This thesis presents several related advances in the field of nonequilibrium quantum thermodynamics. The central result is an ingenious proof that the local temperature and voltage measurement in a nonequilibrium system of fermions exists and is unique, placing the concept of local temperature on a rigorous mathematical footing for the first time. As an intermediate step, a proof of the positivity of the Onsager matrix of linear response theory is given -- a statement of the second law of thermodynamics that had lacked an independent proof for 85 years. A new experimental method to measure the local temperature of an electron system using purely electrical techniques is also proposed, which could enable improvements to the spatial resolution of thermometry by several orders of magnitude. Finally, a new mathematically-exact definition for the local entropy of a quantum system in a nonequilibrium steady state is derived. Several different measures of the local entropy are discussed, relating to the thermodynamics of processes that a local observer with varying degrees of information about the microstates of the system could carry out, and it is shown that they satisfy a hierarchy of inequalities. Proofs of the third law of thermodynamics for generic open quantum systems are presented, taking into account the entropic contribution due to localized states. Appropriately normalized (per-state) local entropies are defined and are used to quantify the departure from local equilibrium.

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 provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the field of spin dynamics and magnetic damping. It discusses the various ways to tune damping, specifically, dynamic and static control in a ferromagnetic layer/heavy metal layer. In addition, it addresses all optical detection techniques for the investigation of modulation of damping, for example, the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect technique.

Hyperspectral Imaging, Volume 32, presents a comprehensive exploration of the different analytical methodologies applied on hyperspectral imaging and a state-of-the-art analysis of applications in different scientific and industrial areas. This book presents, for the first time, a comprehensive collection of the main multivariate algorithms used for hyperspectral image analysis in different fields of application. The benefits, drawbacks and suitability of each are fully discussed, along with examples of their application. Users will find state-of-the art information on the machinery for hyperspectral image acquisition, along with a critical assessment of the usage of hyperspectral imaging in diverse scientific fields.

This book presents experimental studies on emergent transport and magneto-optical properties in three-dimensional topological insulators with two-dimensional Dirac fermions on their surfaces. Designing magnetic heterostructures utilizing a cutting-edge growth technique (molecular beam epitaxy) stabilizes and manifests new quantization phenomena, as confirmed by low-temperature electrical transport and time-domain terahertz magneto-optical measurements. Starting with a review of the theoretical background and recent experimental advances in topological insulators in terms of a novel magneto-electric coupling, the author subsequently explores their magnetic quantum properties and reveals topological phase transitions between quantum anomalous Hall insulator and trivial insulator phases; a new topological phase (the axion insulator); and a half-integer quantum Hall state associated with the quantum parity anomaly. Furthermore, the author shows how these quantum phases can be significantly stabilized via magnetic modulation doping and proximity coupling with a normal ferromagnetic insulator. These findings provide a basis for future technologies such as ultra-low energy consumption electronic devices and fault-tolerant topological quantum computers.

This book offers a complete and well-organized review of the latest advances made in developing ultra-weak chemiluminescence techniques for analytical applications. It systematically introduces the current theories, mechanisms, instruments, technologies, and real applications of ultra-weak chemiluminescence. Compared to books devoted to the normal chemiluminescence and bioluminescence, this book covers a wide range of ultra-weak chemiluminescence based on inorganic chemical reactions and nanotechnology from a principle and practical point of view. This book is intended for readers who are interested in expanding their knowledge of chemiluminescence and employing ultra-weak chemiluminescence techniques to develop new detection methods for analytical applications.

Quantitative elucidation of structural, energetic and dynamic aspects of macromolecular interactions is indispensable for understanding the functional activities of biomolecules and their interactions. The optical spectroscopic methods are not confined to small molecules or macromolecules but permit the studies of even the largest biological systems in their full splendor, including the living cell. In, Spectroscopic Methods of Analysis: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the methods which are now commonly used to study properties of individual macromolecules, their complexes, organelles, and cells, using optical spectroscopic techniques. These include methods and approaches for experimental and theoretical analyses of fluorescence properties of the examined systems, single molecule approaches, electronic absorption, and electro-optical analyses of macromolecular interactions, structures, and dynamics. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology(tm) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Spectroscopic Methods of Analysis : Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientists in the further study of optical spectroscopic methods.

