Mid-infrared Optoelectronics: Materials, Devices, and Applications addresses the new materials, devices and applications that have emerged over the last decade, along with exciting areas of research. Sections cover fundamentals, light sources, photodetectors, new approaches, and the application of mid-IR devices, with sections discussing LEDs, laser diodes, and quantum cascade lasers, mid-infrared optoelectronics, emerging research areas, dilute bismide and nitride alloys, Group-IV materials, gallium nitride heterostructures, and new nonlinear materials. Finally, the most relevant applications of mid-infrared devices are reviewed in industry, gas sensing, spectroscopy, and imaging. This book presents a key reference for materials scientists, engineers and professionals working in R&D in the area of semiconductors and optoelectronics.

This book focuses on the calculus of variations, including fundamental theories and applications. This textbook is intended for graduate and higher-level college and university students, introducing them to the basic concepts and calculation methods used in the calculus of variations. It covers the preliminaries, variational problems with fixed boundaries, sufficient conditions of extrema of functionals, problems with undetermined boundaries, variational problems of conditional extrema, variational problems in parametric forms, variational principles, direct methods for variational problems, variational principles in mechanics and their applications, and variational problems of functionals with vector, tensor and Hamiltonian operators. Many of the contributions are based on the authors' research, addressing topics such as the extension of the connotation of the Hilbert adjoint operator, definitions of the other three kinds of adjoint operators, the extremum function theorem of the complete functional, unified Euler equations in variational methods, variational theories of functionals with vectors, modulus of vectors, arbitrary order tensors, Hamiltonian operators and Hamiltonian operator strings, reconciling the Euler equations and the natural boundary conditions, and the application range of variational methods. The book is also a valuable reference resource for teachers as well as science and technology professionals.

Tin Oxide Materials: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications discusses the latest in metal oxides, an emerging area in electronic materials. As more is learned about this important materials system, more functionalities and applications have been revealed. This key reference on the topic covers important material that is ideal for materials scientists, materials engineers and materials chemists who have been introduced to metal oxides as a general category of materials, but want to take the next step and learn more about a specific material.

This book presents the most important advances in the class of topological materials and discusses the topological characterization, modeling and metrology of materials. Further, it addresses currently emerging characterization techniques such as optical and acoustic, vibrational spectroscopy (Brillouin, infrared, Raman), electronic, magnetic, fluorescence correlation imaging, laser lithography, small angle X-ray and neutron scattering and other techniques, including site-selective nanoprobes. The book analyzes the topological aspects to identify and quantify these effects in terms of topology metrics. The topological materials are ubiquitous and range from (i) de novo nanoscale allotropes of carbons in various forms such as nanotubes, nanorings, nanohorns, nanowalls, peapods, graphene, etc. to (ii) metallo-organic frameworks, (iii) helical gold nanotubes, (iv) Moebius conjugated polymers, (v) block co-polymers, (vi) supramolecular assemblies, to (vii) a variety of biological and soft-matter systems, e.g. foams and cellular materials, vesicles of different shapes and genera, biomimetic membranes, and filaments, (viii) topological insulators and topological superconductors, (ix) a variety of Dirac materials including Dirac and Weyl semimetals, as well as (x) knots and network structures. Topological databases and algorithms to model such materials have been also established in this book. In order to understand and properly characterize these important emergent materials, it is necessary to go far beyond the traditional paradigm of microscopic structure-property-function relationships to a paradigm that explicitly incorporates topological aspects from the outset to characterize and/or predict the physical properties and currently untapped functionalities of these advanced materials. Simulation and modeling tools including quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics, 3D visualization and tomography are also indispensable. These concepts have found applications in condensed matter physics, materials science and engineering, physical chemistry and biophysics, and the various topics covered in the book have potential applications in connection with novel synthesis techniques, sensing and catalysis. As such, the book offers a unique resource for graduate students and researchers alike.

