Metallic quantum clusters belonging to intermediate size regime between two and few hundred of atoms, represent unique building blocks of new materials. Nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics of liganded silver and gold quantum clusters reveal remarkable features which can be tuned by size, structure and composition. The two-photon absorption cross sections of liganded noble metal quantum clusters are several orders of magnitude larger than that of commercially-available dyes. Therefore, the fundamental photophysical understanding of those two-photon processes in liganded clusters with few metal atoms deserve special attention, in particularly in context of finding the mechanisms responsible for these properties. A broad range of state-of-the-art experimental methods to determine nonlinear optical properties (i.e. two-photon absorption, two-photon excited fluorescence and second harmonic generation) of quantum clusters are presented. The experimental setup and underlying physical concepts are described. Furthermore, the theoretical models and corresponding approaches are used allowing to explain the experimental observations and simultaneously offering the possibility to deduce the key factors necessary to design new classes of nanoclusters with large NLO properties. Additionally, selected studied cases of liganded silver and gold quantum clusters with focus on their NLO properties will be presented as promising candidates for applications in imaging techniques such as fluorescence microscopy or Second-Harmonic Generation microscopy.

In this book the coherent quantum transport of electrons through two-dimensional mesoscopic structures is explored in dependence of the interplay between the confining geometry and the impact of applied magnetic fields, aiming at conductance controllability. After a top-down, insightful presentation of the elements of mesoscopic devices and transport theory, a computational technique which treats multiterminal structures of arbitrary geometry and topology is developed. The method relies on the modular assembly of the electronic propagators of subsystems which are inter- or intra-connected providing large flexibility in system setups combined with high computational efficiency. Conductance control is first demonstrated for elongated quantum billiards and arrays thereof where a weak magnetic field tunes the current by phase modulation of interfering lead-coupled states geometrically separated from confined states. Soft-wall potentials are then employed for efficient and robust conductance switching by isolating energy persistent, collimated or magnetically deflected electron paths from Fano resonances. In a multiterminal configuration, the guiding and focusing property of curved boundary sections enables magnetically controlled directional transport with input electron waves flowing exclusively to selected outputs. Together with a comprehensive analysis of characteristic transport features and spatial distributions of scattering states, the results demonstrate the geometrically assisted design of magnetoconductance control elements in the linear response regime.

This book covers the basic theory, practical details and advanced research of the implementation of evolutionary methods on physical substrates. Most of the examples are from electronic engineering applications, including transistor-level design and system-level implementation. The authors present an overview of the successes achieved, and the book will act as a point of reference for both academic and industrial researchers.

Presenting a complete guide for the planning, design and implementation of solar PV systems for off-grid applications, this book features analysis based on the authors’ own laboratory testing as well as their in the field experiences. Incorporating the latest developments in smart-digital and control technologies into the design criteria of the PV system, this book will also focus on how to integrate newer smart design approaches and techniques for improving the efficiency, reliability and flexibility of the entire system. The design and implementation of India’s first-of its-kind Smart Mini-Grid system (SMG) at TERI premises, which involves the integration of multiple renewable energy resources (including solar PV) through smart controllers for managing the load intelligently and effectively is presented as a key case study. Maximizing reader insights into the performance of different components of solar PV systems under different operating conditions, the book will be of interest to graduate students, researchers, PV designers, planners, and practitioners working in the area of solar PV design, implementation and assessment.

This volume builds on the previous two editions, Environmental Photochemistry Part I and Part II, which reflect the diverse range of activities in this highly dynamic research field. The chapters cover fundamental topics, from photocatalyst materials, surface-modified materials, reaction kinetics and reactor modelling, to translational research activities on chemical synthesis, energy conversion and water treatment. The applications of the new generation of LED irradiation sources and spectroscopic methods for elucidating reaction pathways are also covered in detail. This new volume maintains the ethos of the previous editions by further contributing to readers’ understanding of photochemical and photocatalytic processes for environmental applications. 

