Electron energy loss spectroscopy has become an indispensable tool in surface analysis. Although the basic physics of this technique is well understood, instrument design has previously largely been left to intuition. This book is the first to provide a comprehensive treatment of the electron optics involved in the production of intense monochromatic beams and the detection of scattered electrons. It includes a full three-dimensional analysis of the electron optical properties of electron emission systems, monochromators and lens systems, placing particular emphasis on the procedures for matching the various components. The description is kept mathematically simple and focuses on practical aspects, with many hints for writing computer codes to calculate and optimize electrostatic lens elements.

The common belief is that light is completely reflected by metals. In reality they also exhibit an amazing property that is not so widely known: under some conditions light flows along a metallic surface as if it were glued to it. Physical phenomena related to these light waves, which are called Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPP), have given rise to the research field of plasmonics. This thesis explores four interesting topics within plasmonics: extraordinary optical transmission, negative refractive index metamaterials, plasmonic devices for controlling SPPs, and field enhancement phenomena near metal nanoparticles.

This set of lecture notes provides a detailed and up-to-date description of a field undergoing explosive growth, that of confined photon systems in the shape of microcavities or photonic crystals. Bringing together world leaders in the field, it provides all the basic tools needed to master a subject which will have both major impact in fundamental studies and widescale applications. Confined photon systems enable the study of low-dimensional photonic systems, modified light-matter interaction, e.g. between excitons and photons in all-solid-state semiconductor microcavities, and of many phenomena of quantum optics, including single photon generation, squeezed light, quantum state entanglement, non-local quantum measurements, and, potentially, quantum computation. They are also on the verge of yielding new, high performance optical devices for large-scale industries such as telecommunications and display technology.

This book demonstrates how the new phenomena in superconductivity on the nanometer scale (FFLO state, triplet superconductivity, Crossed Andreev Reflection, synchronized generation etc.) serve as the basis for the invention and development of novel nanoelectronic devices and systems. It demonstrates how rather complex ideas and theoretical models, like odd-pairing, non-uniform superconducting state, pi-shift etc., adequately describe the processes in real superconducting nanostructues and novel devices based on them. The book is useful for a broad audience of readers, researchers, engineers, PhD-students, lectures and others who would like to gain knowledge in the frontiers of superconductivity at the nanoscale.

The field of single charge tunneling comprises of phenomena where the tunneling of a microscopic charge, usually carried by an electron or a Cooper pair, leads to macro scopically observable effects. The first conference entirely devoted to this new field was the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Single Charge Tunneling held in Les Hauches, France, March 5-15, 1991. This book contains a series of tutorial articles based on lectures presented at the meeting. It was intended to provide both an introduction for nonexperts and a valuable reference summarizing the state of the art of single charge tun neling. A complementary publication with contributions by participants of the NATO Advanced Study Institute is the Special Issue on Single Charge Tunneling of Zeitschrift fur Physik B, Vol. 85, pp. 317-468 (1991 ). That issue with original papers provides a snapshot af the leading edge of current research in the field. The success of the meeting and the publicatian of this volume was made possible through the generaus support af the NATO Scientific A: ffairs Division, Brussels, Belgium. The Centre de Physique des Hauches has provided a superbly situated conference site and took care af many lacal arrangements. Both far the preparation of the conference and the handling af some manuscripts the suppart af the Centre d 'Etudes de Saclay was essential. The editing of the proceedings volume would not have been passible without the dedicated efforts of Dr. G. -1. Ingald, who tailared a 1\."

This volume discusses the photoelectric behavior of three semiconducting thin film materials hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a Si: H), nano porous titanium dioxide, and the fullerene C60. Despite the fundamental structural differences between these materials, their electronic properties are at least on the phenomenological level surprisingly similar, since all three materials have rather low carrier mobilities. In the last decade a Si: H has conquered large market segments in photo voltaics, fiat panel displays and detector applications. It is surely the most advanced and best understood of the three materials. Nano porous Ti02 is used successfully in a novel solar cell featuring an organic dye absorber. This product is now at the brink of commercialization, while electronic applica tions for C60 still appear to be in the exploration phase. At this stage it appears that some of the insight and many of the exper imental techniques used in the development of a Si: H may prove useful in the on going and yet very basic study of TiO2 and C60 thin films. This idea is the guideline to this book. Without being comprehensive on the part of amorphous silicon, it attempts to outline basic characterization schemes for the nano porous and fullerene materials, and to evaluate their potential for applications with respect to a reference, which is given by a Si

