Reviews in Plasmonics is a comprehensive collection of current trends and emerging hot topics in the field of Plasmonics and closely related disciplines. It summarizes the years progress in Plasmonics and its applications, with authoritative analytical reviews specialized enough to be attractive to professional researchers, yet also appealing to the wider audience of scientists in related disciplines of Plasmonics.

"...a comprehensive and well written book, which...will be useful reading for both researchers entering the field and experienced specialists looking for new ideas....a valuable and long-lasting contribution to experimental mechanics." - Stepan Lomov, KU Leuven This expert volume, an enhanced Habilitation thesis by the head of the Materials Testing Research Group at the University of Augsburg, provides detailed coverage of a range of inspection methods for insitu characterization of fiber-reinforced composites. The failure behavior of fiber reinforced composites is a complex evolution of microscopic damage phenomena. Beyond the use of classical testing methods, the ability to monitor the progression of damage insitu offers new ways to interpret the materials failure modes. Methods covered include digital image correlation, acoustic emission, electromagnetic emission, computed tomography, thermography, shearography, and promising method combinations. For each method, the discussion includes operational principles and practical applications for quality control as well as thoughtful assessment of the method's strengths and weakness so that the reader is equipped to decide which method or methods are most appropriate in a given situation. The book includes extensive appendices covering common experimental parameters influencing comparability of acoustic emission measurements; materials properties for modeling; and an overview of terms and abbreviations.

This book surveys recent advances related to the application of single molecule techniques in various fields of science. The topics, each described by leading experts in the field, range from single molecule experiments in quantum optics and solid-state physics to analogous investigations in physical chemistry and biophysics. A unifying theme of all chapters is the power of single molecule techniques to unravel fluctuations and heterogeneities usually hidden in the ensemble average of complex systems. The concept for the book originated from a gathering of some of the world's leading scientists at the Nobel Conference in Sweden.

X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) is a powerful technique with which to probe the properties of matter, equally applicable to the solid, liquid and gas phases. Semiconductors are arguably our most technologically-relevant group of materials given they form the basis of the electronic and photonic devices that now so widely permeate almost every aspect of our society. The most effective utilisation of these materials today and tomorrow necessitates a detailed knowledge of their structural and vibrational properties. Through a series of comprehensive reviews, this book demonstrates the versatility of XAS for semiconductor materials analysis and presents important research activities in this ever growing field. A short introduction of the technique, aimed primarily at XAS newcomers, is followed by twenty independent chapters dedicated to distinct groups of materials. Topics span dopants in crystalline semiconductors and disorder in amorphous semiconductors to alloys and nanometric material as well as in-situ measurements of the effects of temperature and pressure. Summarizing research in their respective fields, the authors highlight important experimental findings and demonstrate the capabilities and applications of the XAS technique. This book provides a comprehensive review and valuable reference guide for both XAS newcomers and experts involved in semiconductor materials research.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry has been applied to a wide variety of material and device characterizations in solar cell research fields. In particular, device performance analyses using exact optical constants of component layers and direct analyses of complex solar cell structures are unique features of advanced ellipsometry methods. This second volume of Spectroscopic Ellipsometry for Photovoltaics presents various applications of the ellipsometry technique for device analyses, including optical/recombination loss analyses, real-time control and on-line monitoring of solar cell structures, and large-area structural mapping. Furthermore, this book describes the optical constants of 148 solar cell component layers, covering a broad range of materials from semiconductor light absorbers (inorganic, organic and hybrid perovskite semiconductors) to transparent conductive oxides and metals. The tabulated and completely parameterized optical constants described in this book are the most current resource that is vital for device simulations and solar cell structural analyses.

Micro-X-ray fluorescence offers the possibility for a position- sensitive and non-destructive analysis that can be used for the analysis of non-homogeneous materials and layer systems. This analytical technique has shown a dynamic development in the last 15 years and is used for the analysis of small particles, inclusions, of elemental distributions for a wide range of different applications both in research and quality control. The first experiments were performed on synchrotrons but there is a requirement for laboratory instruments which offers a fast and immediate access for analytical results. The book discuss the main components of a -XRF instrument and the different measurement modes, it gives an overview about the various instruments types, considers the special requirements for quantification of non-homogeneous materials and presents a wide range of application for single point and multi-point analysis as well as for distribution analysis in one, two and three dimensions.

