Synchrotron radiation is today extensively used for fundamental and applied research in many different fields of science. Its exceptional characteristics in terms of intensity, brilliance, spectral range, time structure and now also coherence pushed many experimental techniques to previously un-reachable limits, enabling the performance of experiments unbelievable only few years ago.

The book gives an up-to-date overview of synchrotron radiation research today with a view to the future, starting from its generation and sources, its interaction with matter, illustrating the main experimental technique employed and provides an overview of the main fields of research in which new and innovative results are obtained.

The book is addressed to PhD students and young researchers to provide both an introductory and a rather deep knowledge of the field. It will also be helpful to experienced researcher who want to approach the field in a professional way.

This book gives physical chemists a broader view of potential biological applications of their techniques for the study of nucleic acids in the gas phase. It provides organic chemists, biophysicists, and pharmacologists with an introduction to new techniques they can use to find the answers to yet unsolved questions. Laboratory sciences have bloomed with a variety of techniques to decipher the properties of the molecules of life. This volume introduces techniques used to investigate the properties of nucleic acids in the absence of solvent. It highlights the specificities pertaining to the studies of nucleic acids, although some of the techniques can similarly be applied to the study of other biomolecules, like proteins. The first part of the book introduces the techniques, from the transfer of nucleic acids to the gas-phase, to their detailed physico-chemical investigation. Each chapter is devoted to a specific molecular property, and illustrates how various approaches (experimental and theoretical) can be combined for the interpretation.
The second part of the book is devoted to applying the gas-phase approaches to solve specific questions related to the biophysics, biochemistry or pharmacology of nucleic acids.

This book presents the current knowledge about superconductivity in high Tc cuprate superconductors. There is a large scientific interest and great potential for technological applications. The book discusses all the aspects related to all families of cuprate superconductors discovered so far. Beginning with the phenomenon of superconductivity, the book covers: the structure of cuprate HTSCs, critical currents, flux pinning, synthesis of HTSCs, proximity effect and SQUIDs, possible applications of high Tc superconductors and theories of superconductivity. Though a high Tc theory is still awaited, this book describes the present scenario and BCS and RVB theories. The second edition was significantly extended by including film-substrate lattice matching and buffer layer considerations in thin film HTSCs, brick-wall microstructure in the epitaxial films, electronic structure of the CuO2 layer in cuprates, s-wave and d-wave coupling in HTSCs and possible scenarios of theories of high Tc superconductivity.

Sean Ashton's doctoral thesis, which he finished at the Technical University in Munich, describes the challenge of constructing a Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometer instrument (DEMS). DEMS combines an electrochemical cell with mass spectrometry via a membrane interface, allowing gaseous and volatile electrochemical reaction species to be monitored online. The thesis carefully introduces the fuel cell electrocatalyst development concerns before reviewing the pertinent literature on DEMS. This is followed by the presentation and discussion of the new extended design, including a thorough characterization of the instrument. The capabilities of the new setup are demonstrated in two research studies: The methanol oxidation reaction on Pt and PtRu catalysts, and the electrochemical corrosion of fuel cell catalyst supports. Despite both topics having long since been studied, new insights can be obtained through careful investigations with the new DEMS instrument that are of great, general interest. The thesis and the instrument thus show the way for future investigations in the field.

Clinical pharmacology plays an important role in today's medicine. Due to the high sensitivity, selectivity, and affordability of a mass spectrometer (MS), the high performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analytical technique is widely used in the determination of drugs in human biological matrixes for clinical pharmacology. Specifically, LC-MS is used to analyze: anticancer drugs antidementia drugs antidepressant drugs antiepileptic drugs antifundal drug antimicrobial drugs antipsychotic drugs antiretroviral drugs anxiolytic/hypnotic drugs cardiac drugs drugs for addiction immunosuppressant drugs mood stabilizer drugs This book will primarily cover the various methods of validation for LC-MS techniques and applications used in modern clinical pharmacology.