Originally published in 1954, as a second edition of a 1947 original, this book explores in depth the rapid research and development of radar technology throughout the Second World War. Notably, the subject matter of radar falls into two distinct categories: the principles of the subject and their application to practical use. The principles are described in the first sixteen chapters of the book, whilst the last three chapters deal with the practical application of radar. The book also presents a description of military radar, the civil uses of radar and the extensive applications of radar technique in the physical sciences. Diagrams and photographs are included for reference. This book will be of great value to scholars of the history of physics.

This volume reviews the latest trends in organic optoelectronic materials. Each comprehensive chapter allows graduate students and newcomers to the field to grasp the basics, whilst also ensuring that they have the most up-to-date overview of the latest research. Topics include: organic conductors and semiconductors; conducting polymers and conjugated polymer semiconductors, as well as their applications in organic field-effect-transistors; organic light-emitting diodes; and organic photovoltaics and transparent conducting electrodes. The molecular structures, synthesis methods, physicochemical and optoelectronic properties of the organic optoelectronic materials are also introduced and described in detail. The authors also elucidate the structures and working mechanisms of organic optoelectronic devices and outline fundamental scientific problems and future research directions. This volume is invaluable to all those interested in organic optoelectronic materials.

This book covers modern analog components, their characteristics, and interactions with process parameters. It serves as a comprehensive guide, addressing both the theoretical and practical aspects of modern silicon devices and the relationship between their electrical properties and processing conditions. Based on the authors' extensive experience in the development of analog devices, this book is intended for engineers and scientists in semiconductor research, development and manufacturing. The problems at the end of each chapter and the numerous charts, figures and tables also make it appropriate for use as a text in graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in electrical engineering and materials science.

This concise book offers an essential introduction and reference guide for the many newcomers to the field of physics of elemental 2D materials. Silicene and related materials are currently among the most actively studied materials, especially following the first experimental synthesis on substrates in 2012. Accordingly, this primer introduces and reviews the most crucial developments regarding silicene from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. At the same time the reader is guided through the extensive body of relevant foundational literature. The text starts with a brief history of silicene, followed by a comparison of the bonding nature in silicon versus carbon atoms. Here, a simple but robust framework is established to help the reader follow the concepts presented throughout the book. The book then presents the atomic and electronic structure of free-standing silicene, followed by an account of the experimental realization of silicene on substrates. This topic is subsequently developed further to discuss various reconstructions that silicene acquires due to interactions with the substrate and how such effects are mirrored in the electronic properties. Next the book examines the dumbbell structure that is the key to understanding the growth mechanism and atomic structure of multilayer silicene. Last but not least, it addresses similar effects in other elemental 2D materials from group IV (germanene, stanane), group V (phosphorene) and group III (borophene), as well as transition metal dichalcogenides and other compositions, so as to provide a general comparative overview of their electronic properties.

The influence of size effects on the properties of nanostructures is subject of this book. Size and interfacial effects in oxides, semiconductors, magnetic and superconducting nanostructures, from very simple to very complex, are considered. The most general meaning is assumed for size effects, including not only the influence of a reduced dimension/dimensionality, but also specific interfacial effects. Preparation and characterization tools are explained for various nanostructures. The specific applications are discussed with respect to size-related properties. A logic implication of type phenomenon-property-material-application is envisaged throughout this work.

This book presents 8 selected reviews from the 2013 International Conference on Manufacturing, Optimization, Industrial and Material Engineering, held in Bandung, Indonesia, 09-10 March 2013. The chapters focus on new advances and research results in the fields of Nanotechnology and Materials Science, from metals to thin films technology.