This book is the result of a long friendship, of a broad international co operation, and of a bold dream. It is the summary of work carried out by the authors, and several other wonderful people, during more than 15 years, across 3 continents, in the course of countless meetings, workshops and discus sions. It shows that neither language nor distance can be an obstacle to close scientific cooperation, when there is unity of goals and true collaboration. When we started, we had very different approaches to handling the mys terious, almost magical world of asynchronous circuits. Some were more theo retical, some were closer to physical reality, some were driven mostly by design needs. In the end, we all shared the same belief that true Electronic Design Automation research must be solidly grounded in formal models, practically minded to avoid excessive complexity, and tested "in the field" in the form of experimental tools. The results are this book, and the CAD tool petrify. The latter can be downloaded and tried by anybody bold (or desperate) enough to tread into the clockless (but not lawless) domain of small-scale asynchronicity. The URL is http: //www.lsi. upc. esr j ordic/petrify. We believe that asynchronous circuits are a wonderful object, that aban dons some of the almost militaristic law and order that governs synchronous circuits, to improve in terms of simplicity, energy efficiency and performance."

A recent major development in high technology, and one which bears considerable industrial potential, is the advent of low-dimensional semiconductor quantum structures. The research and development activity in this field is moving fast and it is thus important to afford scientists and engineers the opportunity to get updated by the best experts in the field. The present book draws together the latest developments in the fabrication technology of quantum structures, as well as a competent and extensive review of their fundamental properties and some remarkable applications. The book is based on a set of lectures that introduce different aspects of the basic knowledge available, it has a tutorial content and could be used as a textbook. Each aspect is reviewed, from elementary concepts up to the latest developments. Audience: Undergraduates and graduates in electrical engineering and physics schools. Also for active scientists and engineers, updating their knowledge and understanding of the frontiers of the technology.

Nonlinear optics is a topic of much current interest that exhibits a great diversity. Some publications on the subject are clearly physics, while others reveal an engineering bias; some appear to be accessible to the chemist, while others may appeal to biological understanding. Yet all purport to be non linear optics so where is the underlying unity? The answer is that the unity lies in the phenomena and the devices that exploit them, while the diversity lies in the materials used to express the phenomena. This book is an attempt to show this unity in diversity by bringing together contributions covering an unusually wide range of materials, preceded by accounts of the main phenomena and important devices. Because ofthe diversity, individual materials are treated in separate chapters by different expert authors, while as editors we have shouldered the task of providing the unifying initial chapters. Most main classes of nonlinear optical solids are treated: semiconductors, glasses, ferroelectrics, molecular crystals, polymers, and Langmuir-Blodgett films. (However, liquid crystals are not covered. ) Each class of material is enough for a monograph in itself, and this book is designed to be an introduction suitable for graduate students and those in industry entering the area of nonlinear optics. It is also suitable in parts for final-year undergraduates on project work. It aims to provide a bridge between traditional fields of expertise and the broader field of nonlinear optics."

