This book aims to introduce the reader to basic concepts concerning matter physics, describing how fundamental properties of atoms, molecules and condensed matter are affected by properties of electrons and by their interaction with electromagnetic waves.As an introductory text on basic properties of matter, the contents are designed for undergraduate students in electrical engineering. It is based on the lectures given by the author for over a decade on Matter Physics and Solid State Physics. It focuses on electronic properties to discuss the structure, electrical and optical properties of matter, and is organized into six chapters.The first chapter is a short review of the basic properties of electromagnetic waves, giving the basic concepts related to wave propagation to be handled easily to understand the subsequent topics. The next chapter on quantum mechanics helps to understand the quantum properties of matter using the simplest formalizations. Chapter 3 introduces the core of the book by using quantum mechanics to describe the electronic properties of the atom. Then, after atomic bonding, molecules and condensed matter are discussed before approaching the structural properties of crystal and soft matter. The following chapters (4 and 5) are then devoted to electrical properties and optical properties and address the main topics related to solid state and semiconductor physics as well as light-matter interaction. The final chapter 6, deals with the basic properties of lasers, due to the relevance of light sources in everyday life, and their widespread use in all branches of engineering.

This book gathers selected papers from the Chinese Materials Conference 2018 (CMC2018) held in Xiamen City, Fujian, China, on July 12-16, 2018. The Chinese Materials Conference (CMC) is the Chinese Materials Research Society's most important conference series and has been held annually since the early 1990s. The 2018 edition consisted of 32 domestic symposia, 2 international symposia and 1 international materials forum. This proceedings book covers the fields of advanced ceramic materials and polymer materials, and presents recent original research results from more than 300 research groups in various universities and research institutes.

This book presents a detailed description of the basic semiconductor physics. The reader is assumed to have a basic command of mathematics and some elementary knowledge of solid state physics. The text covers a wide range of important phenomena in semiconductors, from the simple to the advanced. The reader can understand three different methods of energy band calculations, empirical pseudo-potential, k.p perturbation and tight-binding methods. The effective mass approximation and electron motion in a periodic potential, Boltzmann transport equation and deformation potentials used for full band Monte Carlo simulation are discussed. Experiments and theoretical analysis of cyclotron resonance are discussed in detail because the results are essential to the understanding of semiconductor physics. Optical and transport properties, magneto-transport, two dimensional electron gas transport (HEMT and MOSFET), and quantum transport are reviewed, explaining optical transition, electron phonon interactions, electron mobility. Recent progress in quantum structures such as two-dimensional electron gas, superlattices, quantum Hall effect, electron confinement and the Landauer formula are included. The Quantum Hall effect is presented with different models. In the second edition, the addition energy and electronic structure of a quantum dot (artificial atom) are explained with the help of Slater determinants. Also the physics of semiconductor Lasers is described in detail including Einstein coefficients, stimulated emission, spontaneous emission, laser gain, double heterostructures, blue Lasers, optical confinement, laser modes, strained quantum wells lasers which will give insight into the physics of various kinds of semiconductor lasers, in addition to the various processes of luminescence.

Topological defects formed at symmetry-breaking phase transitions play an important role in many different fields of physics. They appear in many condensed-matter systems at low temperature; examples include vortices in superfluid helium-4, a rich variety of defects in helium-3, quantized mag netic flux tubes in type-II superconductors, and disclination lines and other defects in liquid crystals. In cosmology, unified gauge theories of particle interactions suggest a sequence of phase transitions in the very early uni verse some of which may lead to defect formation. In astrophysics, defects play an important role in the dynamics of neutron stars. In 1997 the European Science Foundation started the scientific network "Topological defects" headed by Tom Kibble. This network has provided us with a unique opportunity of establishing a collaboration between the representatives of these very different branches of modern physics. The NATO-ASI (Advanced Study Institute), held in Les Houches in February 1999 thanks to the support of the Scientific Division of NATO, the European Science Foundation and the CNRS, represents a key event of this ESF network. It brought together participants from widely different fields, with diverse expertise and vocabulary, fostering the exchange of ideas. The lectures given by particle physicists, cosmologists and condensed matter physicists are the result of the fruitful collaborations established since 1997 between groups in several European countries and in the U.S.A."