The last decade has witnessed the discovery of, and dramatic progress in understanding the physics of graphene and related two-dimensional materials. The development of methods for manufacturing and aligning high-quality two-dimensional crystals has facilitated the creation of a new generation of materials: the heterostructures of graphene with hexagonal crystals, in which the graphene electrons acquire new, qualitatively different properties. This thesis provides a comprehensive theoretical framework in which to understand these heterostructures, based on the tight binding model, perturbation theory, group theory and the concept of the moire superlattice (all of which are elucidated). It explains how graphene heterostructures provide new opportunities for tailoring band structure, such as creating additional Dirac points or opening band gaps and how they manifest themselves in transport measurements, optical absorption spectra and the fractal Hofstadter spectra. Also considered are the heterostructures of bilayer graphene and resonant tunneling in aligned graphene/insulator/graphene devices.

This book is the result of the extensive experience the authors gained through their year-long occupation at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Banja Luka. Starting at the fundamental basics of electrical engineering, the book guides the reader into this field and covers all the relevant types of converters and regulators. Understanding is enhanced by the given examples, exercises and solutions. Thus this book can be used as a textbook for students, for self-study or as a reference book for professionals.

The advent of microelectromechanic system (MEMS) technologies and nanotechnologies has resulted in a multitude of structures and devices with ultra compact dimensions and with vastly enhanced or even completely novel properties. In the field of photonics it resulted in the appearance of new paradigms, including photonic crystals that exhibit photonic bandgap and represent an optical analog of semiconductors and metamaterials that have subwavelength features and may have almost arbitrary values of effective refractive index, including those below zero. In addition to that, a whole new field of plasmonics appeared, dedicated to the manipulation with evanescent, surface-bound electromagnetic waves and offering an opportunity to merge nanoelectronics with all-optical circuitry. In the field of infrared technologies MEMS and nanotechnologies ensured the appearance of a new generation of silicon-based thermal detectors with properties vastly surpassing the conventional thermal devices. However, another family of infrared detectors, photonic devices based on narrow-bandgap semiconductors, has traditionally been superior to thermal detectors. Literature about their micro and nanophotonic enhancement has been scarce and scattered through journals. This book offers the first systematic approach to numerous different MEMS and nanotechnology-based methods available for the improvement of photonic infrared detectors and points out to a path towards uncooled operation with the performance of cryogenically cooled devices. It is shown that a vast area for enhancement does exists and that photonic devices can readily keep their leading position in infrared detection. The various methods and approaches described in the book are also directly applicable to different other types of photodetectors like solar cells, often with little or no modification.

This textbook, now in its third edition, provides a formative introduction to the structure of matter that will serve as a sound basis for students proceeding to more complex courses, thus bridging the gap between elementary physics and topics pertaining to research activities. The focus is deliberately limited to key concepts of atoms, molecules and solids, examining the basic structural aspects without paying detailed attention to the related properties. For many topics the aim has been to start from the beginning and to guide the reader to the threshold of advanced research. This edition includes four new chapters dealing with relevant phases of solid matter (magnetic, electric and superconductive) and the related phase transitions. The book is based on a mixture of theory and solved problems that are integrated into the formal presentation of the arguments. Readers will find it invaluable in enabling them to acquire basic knowledge in the wide and wonderful field of condensed matter and to understand how phenomenological properties originate from the microscopic, quantum features of nature.

In this book anisotropic one-dimensional and two-dimensional nanoscale building blocks and their assembly into fascinating and qualitatively new functional structures embracing both hard and soft components are explained. Contributions from leading experts regarding important aspects like synthesis, assembly, properties and applications of the above materials are compiled into a reference book. The anisotropy, i.e. the direction-dependent physical properties, of materials is fascinating and elegant and has sparked the quest for anisotropic materials with useful properties. With such a curiosity, material scientists have ventured into the realm of nanometer length scale and have explored the anisotropic nanoscale building blocks such as metallic and nonmetallic particles as well as organic molecular aggregates. It turns out that the anisotropic nanoscale building blocks, in addition to direction-dependent properties, exhibit dimension and morphology dependence of physical properties. Moreover, ordered arrays of anisotropic nanoscale building blocks furnish novel properties into the resulting system which would be entirely different from the properties of individual ones. Undoubtedly, these promising properties have qualified them as enabling building blocks of 21st century materials science, nanoscience and nanotechnology. Readers will find this book professionally valuable and intellectually stimulating in the rapidly emerging area of anisotropic nanomaterials. Quan Li, Ph.D., is Director of the Organic Synthesis and Advanced Materials Laboratory at the Liquid Crystal Institute of Kent State University, where he is also Adjunct Professor in the Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program. He has directed research projects funded by US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFSOR), US Army Research Office (ARO), US Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (DoD MURI), US National Science Foundation (NSF), US Department of Energy (DOE), US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Ohio Third Frontier, and Samsung Electronics, among others.