Computer-aided-design (CAD) of semiconductor microtransducers is relatively new in contrast to their counterparts in the integrated circuit world. Integrated silicon microtransducers are realized using microfabrication techniques similar to those for standard integrated circuits (ICs). Unlike IC devices, however, microtransducers must interact with their environment, so their numerical simulation is considerably more complex. While the design of ICs aims at suppressing "parasitic effects, microtransducers thrive on optimizing the one or the other such effect. The challenging quest for physical models and simulation tools enabling microtransducer CAD is the topic of this book. It is intended as a text for graduate students in Electrical Engineering and Physics and as a reference for CAD engineers in the microsystems industry. This text evolved from a series of courses offered to graduate students from Electrical Engineering and Physics. Much of the material in the book can be presented in about 40 hours of lecture time. The book starts with an illustrative example which highlights the goals and benefits of microtransducer CAD. This follows with a summary of model equations describing electrical transport in semiconductor devices and microtransducers in the absence of external fields. Models treating the effects of the external radiant, magnetic, thermal, and mechanical fields on electrical transport are then systematically introduced. To enable a smooth transition into modeling of mechanical systems, an abridged version of solid structural and fluid mechanics is presented, whereby the focus is on pertinent model equations and boundary conditions. This follows with model equations and boundary conditions relevant to various types of mechanical microactuators including electrostatic, thermal, magnetic, piezoelectric, and electroacoustic. The book concludes with a glimpse into SPICE simulation of the mixed-signal microsystem, i.e., microtransducer plus circuitry. Where possible, the model equations are supplemented with tables and/or graphs of process-dependent material data to enable the CAD engineer to carry out simulations even when reliable material models are not available. IVZ LANG: Introduction: Modeling and Simulation of Microtransducers; Illustrative Example; Progress in Microtransducer Modeling; References.- Basic Electronic Transport: Poisson s Equation; Continuity Equations; Carrier Transport in Crystalline Materials and Isothermal Behavior; Electrical Conductivity and Isothermal Behavior in Polycrystalline Materials; Electrical Conductivity and Isothermal Behavior in Metals; Boundary and Interface Conditions; The External Fields What Do They Influence?; References.- Radiation Effects on Carrier Transport: Reflection and Transmission of Optical Signals; Modeling Optical Absorption in Intrinsic Semiconductors; Absorption in Heavily-Doped Semiconductors; Optical Generation Rate and Quantum Efficiency; Low Energy Interactions with Insulators and Metals; High Energy Interactions and Monte Carlo Simulations; Model Equations for Radiant Sensor Simulation; Illustrative Simulation Example Color Sensor; References.- Magnetic-Field Effects on Carrier Transport: Galvanomagnetic Transport Equation; Galvanomagnetic Transport Coefficients; Equations and Boundary Conditions for Magnetic Sensor Simulation; Illustrative Simulation Example Micromachined Magnetic Vector Probe; References.- Thermal Non-Uniformity Effects on Carrier Transport: Non-Isothermal Effects; Electrothermal Transport Model; Electrical and Thermal Transport Coefficients; Electro-Thermo-Magnetic Interactions; Heat Transfer in Thermal Microstructures; Summary of Equations and Computational Procedure; Illustrative Simulation Example Micro Pirani Gauge; References.- Mechanical Effects on Carrier Transport: Piezoresistive Effect; Strain and Electron Transport; Strain and Hole Transport; Piezojunction Effect; Effects of Stress Gradients; Galvano-Piezo-Magnetic Effects; The Piezo Drift-Diffusion Transport Model; Illustrative Simulation Example Stress Effects on Hall Sensors; References.- Mechanical and Fluidic Signals: Definitions; Model Equations for Mechanical Analysis; Model Equations for Analysis of Fluid Transport; Illustrative Simulation Example Analysis of Flow Channels; References.- Micro-Actuation: Transduction Principles; State-of-the-Art and Preview; Electrostatic Actuation; Thermal Actuation; Magnetic Actuation; Piezoelectric Actuation; Electroacoustic Transducers; Computational Procedure and Coupling; Illustrative Example CMOS Micromirror.- Microsystem Simulation: Electrical Analogues for Mixed-Signals and Historical Developments; Circuit Modeling and Implementation Considerations; Lumped Analysis: Illustrative Example Electrostatic Micromirror; Distributed Analysis: Illustrative Example Flow Microsensor; References.- Subject Index."

Fabrication technologies for nanostructured devices have been developed recently, and the electrical and optical properties of such nanostructures are a subject of advanced research.
This book describes the different approaches to spectroscopic microscopy, i.e., Electron Beam Probe Spectroscopy, Spectroscopic Photoelectron Microscopy, and Scanning Probe Spectroscopy. It will be useful as a compact source of reference for the experienced reseracher, taking into account at the same time the needs of postgraduate students and nonspecialist researchers by using a tutorial approach throughout.