The book presents recent developments in the field of composites, investigated by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) and sheds a special focus on nanocomposites. This volume compares the results obtained by BDS with data from other methods like hyphenated calorimetry, dynamical-mechanical spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy and neutron scattering. The addressed systems range from all kinds of model systems, such as polymers filled with spherical silica particles, advanced materials such as polymers with molecular stickers or hyperbranched polymer-based matrices to industrially significant systems, like epoxy-based materials. The book offers an excellent insight to a valuable application of dielectric spectroscopy and it is a helpful guide for every scientist who wants to study dynamics in composite materials.

This book presents 57 peer-reviewed papers from the 12th Conference on Traffic and Granular Flow (TGF) held in Washington, DC, in July 2017. It offers a unique synthesis of the latest scientific findings made by researchers from different countries, institutions and disciplines. The research fields covered range from physics, computer science and engineering and they may be all grouped under the topic of "Traffic and Granular Flow". The main theme of the Conference was: "From Molecular Interactions to Internet of Things and Smart Cities: The Role of Technology in the Understanding and the Evolution of Particle Dynamics".

Nanotechnology is the creation of useful materials, devices, and systems through the control of matter on the nanometer-length scale. This takes place at the scale of atoms, molecules, and supramolecular structures. In the worldofchemistry,therationaldesignofmolecularstructuresandoptimized control of self-assembly conditions have enabled us to control the resultant self-assembled morphologies having 1 to 100-nm dimensions with sing- nanometer precision. This current research trend applying the bottom-up approach to molecules remarkably contrasts with the top-down approach in nanotechnology,inwhichelectronicdevicesareminiaturizingtosmallerthan 30nm.However,even engineers workingwithstate-of-the-artcomputer te- nology state that maintaining the rate of improvement based on Moore's law will be the most dif?cult challenge in the next decade. On the other hand, the excellent properties and intelligent functions of a variety of natural materials have inspired polymer and organic chemists to tailortheirsyntheticorganicalternativesbyextractingtheessentialstructural elements. In particular, one-dimensional structures in nature with sophis- catedhierarchy,suchasmyelinated axonsinneurons,tendon,proteintubesof tubulin, and spider webs, provide intriguingexamples of integrated functions and properties. Againstthisbackground,supramolecularself-assemblyofone-dimensional architectures like ?bers and tubes from amphiphilic molecules, bio-related molecules, and properly designed self-assembling polymer molecules has - tractedrapidlygrowinginterest.Theintrinsicpropertiesoforganicmolecules such asthe diversity ofstructures, facile implementation offunctionality,and theaggregationproperty,providein?nite possibilities forthedevelopment of new and interesting advanced materials in the near future. The morpholo- cally variable characteristics of supramolecular assemblies can also function as pre-organized templates to synthesize one-dimensional hybrid nanoc- posites. The obtained one-dimensional organic-inorganic, organic-bio, or organic-metal hybrid materials are potentially applicable to sensor/actuator arrays, nanowires,and opto-electricdevices. ThepresentvolumesonSelf-AssembledNano?bers(Volume219)andNa- tubes(Volume220)provideanoverviewonthoseaspectswithineightchapters.

This book addresses new challenges in soft matter and colloids. It presents timely reports on colloidal self-assembly, soft matters from liquid crystals, nanoparticles in liquid crystals, hydrocolloids, hybrid nanosystems, nanosuspensions, and dispersion of nanoparticles in different media, soft matter processing and modern experiments related with soft matters.

As concerns with the efficient use of energy resources, and the minimization of environmental damage have come to the fore, there has been a renewed interest in the role that thermoelectric devices could play in generating electricity from waste heat, enabling cooling via refrigerators with no moving parts, and many other more specialized applications. The main problem in realizing this ambition is the rather low efficiency of such devices for general applications. This book deals with the proceedings of a workshop addressed that problems by reviewing the latest experimental and theoretical work on suitable materials for device applications and by exploring various strategies that might increase their efficiency.

The proceedings cover a broad range of approaches, from the experimental work of fabricating new compounds through to theoretical work in characterizing and understanding their properties. The effects of strong electron correlation, disorder, the proximity to metal-insulator transitions, the properties of layered composite materials, and the introduction of voids or cages into the structure to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity are all explored as ways of enhancing the efficiency of their use in thermoelectric devices.