The Fundamentals and Applications of Light-Emitting Diodes: The Revolution in the Lighting Industry examines the evolution of LEDs, including a review of the luminescence process and background on solid state lighting. The book emphasizes phosphor-converted LEDs that are based on inorganic phosphors but explores different types of LEDs based on inorganic, organic, quantum dots, perovskite-structured materials, and biomaterials. A detailed description is included about the diverse applications of LEDs in fields such as lighting, displays, horticulture, biomedicine, and digital communication, as well as challenges that must be solved before using LEDs in commercial applications. Traditional light sources are fast being replaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The fourth generation of lighting is completely dominated by LED luminaires. Apart from lighting, LEDs have extended their hold on other fields, such as digital communications, horticulture, medicine, space research, art and culture, display devices, and entertainment. The technological promises offered by LEDs have elevated them as front-runners in the lighting industry.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Handbook, Second Edition, is a one-stop reference on current electronic waste legislation initiatives, their impact, and the latest technological considerations for reducing electronic waste (e-waste) and increasing the efficiency of materials recovery. It also provides a wide-range of global and corporate examples and perspectives on the challenges that face specific regions and companies, along with the solutions they are implementing in managing e-waste, offering further insights on how discarded products can be treated. Sections introduce the reader to legislation and initiatives to manage WEEE and discuss technologies for the refurbishment, treatment and recycling of waste electronics. Further sections focus on electronic products that present particular challenges for recyclers, explore sustainable design of electronics and supply chains, discuss national and regional WEEE management schemes, and more.

This monograph is intended for researchers and professionals in the fields of computer science and cybernetics. Nowadays, the areas of computer science and cybernetics (mainly its artificial intelligence branches) are subject to an immense degree of study and are applied in a wide range of technical and industrial projects. The individual chapters of this monograph were developed from a series of invited lectures at the Brno University of Technology in the years 2018 and 2019. The main aim of these lectures was to create an opportunity for students, academics, and professionals to exchange ideas, novel research methods, and new industrial applications in the fields related to soft computing and cybernetics. The authors of these chapters come from around the world and their works cover both new theoretical and application-oriented results from areas such as automation, control, robotics, optimization, statistics, reinforcement learning, image processing, and evolutionary algorithms.

This book presents peer-reviewed articles from the International Conference on Optics and Electro-optics, ICOL-2019, held at Dehradun in India. It brings together leading researchers and professionals in the field of optics/optical engineering/optical materials and provides a platform to present and establish collaborations in this important area, with the theme "Trends in Electro-optics Instrumentation for Strategic Applications". Topics covered but not limited to are Optical Engineering, Optical Thin Films, Optical Materials, IR Sensors, Image Processing & Systems, Photonic Band Gap Materials, Adaptive Optics, Optical Image Processing & Holography, Lasers, Fiber Lasers & its Applications, Diffractive Optics, Innovative packaging of Optical Systems, Nanophotonics Devices and Applications, Optical Interferometry & Metrology, Terahertz, Millimeter Wave & Microwave Photonics, Fiber, Integrated & Nonlinear Optics and Optics and Electro-optics for Strategic Applications.

This book comprehensively summarizes the recent achievements and trends in encapsulation of micro- and nanocontainers for applications in smart materials. It covers the fundamentals of processing and techniques for encapsulation with emphasis on preparation, properties, application, and future prospects of encapsulation process for smart applications in pharmaceuticals, textiles, biomedical, food packaging, composites, friction/wear, phase change materials, and coatings. Academics, researchers, scientists, engineers, and students in the field of smart materials will benefit from this book.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

This book systematically introduces modeling, performance evaluation and applications of Automatic Materiel Handling System (AMHS) in semiconductor manufactucing, and focuses discussion on the coordination of two subsystems. Resources dispatch and optimization are conducted on operational research combined with cases studies. Written in a practical way, it is an essential reference for researchers and engineers in manufacturing and management.

Provides an introduction to fundamental mixer types, as well as variations on the classical mixer designs.

This book demonstrates to readers why Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors have a superior performance as compared to the already mature Silicon technology. The new GaN-based transistors here described enable both high frequency and high efficiency power conversion, leading to smaller and more efficient power systems. Coverage includes i) GaN substrates and device physics; ii) innovative GaN -transistors structure (lateral and vertical); iii) reliability and robustness of GaN-power transistors; iv) impact of parasitic on GaN based power conversion, v) new power converter architectures and vi) GaN in switched mode power conversion. Provides single-source reference to Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based technologies, from the material level to circuit level, both for power conversions architectures and switched mode power amplifiers; Demonstrates how GaN is a superior technology for switching devices, enabling both high frequency, high efficiency and lower cost power conversion; Enables design of smaller, cheaper and more efficient power supplies.