After epoxy resins and polyimides, cyanate esters arguably form the most well-developed group of high-temperature, thermosetting polymers. They possess a number of desirable performance characteristics which make them of increasing technological importance, where their somewhat higher costs are acceptable. The principal end uses for cyanate esters are as matrix resins for printed wiring board laminates and structural composites. For the electronics markets, the low dielectric loss characteristics, dimen sional stability at molten solder temperatures and excellent adhesion to conductor metals at temperatures up to 250 DegreesC, are desirable. In their use in aerospace composites, unmodified cyanate esters offer twice the frac ture toughness of multifunctional epoxies, while achieving a service tem perature intermediate between epoxy and bis-maleimide capabilities. Applications in radome construction and aircraft with reduced radar signatures utilize the unusually low capacitance properties of cyanate esters and associated low dissipation factors. While a number of commercial cyanate ester monomers and prepoly mers are now available, to date there has been no comprehensive review of the chemistry and recent technological applications of this versatile family of resins. The aims of the present text are to present these in a com pact, readable form. The work is primarily aimed at materials scientists and polymer technologists involved in research and development in the chemical, electronics, aerospace and adhesives industries. It is hoped that advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in polymer chemistry and technology, and materials science/technology will find it a useful introduc tion and source of reference in the course of their studies.

Femtosecond lasers opened up new avenue in materials processing due to its unique features of ultrashort pulse width and extremely high peak intensity. One of the most important features of femtosecond laser processing is that strong absorption can be induced even by materials which are transparent to the femtosecond laser beam due to nonlinear multiphoton absorption. The multiphoton absorption allows us to perform not only surface but also three-dimensionally internal microfabrication of transparent materials such as glass. This capability makes it possible to directly fabricate three-dimensional microfluidics, micromechanics, microelectronics and microoptics embedded in the glass. Further, these microcomponents can be easily integrated in a single glass microchip by the simple procedure using the femtosecond laser. Thus, the femtosecond laser processing provides some advantages over conventional methods such as traditional semiconductor processing or soft lithography for fabrication of microfluidic, optofludic and lab-on-a-chip devices and thereby many researches on this topic are currently being carried out. This book presents a comprehensive review on the state of the art and future prospects of femtosecond laser processing for fabrication of microfluidics and optofludics including principle of femtosecond laser processing, detailed fabrication procedures of each microcomponent and practical applications to biochemical analysis.

Molecular Beam Epitaxy describes a technique in wide-spread use for the production of high-quality semiconductor devices. It discusses the most important aspects of the MBE apparatus, the physics and chemistry of the crystallization of various materials and device structures, and the characterization methods that relate the structural parameters of the grown (or growing) film or structure to the technologically relevant procedure. In this second edition two new fields have been added: crystallization of as-grown low-dimensional heterostructures, mainly quantum wires and quantum dots, and in-growth control of the MBE crystallization process of strained-layer structures. Out-of-date material has been removed.

Present-day scienceand technology have become increasingly based on studies and applications of thin films. This is especiallytrue of solid-state physics, semiconduc tor electronics, integrated optics, computer science, and the like. In these fields, it is necessary to use filmswith an ordered structure, especiallysingle-crystallinefilms, because physical phenomena and effects in such films are most reproducible. Also, active parts of semiconductor and other devices and circuits are created, as a rule, in single-crystal bodies. To date, single-crystallinefilms have been mainly epitaxial (or heteroepitaxial); i.e., they have been grown on a single-crystalline substrate, and principal trends, e.g., in the evolution of integrated circuits (lCs), have been based on continuing reduction in feature size and increase in the number of components per chip. However, as the size decreases into the submicrometer range, technological and physical limitations in integrated electronics become more and more severe. It is generally believed that a feature size of about 0.1um will have a crucial character. In other words, the present two-dimensional ICs are anticipated to reach their limit of minimization in the near future, and it is realized that further increase of packing density and/or functions might depend on three-dimensional integration. To solve the problem, techniques for preparation of single-crystalline films on arbitrary (including amorphous) substrates are essential."