This work details an application of collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy for the separation of short-lived isomeric states and their subsequent study with decay spectroscopy.It reports the successful construction ofa novel decay spectroscopy apparatus that can operate at pressures below 1 x 10 DEGREES-9 mbar. The method is demonstrated by separating the nuclear ground and isomeric states of 204Fr and performing alpha-decay spectroscopy. An equivalent mass spectrometer would require 4.6 million times as much resolution to achieve the same result. This work unambiguously confirms the existence of a second isomeric state in 204Fr. The author also demonstrates the effectiveness of this method for laser spectroscopy and identification of hyperfine-structure components with energy tagging. This method was successfully used in 202Fr to identify ground and isomeric states. The measurement of 202Fr reported in this thesis demonstrates a factor of 100 improvement in sensitivity compared to state-of-the-art fluorescence techniques. The work reported in this thesis won the author the IOP Nuclear Physics Group Early Career Pri

Nanocharacterization by Atom Probe Tomography is a practical guide for researchers interested atomic level characterization of materials with atom probe tomography. Readers will find descriptions of the atom probe instrument and atom probe tomography technique, field ionization, field evaporation and field ion microscopy. The fundamental underlying physics principles are examined, in addition to data reconstruction and visualization, statistical data analysis methods and specimen preparation by electropolishing and FIB-based techniques. A full description of the local electrode atom probe - a new state-of-the-art instrument - is also provided, along with detailed descriptions and limitations of laser pulsing as a method to field evaporate atoms. Valuable coverage of the new ionization theory is also included, which underpins the overall technique.

This book is intended to give technological background and practical examples, but also to give general insight into the on-going technology development in the area of biodetection. The content is therefore suitable for an array of stakeholders (decision makers, purchasing officers, etc.) and end-users of biodetection equipment within the areas of health, environment, safety and security, and military preparation. The book is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the fundamental physical and biological properties of bioaerosol's. The second section goes into more detail and discusses in-depth the most commonly used detection principles. The third section of the book is devoted to technologies that have been used in standoff applications. The last section of the book gives an overview of trends in bioaerosol detection. The reader of this book will gain knowledge about the different biodetection technologies and thus better judge their capabilities in relation to desired applications.

"Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC): Methods and ""Protocols "provides a synopsis of a large array of different SILAC methods by presenting a set of protocols that have been established by renowned scientists and their working groups. These include methods and protocols for the labeling of various model organisms as well as advanced strategies relying on SILAC, e.g. for the analysis of protein interactions, the mapping of posttranslational modifications or the characterization of subcellular proteomes. Written in the highly successful "Methods in Molecular Biology "series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and practical, "Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC): ""Methods and Protocols "will serve students and experienced scientists alike as a valuable reference of how to make use of the SILAC technology for their own research.

Martin Stein's thesis describes a novel methodology for natural product discovery. Due to its high degree of reproducibility, robustness and sensitivity, the technique can be utilized to detect even trace amounts of bioactive substances in heterogeneous matrices such as fermentation broths or crude organic extracts. This research is thus relevant for a large number of researchers working in natural product discovery. Applications of this novel NMR-based approach include suitable environmental triggers for the induction of biosynthetic machineries. The author demonstrates the extraordinary value of this approach by the successful isolation of two potent inhibitors of the pharmaceutically relevant proteasome core particle from the insect pathogen photorhabdus luminescens. This thesis has led to a number of publications in high-impact journals.

Practical Materials Characterization covers the most common materials analysis techniques in a single volume. It stands as a quick reference for experienced users, as a learning tool for students, and as a guide for the understanding of typical data interpretation for anyone looking at results from a range of analytical techniques. The book includes analytical methods covering microstructural, surface, morphological, and optical characterization of materials with emphasis on microscopic structural, electronic, biological, and mechanical properties. Many examples in this volume cover cutting-edge technologies such as nanomaterials and life sciences.

