time is a non-monotonic function of the initial temperature, has been observed in water since Aristotle's era, the underlying mechanism of the effect is still unknown. Recent studies indicate that the effect is not limited to water and has been studied both experimentally and numerically in a wide variety of systems. By carefully designing a double-well potential using feedback-based optical tweezers, the author demonstrates that an initially hot system can sometimes cool faster than an initially warm system. The author also presents the first observation in any system of another counterintuitive effect-the inverse Mpemba effect-where the colder of the two samples reaches the thermal equilibrium at a hot temperature first. The results for both the observations agree with theoretical predictions based on the Fokker-Planck equation. The experiments reveal that, for carefully chosen conditions, a strong version of both of the effects are observed where a system can relax to the bath temperature exponentially faster than under typical conditions.

Optically Polarized Atoms is addressed at upper-level undergraduate and graduate students involved in research in atomic, molecular, and optical Physics. It will also be useful to researchers practicing in this field. It gives an intuitive, yet sufficiently detailed and rigorous introduction to light-atom interactions with a particular emphasis on the symmetry aspects of the interaction, especially those associated with the angular momentum of atoms and light. The book will enable readers to carry out practical calculations on their own, and is richly illustrated with examples drawn from current research topics, such as resonant nonlinear magneto-optical effects. The book comes with a software package for a variety of atomic-physics calculations and further interactive examples that is freely downloadable from the book's web page, as well as additional materials (such as power-point presentations) available to instructors who adopt the text for their courses.

Macromolecular self-assembly - driven by weak, non-covalent, intermolecular forces - is a common principle of structure formation in natural and synthetic organic materials. The variability in material arrangement on the nanometre length scale makes this an ideal way of matching the structure-function demands of photonic and optoelectronic devices. However, suitable soft matter systems typically lack the appropriate photoactivity, conductivity or chemically stability. This thesis explores the implementation of soft matter design principles for inorganic thin film nanoarchitectures. Sacrificial block copolymers and colloids are employed as structure-directing agents for the co-assembly of solution-based inorganic materials, such as TiO_2 and SiO_2. Novel fabrication and characterization methods allow unprecedented control of material formation on the 10 - 500 nm length scale, allowing the design of material architectures with interesting photonic and optoelectronic properties.