For 50 years conventional electronics has ignored the electron spin. The manipulation and utilisation of the electron spin heralds an exciting and rapidly changing era in electronics, combining the disciplines of magnetism and traditional electronics. The first generation of "spintronic" devices (such as read heads based on giant magnetoresistance or non-volatile magnetic random access memories) have already gained dominant positions in the market place. This volume, the first of its kind on spin electronics describes all the essential topics for new researchers entering the field. It covers magnetism and semiconductor basics, micromagnetism, experimental techniques, materials science, device fabrication and new developments in spin-dependent processes. At the end of most chapters are a number of exercises and worked problems to aid the reader in understanding this fascinating new field.

This book outlines many of the techniques involved in materials development and characterization for photoelectrochemical (PEC) - for example, proper metrics for describing material performance, how to assemble testing cells and prepare materials for assessment of their properties, and how to perform the experimental measurements needed to achieve reliable results towards better scientific understanding. For each technique, proper procedure, benefits, limitations, and data interpretation are discussed. Consolidating this information in a short, accessible, and easy to read reference guide will allow researchers to more rapidly immerse themselves into PEC research and also better compare their results against those of other researchers to better advance materials development. This book serves as a "how-to" guide for researchers engaged in or interested in engaging in the field of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. PEC water splitting is a rapidly growing field of research in which the goal is to develop materials which can absorb the energy from sunlight to drive electrochemical hydrogen production from the splitting of water. The substantial complexity in the scientific understanding and experimental protocols needed to sufficiently pursue accurate and reliable materials development means that a large need exists to consolidate and standardize the most common methods utilized by researchers in this field.

This book is an outgrowth of a course given by the author for people in industry, government, and universities wishing to understand the implica tions of emerging optical fiber technology, and how this technology can be applied to their specific information transport and sensing system needs. The course, in turn, is an outgrowth of 15 exciting years during which the author participated in the research and development, as well as in the application, of fiber technology. The aim of this book is to provide the reader with a working knowledge of the components and subsystems which make up fiber systems and of a wide variety of implemented and proposed applications for fiber technology. The book is directed primarily at those who would be users, as opposed to developers, of the technology. The first half of this book is an overview of components and subsys tems including fibers, connectors, cables, sources, detectors, receivers, transmitters, and miscellaneous components. The goal is to familiarize the reader with the properties of these components and subsystems to the extent necessary to understand their potential applications and limitations.

The book describes the design of micro systems systematically as well as the equations needed for an estimation of the basic elements. It can be used without knowing fabrication processes of micro systems and provides the basic equations needed to calculate the effects and forces which are important in micro systems. For quick reference equations are presented in tables which are found in an index at the end of this book.

In the series of International Winter Schools on New Developments in Solid State Physics, the fourth one was devoted to the subject: "Two- Dimensional Systems: Physics and Devices". For the second time the pro- ceedings of one of these Winter Schools appear as a volume in the Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences (the earlier proceedings were published as Vol. 53). The school was held in the castle of MauterndorfjSalzburg (Austria) February 24-28, 1986. These proceedings contain contributions ba:sed on the thirty invited lectures. The school was attended by 179 registered participants (40% students), who came from western European countries, the United States of America, Japan, the People's Republic of China and Poland. As far as the subjects are conterned, several papers deal with the growth and characterization of heterostructures. Dynamical RHEED tech- niques are described as a tool for in situ studies of MBE growth mech- anisms. Various growth techniques, including MBE, MOMBE, MOCVD and modifications of these, are discussed. The limiting fa.ctors for the carrier mobilities and the inftuence of the spacer thickness in single het- erostructures of GaAs/GaAIAs seem to be understood and are no longer a matter of controversy. In addition, the growth of two fascinating systems, Si/SiGe and Hg _ Cd Te/CdTe, is discussed in detail.