This thesis deals with the development and in-depth study of a new class of optoelectronic material platform comprising graphene and MoS_2, in which MoS_2 is used essentially to sensitize graphene and lead to unprecedently high gain and novel opto-electronic memory effects. The results presented here open up the possibility of designing a new class of photosensitive devices which can be utilized in various optoelectronic applications including biomedical sensing, astronomical sensing, optical communications, optical quantum information processing and in applications requiring low intensity photodetection and number resolved single photon detection.

This book represents volume 2 of a 3-volume monograph on Particle Penetration and Radiation Effects. While volume 1 addressed the basic theory of scattering and stopping of swift point charges, i.e., protons, antiprotons and alpha particles, the present volume focuses on ions heavier than helium as well as molecules and clusters over an energy range from a few keV/u to a few hundred MeV/u. The book addresses the foundations in atomic-collision physics of a wide variety of application areas within materials and surface science and engineering, micro and nano science and technology, radiation medicine and biology as well as nuclear and particle physics. Problems have been added to all chapters. This should make the book useful for both self-study and advanced university courses. An effort has been made to establish a unified notation throughout the monograph.

Structure and Dynamics of Macromolecules: Absorption and Fluorescence Studies is clearly written and contains invaluable examples, coupled with illustrations that demonstrate a comprehensible analysis and presentation of the data. This book offers practical information on the fundamentals of absorption and fluorescence, showing that it is possible to interpret the same result in different ways. It is an asset to students, professors and researchers wishing to discover or use absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, and to scientists working on the structure and dynamics of macromolecules.
* Offers concise information on the fundamentals of absorption and fluorescence
* Critically reviews examples taken from previously published literature
* Highly illustrated, it is suitable for academic and institutional libraries and government laboratories

This thesis describes a proof-of-principle experiment demonstrating a technique for stable isotope enrichment called Magnetically Activated and Guided Isotope Separation (MAGIS). Over the past century many enriched isotopes have become available, thanks largely to electromagnetic separators called calutrons. Due to substantial maintenance and operating costs, the United States decommissioned the last of its calutrons in 1998, leading to demand for alternative methods of isotope separation. The work presented here suggests the promise for MAGIS as a viable alternative to the calutrons.The MAGIS technique combines optical pumping with a scalable magnetic field gradient to enrich atoms of a specific isotope in an atomic beam. Benchmarking this work against the calutron using lithium as a test case, the author demonstrated comparable enrichment in a manner that should scale to the production of similar quantities, while requiring vastly less energy input.

Many and ever more mobile users wish to enjoy a variety of multimedia services, in very diverse geographical environments. The growing number of communication options within and across wireless standards is accommodating the growing volume and heterogeneity in wireless wishes. On the other hand, advancement in radio technologies opening much more flexibility, a.o. through Software Defined Radios, opens up the possibility to realize mobile devices featuring multi-mode options at low cost and interesting form factors.

It is crucial to manage the new degrees of freedom opened up in radios and standards in a smart way, such that the required service is offered at satisfactory quality as efficiently as possible. Efficiency in energy consumption is clearly primordial for battery powered mobile terminals specifically, and in the context of growing ecological concerns in a broader context. Moreover, efficient usage of the spectrum is a growing prerequisite for wireless systems, and coexistence of different standards puts overall throughput at risk.

The management of flexibility risks bringing about intolerable complexity and hamper the desired agility. A systematic approach, consisting of anticipative preparing for smooth operation, allows mastering this challenge. Case studies show that already today, this approach enables smart operation of radios realizing impressive efficiency gains without hampering Quality-of-Service. In the future wireless communication scenes will be able to profit form the opening of the spectrum. Even smarter and cognitive behavior will become possible and essential.

This book mainly focuses on the study of the high-temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 by vacuum, ultra-violet, laser-based, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). A new form of electron coupling has been identified in Bi2212, which occurs in the superconducting state. For the first time, the Bogoliubov quasiparticle dispersion with a clear band back-bending has been observed with two peaks in the momentum distribution curve in the superconducting state at a low temperature. Readers will find useful information about the technique of angle-resolved photoemission and the study of high-temperature superconductors using this technique. Dr. Wentao Zhang received his PhD from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