This book comprises selected peer-reviewed papers presented at the 7th Topical Conference of the Indian Society of Atomic and Molecular Physics, jointly held at IISER Tirupati and IIT Tirupati, India. The contributions address current topics of interest in atomic and molecular physics, both from the theoretical and experimental perspective. The major focus areas include quantum collisions, spectroscopy of atomic and molecular clusters, photoionization, Wigner time delay in collisions, laser cooling, Bose-Einstein condensates, atomic clocks, quantum computing, and trapping and manipulation of quantum systems. The book also discusses emerging topics such as ultrafast quantum processes including those at the attosecond time-scale. This book will prove to be a valuable reference for students and researchers working in the field of atomic and molecular physics.

This thesis lays the groundwork for producing a new class of ultracold molecule by associating an alkali-metal atom and a closed-shell alkaline-earth-like atom, specifically Cs and Yb. Such molecules exhibit both a magnetic dipole moment and an electric dipole moment in their ground state. This extra degree of freedom opens up new avenues of research including the study of exotic states of matter, the shielding of molecular collisions and the simulation of lattice spin models. In detail, the thesis reports the first and only ultracold mixture of Cs and Yb in the world, giving details of the methods used to cool such contrasting atomic species together. Using sensitive two-colour photoassociation measurements to measure the binding energies of the near-threshold CsYb molecular levels in the electronic ground state has allowed the previously unknown scattering lengths to be accurately determined for all the Cs-Yb isotopic combinations. As part of this work, the one-photon photoassociation of ultracold Cs*Yb is also studied, yielding useful information on the excited-state potential. Knowledge of the scattering lengths enables a strategy to be devised to cool both species to quantum degeneracy and, crucially, determines the positions of interspecies Feshbach resonances required for efficient association of ground-state CsYb molecules. With these results, the prospect of bringing a new molecule into the ultracold regime has become considerably closer.

This book deals with the study of superconductivity in systems with coexisting wide and narrow bands. It has been previously suggested that superconductivity can be enhanced in systems with coexisting wide and narrow bands when the Fermi level is near the narrow band edge. In this book, the authors study two problems concerning this mechanism in order to: (a) provide a systematic understanding of the role of strong electron correlation effects, and (b) propose a realistic candidate material which meets the ideal criteria for high-Tc superconductivity. Regarding the role of strong correlation effects, the FLEX+DMFT method is adopted. Based on systematic calculations, the pairing mechanism is found to be indeed valid even when the strong correlation effect is considered within the formalism. In the second half of the book, the authors propose a feasible candidate material by introducing the concept of the "hidden ladder" electronic structure, arising from the combination of the bilayer lattice structure and the anisotropic orbitals of the electrons. As such, the book contributes a valuable theoretical guiding principle for seeking unknown high-Tc superconductors.

This book is based on the best contributions to the advancement of bioimpedance knowledge and use from the Latin American Congress series, CLABIO. Basic bioimpedance facts as well as promising and original contributions to bioimpedance theory and applications are presented, giving the reader stimulating material for reflection, decision making, and further experiments. Contributions come from a diverse international pool of experts and address topics on electrode and skin impedance modelling, tomography, spectroscopy, instrumentation, and clinical applications.

This book covers novel research results for process and techniques of materials characterization for a wide range of materials. The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the aspects of structural and chemical characterization of these materials. The articles contained in this book covers state of the art and experimental techniques commonly used in modern materials characterization. The book includes theoretical models and numerous illustrations of structural and chemical characterization properties.