This book is concerned primarily with the fundamental theory underlying the physical and chemical properties of crystalIine semiconductors. After basic introductory material on chemical bonding, electronic band structure, phonons, and electronic transport, some emphasis is placed on surface and interfacial properties, as weil as effects of doping with a variety of impurities. Against this background, the use of such materials in device physics is examined and aspects of materials preparation are discussed briefty. The level of presentation is suitable for postgraduate students and research workers in solid-state physics and chemistry, materials science, and electrical and electronic engineering. Finally, it may be of interest to note that this book originated in a College organized at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, in Spring 1984. P. N. Butcher N. H. March M. P. Tosi vii Contents 1. Bonds and Bands in Semiconductors 1 E. Mooser 1. 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. 2. The Semiconducting Bond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1. 3. Bond Approach Versus Band Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1. 4. Construction of the Localized X by Linear Combination of n Atomic Orbitals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 1. 5. The General Octet Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 1. 6. The Aufbau-Principle of the Crystal Structure of Semiconductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 1. 7. A Building Principle for Polyanionic Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 I. H. Structural Sorting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 1. 9. Chemical Bonds and Semiconductivity in Transition-Element Compounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 1. 10. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 2. Electronic Band Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 G. Grosso 2. 1. Two Different Strategies for Band-Structure Calculations . . . . . . . 55 2. 2. The Tight-Binding Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Advanced Study Institute on "Theoretical Aspects and New Developments in Magneto-Optics" was held at the University of Antwerpen (R.U.C.A.), from July 16 to July 28, 1979. The Institute was sponsored by NATO. Co-sponsors were: Agfa-Gevaert (Belgium), A.S.L.K. (Belgium), Bell Telephone Mfg. CO. (Belgium), Esso Belgium, Generale Bankmaatschappij (Belgium), General Motors (Belgium), I.B.M. (Belgium), Kredietbank (Belgium), Metallurgie Hoboken-Over pelt (Belgium), National Science Foundation (U.S.A). A total of 60 lecturers and participants attended the Institute. Scope of the Institute The magneto-optic phenomena are due to the change of the polarizability of a substance as a result of the splitting of the quantized energy bands. Most of these phenomena were discovered during the second half of this century. The understanding of the magneto-optical effects of all kinds, however, was brought by the advent of quantum mechanics, and since then important progress has been made in many fields of experimental methods and techniques.

This book examines the physical principles behind the operation of high-speed transistors operating at frequencies above 10 GHz and having switching times less than 100 psec. If the 1970s cannot be remembered for the opportunities for creating and extensively using transistors operating at such high speeds, then, the situation has changed radically because of rapid progress in sub micrometer technology for manufacturing transistors and integrated circuits from GaAs and other semiconductor materials and the powerful influx of new physical concepts. Not only have transistors having switching speeds of 50-100 psec operating in the 10-20 GHz region been created in recent years, but the possibilities for manufacturing transistors operating one to two orders of magnitude faster have been revealed. As superhigh-speed transistors have been created, many of the most important areas of technology such as communications, computing technology, television, radar, and the manufacture of scientific, industrial, and medical equipment have qualitatively changed. Microwave transistors operating at millimeter wavelengths make it possible to produce compact and highly efficient equipment for communications and radar technology. Transistors with switching speeds better than 10-100 psec make it possible to increase the speed of microprocessors and other computer components to tens of billions of operations per second and thereby solve one of the most pressing problems of modern electronics - increasing the speed of digital information processing.

Lanthanides have fascinated scientists for more than two centuries now, and since efficient separation techniques were established roughly 50 years ago, they have increasingly found their way into industrial exploitation and our everyday lives. Numerous applications are based on their unique luminescent properties, which are highlighted in this volume. It presents established knowledge about the photophysical basics, relevant lanthanide probes or materials, and describes instrumentation-related aspects including chemical and physical sensors. The uses of lanthanides in bioanalysis and medicine are outlined, such as assays for in vitro diagnostics and research. All chapters were compiled by renowned scientists with a broad audience in mind, providing both beginners in the field and advanced researchers with comprehensive information on on the given subject.

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The properties of new nanoscale materials, their fabrication and applications, as well as the operational principles of nanodevices and systems, are solely determined by quantum-mechanical laws and principles. This textbook introduces engineers to quantum mechanics and the world of nanostructures, enabling them to apply the theories to numerous nanostructure problems. The textbook covers the fundamentals of quantum mechanics, including uncertainty relations, the Schrodinger equation, perturbation theory, and tunneling. These are then applied to a quantum dot, the smallest artificial atom, and compared to hydrogen, the smallest atom in nature. Nanoscale objects with higher dimensionality, such as quantum wires and quantum wells, are introduced, as well as nanoscale materials and nanodevices. Numerous examples throughout the text help students to understand the material.