This series provides an unequalled source of information on an area of chemistry that continues to grow in importance. Divided into sections mainly according to the particular spectroscopic technique used, coverage in each volume includes: NMR (with reference to stereochemistry, dynamic systems, paramagnetic complexes, solid state NMR and Groups 13-18); nuclear quadrupole resonance spectroscopy; vibrational spectroscopy of main group and transition element compounds and coordinated ligands; and electron diffraction. Reflecting the growing volume of published work in the field, researchers will find this an invaluable source of information on current methods and applications. Volume 39 provides a critical review of the literature published up to late 2004.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) is now widely regarded as having evolved into a subscience. The field has become immensely diverse, ranging from medical use through solid state NMR to liquid state applications, with countless books and scientific journals devoted to these topics. Theoretical as well as experimental advance continues to be rapid, and has in fact accelerated by many novel innovations. This multi-authored book focuses on the latest developments in the rapidly evolving field of high resolution NMR, specifically with a view to applications on the structure elucidation of organic molecules of moderate molecular weight. Conceptually it differs from basic educational texts, hard-core scientific papers and regular review articles in that each chapter may be regarded as the authors' personal account of their special insights and results that crystallised after several years of research into a given topic. The book revolves around several themes and offers a handful of scientific "gems" of various colors, reflecting the great diversity of NMR. It contains 16 loosely connected chapters written by some of today's most accomplished NMR scientists in the world. Each chapter is a unique synthesis of the authors' previous research results in the given field, and thus projects special insights. Much emphasis has been given to the latest developments in NMR, in particular to selective pulses and pulsed field gradients. As a part of the series "Analytical Spectroscopy Library," with subsequent editions coming along this book should provide a platform for future research accounts of similar flavor. The material is presented in a mostly non-mathematical fashion, and is intended mainly for chemists, application NMR scientists and students with already some background in NMR. Some of the chapters slightly overlap in the discussed topics, which is particularly exciting in terms of gaining insight into the same area from different angles.

Solid-State spectroscopy is a burgeoning field with applications in many branches of science, including physics, chemistry, biosciences, surface science, and materials science. Handbook of Applied Solid-State Spectroscopy brings together in one volume information about various spectroscopic techniques that is currently scattered in the literature of these disciplines. This concise yet comprehensive volume covers theory and applications of a broad range of spectroscopies, including NMR, NQR, EPR/ESR, ENDOR, scanning tunneling, acoustic resonance, FTIR, auger electron emission, x-ray photoelectron emission, luminescence, and optical polarization, and more. Emphasis is placed on fundamentals and current methods and procedures, together with the latest applications and developments in the field.

Detection of concealed explosives is a notoriously difficult problem, and many different approaches have been proposed to solve this problem. Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) is unique in many ways. It operates in a safe AM radio frequency range, and it can remotely detect unique fingerprint (NQR spectrum) of many explosives, such as TNT or RDX. As such, the detection of target does not depend on the shape or material of the container, or the presence of metallic object such as triggers etc. Spectra of chemically similar compounds differ enough that their presence never causes interference or false alarms. Unfortunately, widespread use is prevented due to low sensitivity, radiofrequency interference from the noisy environment, and inability to detect liquid explosives. This book presents current state of the art of the attempts to overcome NQR sensitivity problem, either by increasing the strengths of signals generated, or by increasing the specificity of the technique through a better understanding of the factors that affect the quadrupolar parameters of specific explosives. The use of these specific quadrupolar parameters is demonstrated on signal processing techniques that can detect weak signals, which are hidden in a noisy background. The problem of differentiation of liquid explosives and benign liquids in closed containers is approached by measurements of different nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters. As shown, a couple of solutions has reached a prototype stage and could find their use in a near future."

Abstract This chapter lays the foundation for the work presented in latter chapters. The potential of 60 GHz frequency bands for high data rate wireless transfer is discussed and promising applications are enlisted. Furthermore, the challenges related to 60 GHz IC design are presented and the chapter concludes with an outline of the book. Keywords Wireless communication 60 GHz Millimeter wave integrated circuit design Phase-locked loop CMOS Communication technology has revolutionized our way of living over the last century. Since Marconi's transatlantic wireless experiment in 1901, there has been tremendous growth in wireless communication evolving from spark-gap telegraphy to today's mobile phones equipped with Internet access and multimedia capabilities. The omnipresence of wireless communication can be observed in widespread use of cellular telephony, short-range communication through wireless local area networks and personal area networks, wireless sensors and many others. The frequency spectrum from 1 to 6 GHz accommodates the vast majority of current wireless standards and applications. Coupled with the availability of low cost radio frequency (RF) components and mature integrated circuit (IC) techn- ogies, rapid expansion and implementation of these systems is witnessed. The downside of this expansion is the resulting scarcity of available bandwidth and allowable transmit powers. In addition, stringent limitations on spectrum and energy emissions have been enforced by regulatory bodies to avoid interference between different wireless systems.