The second volume in the author's three-part series, Properties of Materials uses the principles of classical mechanics to qualitatively and quantitatively model specific features of matter. The text develops linear models of elasticity to correlate and quantify the changes in an object's shape induced by the application of a constant force. It describes quiescent and flowing liquids and gases and examines the behavior of oscillating systems subjected to time-dependent external applied forces. The author employs linear superposition to analyze the combined effects of two or more waves simultaneously present in a medium, such as standing waves, beating, interference, and diffraction. The book considers acoustics, including the production, propagation, and perception of sound, as well as optics, including the laws of reflection and refraction. It also treats temperature, heat, and thermometry before applying the laws of thermodynamics to ideal gas systems. Throughout the investigations of particular phenomena, the author emphasizes the modeling of composite systems assembled from simple constituents. This text extends the rigorous calculus-based introduction to classical physics begun in his Elements of Mechanics. With more than 300 problems, it can serve as a primary textbook in an introductory physics course, as a student supplement, or as an exam review for graduate or professional studies. Solutions manual available upon qualifying course adoption View the author's related textbooks Elements of Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism. Read reviews of Elements of Mechanics.

The morphology of spatially stuctured materials is a rapidly growing field of research at the interface of statistical physics, applied mathematics and materials science. A wide spectrum of applications encompasses the flow through porous and composite materials as well as microemulsions and foams. Written as a set of lectures and tutorial reviews leading up to the forefront of research, this book will be both a compendium for the experienced researcher as well as a high level introductory text for postgraduate students and nonspecialist researchers working in related areas.

Pressure is one of the essential thermodynamic variables that, due to some former experimental difficulties, was long known as the forgotten variable. But this has changed over the last decade. This book includes the most essential first experiments from the 1960s and reviews the progress made in understanding glass formation with the application of pressure in the last ten years. The systems include amorphous polymers and glass-forming liquids, polypeptides and polymers blends. The thermodynamics of these systems, the relation of the structural relaxation to the chemical specificity, and their present and future potential applications are discussed in detail. The book provides (a) an overview of systems exhibiting glassy behavior in relation to their molecular structure and provides readers with the current state of knowledge on the liquid-to-glass transformation, (b) emphasizes the relation between thermodynamic state and dynamic response and (c) shows that the information on the pressure effects on dynamics can be employed in the design of materials for particular applications. It is meant to serve as an advanced introductory book for scientists and graduate students working or planning to work with dynamics. Several scientific papers dealing with the effects of pressure on dynamics have appeared in leading journals in the fields of physics in the last ten years. The book provides researchers and students new to the field with an overview of the knowledge that has been gained in a coherent and comprehensive way.

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Solid state ionics is a multidisciplinary scientific and industrial field dealing with ionic transport phenomena in solids. In a couple of decades, solid state ionics has become one of the largest disciplines closely related to energy technologies, such as batteries, fuel cells, and so on.So far, a large number of scientists and engineers in Asia as well as in Europe and US are engaged in the research in solid state ionics. In the context of such a situation, the Asian Society for Solid State Ionics was founded in 1986, and a series of academic conferences has been held biennially since 1988. In 2012, the 13th conference is organized in Sendai, Japan.This book provides research papers describing the latest developments and findings in the field of solid state ionics. The selected contributions from prominent researchers in the Asian Society for Solid State Ionics, which are presented at the 13th Asian Conference on Solid State Ionics, can be found. The papers in this book are detailed and suitable to understand recent research trends in solid state ionics, and thus will be a valuable resource for physicists, chemists, and material scientists.br>

This book is the third volume of review papers on advanced problems of phase transitions and critical phenomena, following the success of the first two volumes in 2004 and in 2007. Broadly, the book aims to demonstrate that the phase transition theory, which experienced its 'golden age' during the 70s and 80s, is far from over and there is still a good deal of work to be done, both at the fundamental level and in respect of applications.This volume presents a broad spectrum of problems connected with criticality. It covers its theoretical backgrounds, analytical approaches and numerical simulations to describe criticality in specific systems (ionic fluids, diluted magnets, polymers), as well as phase transitions on complex networks and in the minority game model. As the first two volumes, this book is based on the review lectures that were given in Lviv (Ukraine) at the "Ising lectures" - a traditional annual workshop on phase transitions and critical phenomena which brings together scientists working in the field with university students and those who are interested in the subject.