This informative book offers a wide range of knowledge on the technologies and applications of the cutting-edge field of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) in different areas of analysis. HRMS has changed the nature of experimentation and investigation in so many analytical realms. Determining exact mass determination, high resolution, and specificity-via the special features provided by HRMS instruments-is now possible for determining the composition of the analyte of interest, both qualitatively and quantitatively. High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Its Diverse Applications: Cutting-Edge Techniques and Instrumentation begins with an overview of the basic instrumentation techniques and goes on to present research on diverse new uses of HRMS in clinical testing, such as for therapeutic drug designing, discovery, and development; in forensic studies and investigations; in quality management systems; for analysis of pesticides; for analysis of single cells; in analysis of fossil fuels; for use in space and planetary science; and more. Chapters relay how HRMS plays an important role in the structure elucidation and unknown determination in many fields and is a great measure to be used for quantitative analyses. The book considers how these properties make the technique a strong aid in many areas. This volume highlights how HRMS can be a useful tool for scientists and researchers, faculty and students, and industry professionals in many scientific areas of study.

This thesis presents and discusses recent optical low-temperature experiments on disordered NbN, granular Al thin-films, and the heavy-fermion compound CeCoIn5, offering a unified picture of quantum-critical superconductivity. It provides a concise introduction to the respective theoretical models employed to interpret the experimental results, and guides readers through in-depth calculations supplemented with supportive figures in order to both retrace the interpretations and span the bridge between experiment and state-of-the art theory.

Solid State Physics: An Introduction to Theory presents an intermediate quantum approach to the properties of solids. Through this lens, the text explores different properties, such as lattice, electronic, elastic, thermal, dielectric, magnetic, semiconducting, superconducting and optical and transport properties, along with the structure of crystalline solids. The work presents the general theory for most of the properties of crystalline solids, along with the results for one-, two- and three-dimensional solids in particular cases. It also includes a brief description of emerging topics, such as the quantum hall effect and high superconductivity. Building from fundamental principles and requiring only a minimal mathematical background, the book includes illustrative images and solved problems in all chapters to support student understanding.

This book provides a fresh, photon-based description of modern molecular spectroscopy and photophysics, with applications drawn from chemistry, biology, physics and materials science.

This updated and revised edition of a classic work provides a summary of methods for numerical computation of high resolution conventional and scanning transmission electron microscope images. At the limits of resolution, image artifacts due to the instrument and the specimen interaction can complicate image interpretation. Image calculations can help the user to interpret and understand high resolution information in recorded electron micrographs. The book contains expanded sections on aberration correction, including a detailed discussion of higher order (multipole) aberrations and their effect on high resolution imaging, new imaging modes such as ABF (annular bright field), and the latest developments in parallel processing using GPUs (graphic processing units), as well as updated references. Beginning and experienced users at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level will find the book to be a unique and essential guide to the theory and methods of computation in electron microscopy.

Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Volume 83 will focuses on new trends, methods and instrumentation in the field, starting from the innovations of each technique, to the most progressive challenges of IM-MS. Chapters includes section on Recent advances in IM-MS, IM-MS Principles and Theory, IM-MS Applications and Instrumentation, and the Future of IM-MS.

Solid-State NMR Characterization of Heterogeneous Catalysts and Catalytic Reactions provides a comprehensive account of state-of-the-art solid-state NMR techniques and the application of these techniques in heterogeneous catalysts and related catalytic reactions. It includes an introduction to the basic theory of solid-state NMR and various frequently used techniques. Special emphasis is placed on characterizing the framework and pore structure, active site, guest-host interaction, and synthesis mechanisms of heterogeneous catalysts using multinuclear one- and two-dimensional solid-sate NMR spectroscopy. Additionally, various in-situ solid-state NMR techniques and their applications in investigation of the mechanism of industrially important catalytic reactions are also discussed. Both the fundamentals and the latest research results are covered, making the book suitable as a reference guide for both experienced researchers in and newcomers to this field. Feng Deng is a Professor at Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Synchrotron radiation has been a revolutionary and invaluable research tool for a wide range of scientists, including chemists, biologists, physicists, materials scientists, geophysicists. It has also found multidisciplinary applications with problems ranging from archeology through cultural heritage to paleontology. The subject of this book is x-ray spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation, and the target audience is both current and potential users of synchrotron facilities. The first half of the book introduces readers to the fundamentals of storage ring operations, the qualities of the synchrotron radiation produced, the x-ray optics required to transport this radiation, and the detectors used for measurements. The second half of the book describes the important spectroscopic techniques that use synchrotron x-rays, including chapters on x-ray absorption, x-ray fluorescence, resonant and non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering, nuclear spectroscopies, and x-ray photoemission. A final chapter surveys the exciting developments of free electron laser sources, which promise a second revolution in x-ray science. Thanks to the detailed descriptions in the book, prospective users will be able to quickly begin working with these techniques. Experienced users will find useful summaries, key equations, and exhaustive references to key papers in the field, as well as outlines of the historical developments in the field. Along with plentiful illustrations, this work includes access to supplemental Mathematica notebooks, which can be used for some of the more complex calculations and as a teaching aid. This book should appeal to graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior scientists alike.