Biosensors are making a large impact in environmental, food, biomedical, and other applications. In comparison to standard analytical detection methods, such as minimal sample preparation and handling, they offer advantages including real time detection, rapid detection of the analytes of concern, use of non-skilled personnel, and portability. The aim of this book is to focus on research related to the rapid detection of agents and weapons of bioterrorism and provide a comprehensive review of the research topics most pertinent to advancing devices applicable to the rapid real-time detection of toxicants such as microbes, pathogens, toxins, or nerve gases. The ongoing war on terrorism and the rising security concerns are driving the need for newer faster biosensors against bio-warfare agents for both military and civil defence applications. The volume brings together contributions from the most eminent international researchers in the field, covering various aspects of work not so far published in any scientific journal and often going beyond the "state of art" . Readers of these review articles will learn new technological schemes that can lead to the construction of devices that will minimize the risk of bio-terrorism."

Reference Data on Multicharged Ions summarizes spectroscopic and collisional atomic data for highly charged positive ions: oscillator strength, energy levels, transition probabilities, cross sections and rate coefficients of different elementary processes taking place in hot plasmas.
The book does not give complicated theory and formulas; it presents the data in abbreviated form using tables, figures and, if possible, scaling laws for different characteristics. The data is interpreted on physical grounds, and ample references are given to the original literature.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and critical review coverage in major areas of chemical research. Compiled by teams of leading authorities in the relevant subject, the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist with regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. Subject coverage of all volumes is very similar and publication is on an annual or biennial basis. As EPR continues to find new applications in virtually all areas of modern science, including physics, chemistry, biology and materials science, this series caters not only for experts in the field, but also those wishing to gain a general overview of EPR applications in a given area.

This book gathers 12 outstanding contributions that reflect state-of-the-art industrial applications of fluorescence, ranging from the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries to explosives detection, aeronautics, instrumentation development, lighting, photovoltaics, water treatment and much more. In the field of fluorescence, the translation of research into important applications has expanded significantly over the past few decades. The 18th volume in the Springer Series on Fluorescence fills an important gap by focusing on selected industrial applications of fluorescence, described in contributions by both industry-based researchers and academics engaged in collaborations with industrial partners.

In this book, a modern unified theory of dispersion forces on atoms and bodies is presented which covers a broad range of different aspects and scenarios. Macroscopic quantum electrodynamics is applied within the context of dispersion forces. In contrast to the normal-mode quantum electrodynamics traditionally used to study dispersion forces, the new approach allows to consider realistic material properties including absorption and is flexible enough to be applied to a broad range of geometries. Thus general properties of dispersion forces like their non-additivity and the relation between microscopic and macroscopic dispersion forces are discussed. It is demonstrated how the general results can be used to obtain dispersion forces on atoms in the presence of bodies of various shapes and materials. In particular, nontrivial magnetic properties of the bodies, bodies of irregular shapes, the role of material absorption, and dynamical forces for excited atoms are discussed. This volume 2 deals especially with quantum electrodynamics, dispersion forces, Casimir forces, asymptotic power laws, quantum friction and universal scaling laws. The book gives both the specialist and those new to the field a thorough overview over recent results in the context of dispersion forces. It provides a toolbox for studying dispersion forces in various contexts.

As a spectroscopic method, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has seen spectacular growth, both as a technique and in its applications. Today's applications of NMR span a wide range of scientific disciplines, from physics to biology to medicine. Each volume of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance comprises a combination of annual and biennial reports which together provide comprehensive coverage of the literature on this topic. This Specialist Periodical Report reflects the growing volume of published work involving NMR techniques and applications, in particular NMR of natural macromolecules, which is covered in two reports: NMR of Proteins and Nucleic Acids; and NMR of Carbohydrates, Lipids and Membranes. For those wanting to become rapidly acquainted with specific areas of NMR, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance provides unrivalled scope of coverage. Seasoned practitioners of NMR will find this an invaluable source of current methods and applications. Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage in major areas of chemical research. Compiled by teams of leading experts in their specialist fields, this series is designed to help the chemistry community keep current with the latest developments in their field. Each volume in the series is published either annually or biennially and is a superb reference point for researchers. www.rsc.org/spr

This series provides an unequalled source of information on an area of chemistry that continues to grow in importance. Divided into sections mainly according to the particular spectroscopic technique used, coverage in each volume includes: NMR (with reference to stereochemistry, dynamic systems, paramagnetic complexes, solid state NMR and Groups 13-18); nuclear quadrupole resonance spectroscopy; vibrational spectroscopy of main group and transition element compounds and coordinated ligands; and electron diffraction. Reflecting the growing volume of published work in the field, researchers will find this an invaluable source of information on current methods and applications. Volume 39 provides a critical review of the literature published up to late 2004.