Solid-State Physics, Superconductivity: Electronic Structure of Highly Correlated Systems; L.M. Falicov, J.K. Freericks. Quantum Fluids: Unusual One-Electron States on the Surface of Liquid Helium; E. Baskin. Nuclear Physics: Nucleonic Superfluid; J.W. Clark, et al. Atoms and Molecules: Fock-Space Coupled Cluster Method; S.R. Hughes, U. Kaldor. Classical Fluids, Polymers, Plasmas: Fluids of Hard Convex Molecules; M.S. Wertheim. Lattice Theories, Phase Transitions: Line Tension at Wetting and Prewetting Transitions; B. Widom. Cellular Automata: Cellular Automata and Spread of Damage; C. Tsallis. Fundamental Quantum Mechanics: Hannay Angle in Classical Mechanics and its Gauge-Invariant Generalization; D. Kobe. 51 additional articles. Index.

Physics of Continuous Matter: Exotic and Everyday Phenomena in the Macroscopic World, Second Edition provides an introduction to the basic ideas of continuum physics and their application to a wealth of macroscopic phenomena. The text focuses on the many approximate methods that offer insight into the rich physics hidden in fundamental continuum mechanics equations. Like its acclaimed predecessor, this second edition introduces mathematical tools on a "need-to-know" basis. New to the Second EditionThis edition includes three new chapters on elasticity of slender rods, energy, and entropy. It also offers more margin drawings and photographs and improved images of simulations. Along with reorganizing much of the material, the author has revised many of the physics arguments and mathematical presentations to improve clarity and consistency. The collection of problems at the end of each chapter has been expanded as well. These problems further develop the physical and mathematical concepts presented. With worked examples throughout, this book clearly illustrates both qualitative and quantitative physics reasoning. It emphasizes the importance in understanding the physical principles behind equations and the conditions underlying approximations. A companion website provides a host of ancillary materials, including software programs, color figures, and additional problems.

This book discusses the synthesis of chitosan-based solid foams using foam templating. Solid foams with pore sizes between a few micrometres and a few millimetres are widely used in a range of established and emerging applications, including filtration, catalysis, sound and thermal insulation, human protection, and tissue engineering. They are lightweight with large surface-to-volume ratios, and have excellent mechanical, acoustic, and thermal properties. However, most foaming processes are extremely complex, and there remains a lack of sound scientific understanding of-and therefore control over-the parameters that determine the properties of the material. One route towards tailor-made solid foams is liquid foam templating, where the liquid foam is generated first (with the desired structure) before being solidified into a solid foam with the desired structure. This book describes how liquid foam templating can be used to synthesise monodisperse solid foams as well as solid foams with a tuneable polydispersity.

This open access book collects the contributions of the seventh school on Magnetism and Synchrotron Radiation held in Mittelwihr, France, from 7 to 12 October 2018. It starts with an introduction to the physics of modern X-ray sources followed by a general overview of magnetism. Next, light / matter interaction in the X-ray range is covered with emphasis on different types of angular dependence of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and scattering. In the end, two domains where synchrotron radiation-based techniques led to new insights in condensed matter physics, namely spintronics and superconductivity, are discussed. The book is intended for advanced students and researchers to get acquaintance with the basic knowledge of X-ray light sources and to step into synchrotron-based techniques for magnetic studies in condensed matter physics or chemistry.

Covers not only near-field optical microscopy but also wider fields such as local spectroscopy, nano-scale optical processing, quantum near-field optics, and atom manipulation.

The complete work consists of a two-volume set, describing two main classes of non-equilibrium phase-transitions, and surveys two main aspects of non-equilibrium phase-transitions: (a) transitions in the steady-state and (b) transitions in the relaxation behavior.Volume 1, Absorbing Phase Transitions, published in 2008, covered the statics and dynamics of transitions into an absorbing state. This volume 2 covers dynamical scaling in far-from-equilibrium relaxation behaviour and ageing. Motivated initially by experimental results, dynamical scaling has now been recognised as a cornerstone in the modern understanding of far from equilibrium relaxation. Dynamical scaling is systematically introduced, starting from coarsening phenomena, and existing analytical results and numerical estimates of universal non-equilibrium exponents and scaling functions are reviewed in detail. Ageing phenomena in glasses, as well as in simple magnets, are paradigmatic examples of non-equilibrium dynamical scaling, but may also be found in irreversible systems of chemical reactions. Recent theoretical work sought to understand if dynamical scaling may be just a part of a larger symmetry, called local scale-invariance. Initially, this was motivated by certain analogies with the conformal invariance of equilibrium phase transitions; this work has recently reached a degree of completion and the research is presented, systematically and in detail, in book form for the first time. Numerous worked-out exercises are included. Quite similar ideas apply to the phase transitions of equilibrium systems with competing interactions and interesting physical realisations, for example in Lifshitz points. Aimed at researchers and graduate students in physics, the book is also suitable supplementary reading for advanced undergraduate students.