This book discusses the spectral properties of solid-state laser materials, including emission and absorption of light, the law of radiative and nonradiative transitions, the selection rule for optical transitions, and different calculation methods of the spectral parameters. The book includes a systematic presentation of the authors' own research works in this field, specifically addressing the stimulated nonradiative transition theory and the apparent crystal field model. This volume is helpful resource for researchers and graduate students in the fields of solid spectroscopy and solid-state laser material physics, while also serving as a valuable reference guide for instructors and advanced students of physics.

During the past decade, technology has become more pervasive, encroaching more and more on our lives. Computers, cell phones, and the internet have an enormous influence not only on how we function at work, but also on how we communicate and interact outside the office. Researchers have been documenting the effect that these types of technology have on individuals, families, and other social groups. Their work addresses questions that relate to how people use computers, cell phones, and the internet, how they integrate their use of new technology into daily routines, and how family function, social relationships, education, and socialization are changing as a result. This research is being conducted in a number of countries, by scientists from a variety of disciplines, who publish in very different places. The result is that it is difficult for researchers and students to get a current and coherent view of the research literature. This book brings together the leading researchers currently investigating the impact of information and communication technology outside of the workplace. Its goal is to develop a consolidated view of what we collectively know in this fast-changing area, to evaluate approaches to data collection and analysis, and to identify future directions for research. The book will appeal to professionals and students in social psychology, human-technology interaction, sociology, and communication.

During the past decade, technology has become more pervasive, encroaching more and more on our lives. Computers, cell phones, and the internet have an enormous influence not only on how we function at work, but also on how we communicate and interact outside the office. Researchers have been documenting the effect that these types of technology have on individuals, families, and other social groups. Their work addresses questions that relate to how people use computers, cell phones, and the internet, how they integrate their use of new technology into daily routines, and how family function, social relationships, education, and socialization are changing as a result. This research is being conducted in a number of countries, by scientists from a variety of disciplines, who publish in very different places. The result is that it is difficult for researchers and students to get a current and coherent view of the research literature. This book brings together the leading researchers currently investigating the impact of information and communication technology outside of the workplace. Its goal is to develop a consolidated view of what we collectively know in this fast-changing area, to evaluate approaches to data collection and analysis, and to identify future directions for research. The book will appeal to professionals and students in social psychology, human-technology interaction, sociology, and communication.

This open access book presents theoretical framework and sample applications of variant construction. The first part includes the components variant logic, variant measurements, and variant maps, while the second part covers sample applications such as variation with functions, variant stream ciphers, quantum interference, classical/quantum random sequences, whole DNA sequences, and multiple-valued pulse sequences. Addressing topics ranging from logic and measuring foundation to typical applications and including various illustrated maps, it is a valuable guide for theoretical researchers in discrete mathematics; computing-, quantum- and communication scientists; big data engineers; as well as graduate and upper undergraduate students.

This book offers a didactic introduction to light-matter interactions at both the classical and semi-classical levels. Pursuing an approach that describes the essential physics behind the functionality of any optical element, it acquaints students with the broad areas of optics and photonics. Its rigorous, bottom-up approach to the subject, using model systems ranging from individual atoms and simple molecules to crystalline and amorphous solids, gradually builds up the reader's familiarity and confidence with the subject matter. Throughout the book, the detailed mathematical treatment and examples of practical applications are accompanied by problems with worked-out solutions. In short, the book provides the most essential information for any graduate or advanced undergraduate student wishing to begin their course of study in the field of photonics, or to brush up on important concepts prior to an examination.

This edited volume reviews the current state of the art in the additive manufacturing of optical componentry, exploring key principles, materials, processes and applications. A short introduction lets readers familiarize themselves with the fundamental principles of the 3D printing method. This is followed by a chapter on commonly-used and emerging materials for printing of optical components, and subsequent chapters are dedicated to specific topics and case studies. The high potential of additive manufactured optical components is presented based on different manufacturing techniques and accompanied with extensive examples - from nanooptics to large scale optics - and taking research and industrial perspectives. Readers are provided with an extensive overview of the new possibilities brought about by this alternative method for optical components manufacture. Finally, the limitations of the method with respect to manufacturing techniques, materials and optical properties of the generated objects are discussed. With contributions from experts in academia and industry, this work will appeal to a wide readership, from undergraduate students through engineers to researchers interested in modern methods of manufacturing optical components.