Using the nano metric resolution of atomic force microscopy techniques, this work explores the rich fundamental physics and novel functionalities of domain walls in ferroelectric materials, the nano scale interfaces separating regions of differently oriented spontaneous polarization. Due to the local symmetry-breaking caused by the change in polarization, domain walls are found to possess an unexpected lateral piezoelectric response, even when this is symmetry-forbidden in the parent material. This has interesting potential applications in electromechanical devices based on ferroelectric domain patterning. Moreover, electrical conduction is shown to arise at domain walls in otherwise insulating lead zirconate titanate, the first such observation outside of multiferroic bismuth ferrite, due to the tendency of the walls to localize defects. The role of defects is then explored in the theoretical framework of disordered elastic interfaces possessing a characteristic roughness scaling and complex dynamic response. It is shown that the heterogeneous disorder landscape in ferroelectric thin films leads to a breakdown of the usual self-affine roughness, possibly related to strong pinning at individual defects. Finally, the roles of varying environmental conditions and defect densities in domain switching are explored and shown to be adequately modelled as a competition between screening effects and pinning.

Graphene has grasped the attention of academia and industry world-wide due its unique structure and reported advantageous properties. This was reflected via the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics being awarded for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene. One particular area in which graphene has been extensively explored is electrochemistry where it is potentially the world’s thinnest electrode material. Graphene has been widely reported to perform beneficially over existing electrode materials when used within energy production or storage devices and when utilised to fabricate electrochemical sensors. This book charts the history of graphene, depicting how it has made an impact in the field of electrochemistry and how scientists are trying to unravel its unique properties, which has, surprisingly led to its fall from grace in some areas. A fundamental introduction into Graphene Electrochemistry is given, through which readers can acquire the tools required to effectively explain and interpret the vast array of graphene literature. The readers is provided with the appropriate insights required to be able to design and implement diligent electrochemical experiments when utilising graphene as an electrode material.

The application of molecules in technological devices hinges on the proper understanding of their behavior on metallic electrodes or substrates. The intrinsic molecular electronic and magnetic properties are modified at a metallic interface, and greatly depend on the atomic configuration of the molecule-metal bond. This poses certain problems, such as the lack of reproducibility in the transport properties of molecular junctions, but also offers the possibility to induce new charge and spin configurations that are only present at the interface. The results presented in this thesis address this issue, providing a comprehensive overview of the influence of molecule-metal and molecule-molecule interactions on the electronic and magnetic properties of molecules adsorbed on metallic substrates. Using metal-phthalocyanines (MePc), a commonly used metal-organic complex as a model system, each chapter explores different aspects of the interaction with silver surfaces: the local adsorption geometry, self-assembly, the modifications of the electronic and magnetic characteristics due to hybridization and charge transfer, and finally the manipulation of molecular charge and spin states by electron doping using alkali atoms moved with the STM tip.

The book is devoted to the problem of microgeometry properties and anisotropy relations in modern piezo-active composites. These materials are characterized by various electromechanical properties and remarkable abilities to convert mechanical energy into electric energy and vice versa. Advantages of the performance of the composites are discussed in the context of the orientation effects, first studied by the authors for main connectivity patterns and with due regard to a large anisotropy of effective piezoelectric coefficients and electromechanical coupling factors. The novelty of the book consists in the systematization results of orientation effects, the anisotropy of piezoelectric properties and their role in forming considerable hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficients, electromechanical coupling factors and other parameters in the composites based on either ferroelectric ceramic or relaxor-ferroelectric single crystals.

Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.

This book presents the basics and characterization of defects at oxide surfaces. It provides a state-of-the-art review of the field, containing information to the various types of surface defects, describes analytical methods to study defects, their chemical activity and the catalytic reactivity of oxides. Numerical simulations of defective structures complete the picture developed. Defects on planar surfaces form the focus of much of the book, although the investigation of powder samples also form an important part. The experimental study of planar surfaces opens the possibility of applying the large armoury of techniques that have been developed over the last half-century to study surfaces in ultra-high vacuum. This enables the acquisition of atomic level data under well-controlled conditions, providing a stringent test of theoretical methods. The latter can then be more reliably applied to systems such as nanoparticles for which accurate methods of characterization of structure and electronic properties have yet to be developed. The book gives guidance to tailor oxide surfaces by controlling the nature and concentration of defects. The importance of defects in the physics and chemistry of metal oxide surfaces is presented in this book together with the prominent role of oxides in common life. The book contains contributions from leaders in the field. It serves as a reference for experts and beginners in the field.

Electrical Engineering Micromechanics and MEMS Classic and Seminal Papers to 1990 Micromechanics is a rich, diverse field that draws on many different disciplines and has potential applications in medicine, consumer products, genetic engineering, aerospace and microsatellites, communication, the military, data storage, games and toys, food preparation, chemical processing, sensors, and microactuators. In fact, most fields will find uses for micromechanics in the next ten years. Micromechanics and MEMS gives you convenient access to the fundamental papers in this rapidly growing field. Until now, papers written during the earlier stages of this field have been difficult to retrieve. Micromechanics and MEMS presents seminal papers in micromechanics, up to and including papers written in 1990. This volume gives you an historical perspective of the field and insight into where the field is heading. The papers are arranged by topic, with an introduction to each section written by expert and editor, William Trimmer. Topics covered include:

• Side drive, comb drive, electrostatic, magnetic, and harmonic actuators
• Valves and pumps
• Fluidics
• Surface and bulk micromachining
• LIGA
• Computer-aided design
• Metrology

Transparent electrodes (TEs) are a class of materials that make it possible to bring electrical current or potentials in close proximity to optically active regions without significant loss of optical energy. However, it is a challenge to decouple the electrical and optical properties of a material, as the property of conductivity is strongly coupled to the imaginary part of the refractive index. An ideal TE has high transparency in combination with very low electrical resistivity. The main objective of the thesis was to develop TEs which can replace expensive, scarce and fragile Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), the most widely used TE material in the industry today. The thesis contains original work on ultrathin metal film (UTMF)-based TEs, which are essential elements in a wide range of optoelectronics, consumer electronics and energy devices. It presents new designs and fabrication methods and demonstrates the efficient use of UTMF-TEs in organic light emitting diodes and solar cells, achieving similar levels of efficiency to that of state-of-the-art ITO.

This book describes the characterization of liquid crystal materials at microwave frequencies and the usage of these materials in reconfigurable planar antennas and in their electrical tunable components. It reports for the first time the realization of a two-dimensional electronic beam steering antenna and polarization agile planar antennas with liquid crystal display technology. It gives a detailed description of all the theoretical analyses, modeling and design methods that were involved in the realization of these devices as well as their validation using measurement of demonstrative prototypes. This book also shows that low profile, low cost, high gain, electronic beam steering and polarization agile antennas can be fabricated in larger sizes by using existing automated liquid crystal display manufacturing techniques. The innovative ideas and method described in this work represent a considerable advancement in the field of electronically reconfigurable antennas based on liquid crystal technology and are expected to draw significant interest in the future. Such antennas may become important, for example, in mobile terminals integrated into the body of laptops (in the cover) or of automobiles (in the rooftop), ships or boats, for which flat, low-profile and low-cost antennas are required.