In the quest for higher data density in information technology manipulation of magnetization by other means than magnetic fields has become an important challenge. This lead to a startling revival of the magnetoelectric effect, which characterizes induction of a polarization by a magnetic field or of a magnetization by an electric field. The magnetoelectric crosslink of material properties opens just those degrees of freedom which are needed for the mutual control of magnetic and electric states. The book gives a state-of-the-art review on magnetoelectrics research, classifies current research tendencies, and points out possible future trends. Novel compounds and growth techniques and new theoretical concepts for the understanding of magnetoelectric coupling phenomena are introduced. Highlights are the discovery of "gigantic" magnetoelectric effects which are strong enough to trigger electric or magnetic phase transitions; the concept of magnetochirality; and development "structural" magnetoelectric effects in artificial multiphase compounds. The book is addressed to condensed-matter physicists with a particular focus on experts in highly correlated systems.

This thesis offers a fascinating journey through various non-perturbative aspects of Conformal Theories, in particular focusing on the Conformal Bootstrap Programme and its extensions to theories with various degrees of symmetry. Because of the preeminent role of Conformal Theories in Nature, as well as the great generality of the results here obtained, this analysis directly applies to many different areas of research. The content of this thesis is certainly relevant for the physics community as a whole and this relevance is well motivated and discussed along the various chapters of this work. The work is self-contained and starts with an original introduction to conformal theories, defects in such theories and how they lead to constraints on data and an extension of the bootstrap programme. This situation is often realized by critical systems with impurities, topological insulators, or - in the high-energy context - by Wilson and 't Hooft operators. The thesis continues with original research results of the author, including supersymmetric extensions. These results may be relevant non only in the high energy physics context - where supersymmetry is required for the theory to be consistent - but also for condensed matter systems that enjoy supersymmetry emergence at long distances.

This book is the fourth in the series of review papers on advanced problems of phase transitions and critical phenomena, the first three volumes appeared in 2004, 2007, and 2012. It presents reviews in those aspects of criticality and related subjects that have currently attracted much attention due to new and essential contributions. The contents are divided into five chapters, and they include: anomalous diffusion, kinetics of pattern formation, scaling, renormalization group approaches in soft matter and socio-physics, Monte Carlo simulation of critical Casimir forces.As with the first three volumes, this book is based on the review lectures that were given in Lviv (Ukraine) at the "Ising lectures" - a traditional annual workshop on phase transitions and critical phenomena which aims to bring together scientists working in these fields with university students and those who are interested in the subject.

This book covers all principal aspects of currently investigated frustrated systems, from exactly solved frustrated models to real experimental frustrated systems, going through renormalization group treatment, Monte Carlo investigation of frustrated classical Ising and vector spin models, low-dimensional systems, spin ice and quantum spin glass. The reader can - within a single book - obtain a global view of the current research development in the field of frustrated systems.This new edition is updated with recent theoretical, numerical and experimental developments in the field of frustrated spin systems. The first edition of the book appeared in 2005. In this edition, more recent works until 2012 are reviewed. It contains nine chapters written by researchers who have actively contributed to the field. Many results are from recent works of the authors.The book is intended for postgraduate students as well as researchers in statistical physics, magnetism, materials science and various domains where real systems can be described with the spin language. Explicit demonstrations of formulas and full arguments leading to important results are given where it is possible to do so.

Topological Phases of Matter are an exceptionally dynamic field of research: several of the most exciting recent experimental discoveries and conceptual advances in modern physics have originated in this field. These have generated new, topological, notions of order, interactions and excitations. This text provides an accessible, unified and comprehensive introduction to the phenomena surrounding topological matter, with detailed expositions of the underlying theoretical tools and conceptual framework, alongside accounts of the central experimental breakthroughs. Among the systems covered are topological insulators, magnets, semimetals, and superconductors. The emergence of new particles with remarkable properties such as fractional charge and statistics is discussed alongside possible applications such as fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. Suitable as a textbook for graduate or advanced undergraduate students, or as a reference for more experienced researchers, the book assumes little prior background, providing self-contained introductions to topics as varied as phase transitions, superconductivity, and localisation.