This book advances understanding of light-induced phase transitions and nonequilibrium orders that occur in a broken-symmetry system. Upon excitation with an intense laser pulse, materials can undergo a nonthermal transition through pathways different from those in equilibrium. The mechanism underlying these photoinduced phase transitions has long been researched, but many details in this ultrafast, non-adiabatic regime still remain to be clarified. The work in this book reveals new insights into this phenomena via investigation of photoinduced melting and recovery of charge density waves (CDWs). Using several time-resolved diffraction and spectroscopic techniques, the author shows that the light-induced melting of a CDW is characterized by dynamical slowing-down, while the restoration of the symmetry-breaking order features two distinct timescales: A fast recovery of the CDW amplitude is followed by a slower re-establishment of phase coherence, the latter of which is dictated by the presence of topological defects in the CDW. Furthermore, after the suppression of the original CDW by photoexcitation, a different, competing CDW transiently emerges, illustrating how a hidden order in equilibrium can be unleashed by a laser pulse. These insights into CDW systems may be carried over to other broken-symmetry states, such as superconductivity and magnetic ordering, bringing us one step closer towards manipulating phases of matter using a laser pulse.

This book draws on the main themes covered during the International Workshop on Molecular Architectonics which took place in Shiretoko, Japan from August 3 to 6, 2015. The concepts and results explored in this book relate to the term "molecular architectonics" which stands for electronic, optical and information-processing functions being orchestrated by molecular assemblies. This area is defined as the third stage of single-molecule electronics and builds on stage one, where measurements were performed on single-molecule layered films, and stage two, the resulting quantitative analyses. In this work, experts come together to write about the most important aspects of molecular architectonics. This interdisciplinary, visionary and unique book is of interest to scientists working on electronic materials, surface science and information processing sciences using noise and fluctuation.

This book demonstrates that solar energy, the most abundant and clean renewable energy, can be utilized to drive methane activation and conversion under mild conditions. The book reports that coupling solar energy and thermal energy can significantly enhance methane conversion at mild temperatures using plasmonic nanometal-based catalysts, with a substantial decrease in apparent activation energy of methane conversion. Furthermore, this book, for the first time, reports the direct photocatalytic methane oxidation into liquid oxygenates (methanol and formaldehyde) with only molecular oxygen in pure water at room temperature with high yield and selectivity over nanometals and semiconductors (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). These findings are a big stride toward methane conversion and inspire researchers to develop strategies for efficient and selective conversion of methane to high-value-added chemicals under mild conditions.

This book is volume III of a series of books on silicon photonics. It reports on the development of fully integrated systems where many different photonics component are integrated together to build complex circuits. This is the demonstration of the fully potentiality of silicon photonics. It contains a number of chapters written by engineers and scientists of the main companies, research centers and universities active in the field. It can be of use for all those persons interested to know the potentialities and the recent applications of silicon photonics both in microelectronics, telecommunication and consumer electronics market.

This book highlights and investigates novel solid-state luminescent properties of crystals with stimuli-responsive behavior. Several novel molecular designs for controlling crystal structures with photo-physical properties are described, with a special focus on external stimuli-responsive properties. The major goal of the material design concept was to capitalize on the chirality of crystals with stimuli-responsive properties. To allow crystals' chirality to be controlled and modified by means of external stimulation, the axial chirality of biaryl moiety was employed and, interestingly, produced several novel mechano- and vapo-responsive luminescent properties based on crystal-to-crystal or single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transitions. In addition, the book details how the molecular rotation of luminophores in the solid phase can be used to achieve corresponding thermal-responsive phosphorescence. The reports presented here illustrate how the author has succeeded in controlling structural factors in a bulk environment by using molecular design with linking to photo-physical properties. The content will be of great interest to researchers in the field, and to members of chemical and material science societies.