This volume highlights the potentials as well as the limits and challenges of human breath analysis and describes the current efforts made to advance this promising technology from bench to bed. Human breath analysis is a young, interdisciplinary and innovative research field aiming to provide a smart and non-invasive diagnostic tool, which can be used for screening, detecting and monitoring of diseases or metabolic disorders. This book presents different approaches for breath analysis including real-time and offline mass spectrometry as well as optical and semiconductor gas sensing methods. Besides, the role of smart algorithms to improve the performance of those technologies and the importance of pulmonary function diagnostics for more reliable and meaningful breath analysis are highlighted. Finally, current application scenarios and future perspectives of breath analysis and pulmonary functioning tests are addressed. The volume is useful for researchers, who are new in the field, to easily get an overview of the current status and the challenges present in human breath analysis. Topics from fundamental research over targeted sensor development and application scenarios are described. Thus, this volume covers all development stages providing support and inspiration for engineers, medical doctors and scientists from various fields.

This thesis extends our understanding of systems of independent electrons by developing a generalization of Bloch's Theorem which is applicable whenever translational symmetry is broken solely due to arbitrary boundary conditions. The thesis begins with a historical overview of topological condensed matter physics, placing the work in context, before introducing the generalized form of Bloch's Theorem. A cornerstone of electronic band structure and transport theory in crystalline matter, Bloch's Theorem is generalized via a reformulation of the diagonalization problem in terms of corner-modified block-Toeplitz matrices and, physically, by allowing the crystal momentum to take complex values. This formulation provides exact expressions for all the energy eigenvalues and eigenstates of the single-particle Hamiltonian. By precisely capturing the interplay between bulk and boundary properties, this affords an exact analysis of several prototypical models relevant to symmetry-protected topological phases of matter, including a characterization of zero-energy localized boundary excitations in both topological insulators and superconductors. Notably, in combination with suitable matrix factorization techniques, the generalized Bloch Hamiltonian is also shown to provide a natural starting point for a unified derivation of bulk-boundary correspondence for all symmetry classes in one dimension.

This book provides knowledge of the basic theory, spectral analysis methods, chemometrics, instrumentation, and applications of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy-not as a handbook but rather as a sourcebook of NIR spectroscopy. Thus, some emphasis is placed on the description of basic knowledge that is important in learning and using NIR spectroscopy. The book also deals with applications for a variety of research fields that are very useful for a wide range of readers from graduate students to scientists and engineers in both academia and industry. For readers who are novices in NIR spectroscopy, this book provides a good introduction, and for those who already are familiar with the field it affords an excellent means of strengthening their knowledge about NIR spectroscopy and keeping abreast of recent developments.

This book reports on the development and application of a new uniaxial pressure apparatus that is currently generating considerable interest in the field of materials physics. The author provides practical guidelines for performing such experiments, backed up by finite element simulations. Subsequently, the book reports on two uses of the device. In the first, high pressures are used to tune to a Van Hove singularity in Sr2RuO4, while the effects on the unconventional superconductivity and the normal state properties are investigated. In the second experiment, precise and continuous strain control is used to probe symmetry breaking and novel phase formation in the vicinity of a quantum critical point in Sr3Ru2O7.