This 1972 monograph is devoted to the analysis and interpretation of the infrared and Raman spectra of solid compounds, frequently used for their identification and characterization. It was thought unsatisfactory to analyse such spectra by the theory applicable to gas-phase samples, though this was frequently done. Furthermore, the results obtained by far infrared and laser Raman spectrometers, which detect the movement of atoms and/or molecules as a whole, had no gas-phase analogy. A separate approach to solid state vibrational spectra was therefore proposed within this volume. Dr Sherwood describes the solid state physics of vibrational spectroscopy and extends it to the more complex structures of low symmetry. He assumes an understanding of the infrared and Raman spectra of gases.

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

In the past decade, there has been a burst of new and fascinating physics associated to the unique properties of two-dimensional exciton polaritons, their recent demonstration of condensation under non-equilibrium conditions and all the related quantum phenomena, which have stimulated extensive research work. This monograph summarizes the current state of the art of research on exciton polaritons in microcavities: their interactions, fast dynamics, spin-dependent phenomena, temporal and spatial coherence, condensation under non-equilibrium conditions, related collective quantum phenomena and most advanced applications. The monograph is written by the most active authors who have strongly contributed to the advances in this area. It is of great interests to both physicists approaching this subject for the first time, as well as a wide audience of experts in other disciplines who want to be updated on this fast moving field.

Lena Daumanns's thesis describes structural and functional studies of the enzyme Glycerophosphodiesterase (GpdQ) from Enterobacter aerogenes. It also examines the properties of small mimics of this enzyme and related binuclear metallohydrolases such as the metallo-ss-lactamases to enhance our understanding of hydrolytic cleavage of important substrates like phosphoesters and -lactams. Overall, this project has led to a better understanding of the metal ion binding and active site structural features of the enzyme GpdQ. Daumann describes how she successfully immobilized phosphoesterase and related biomimetics on solid supports for potential applications in the area of bioremediation of organophosphate pesticides. Analysis shows that both the enzyme and biomimetics can be stored on the solid support without loss of activity. Furthermore, the author specroscopically and mechanistically characterized a number of Zn(II), Cd(II) and Co(II) complexes, some of which are among the most active biomimetics towards organophosphates reported to date. This thesis makes excellent reading for non-specialists because each chapter includes a short introduction section.

Rasmus Brogaard's thesis digs into the fundamental issue of how the shape of a molecule relates to its photochemical reactivity. This relation is drastically different from that of ground-state chemistry, since lifetimes of excited states are often comparable to or even shorter than the time scales of conformational changes. Combining theoretical and experimental efforts in femto-second time-resolved photoionization Rasmus Brogaard finds that a requirement for an efficient photochemical reaction is the prearrangement of the constituents in a reactive conformation. Furthermore, he is able to show that by exploiting a strong ionic interaction between two chromophores, a coherent molecular motion can be induced and probed in real-time. This way of using bichromophoric interactions provides a promising strategy for future research on conformational dynamics.

Common methods of local magnetic imaging display either a high spatial resolution and relatively poor field sensitivity (MFM, Lorentz microscopy), or a relatively high field sensitivity but limited spatial resolution (scanning SQUID microscopy). Since the magnetic field of a nanoparticle or nanostructure decays rapidly with distance from the structure, the achievable spatial resolution is ultimately limited by the probe-sample separation. This thesis presents a novel method for fabricating the smallest superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) that resides on the apex of a very sharp tip. The nanoSQUID-on-tip displays a characteristic size down to 100 nm and a field sensitivity of 10^-3 Gauss/Hz^(1/2). A scanning SQUID microsope was constructed by gluing the nanoSQUID-on-tip to a quartz tuning-fork. This enabled the nanoSQUID to be scanned within nanometers of the sample surface, providing simultaneous images of sample topography and the magnetic field distribution. This microscope represents a significant improvement over the existing scanning SQUID techniques and is expected to be able to image the spin of a single electron.

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.

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.

Nicola Salvi's thesis offers a remarkably cogent view of highly sophisticated NMR methods. Salvi developed these methods in order to characterize the amplitudes and frequency ranges of local motions in biomolecules such as proteins. These local motions play an essential role since they can explain many of the remarkable properties of proteins and enable them to carry out all sorts of vital functions, from enzymatic catalysis to intermolecular recognition and signalling in cells. Salvi's work has led to numerous publications in high-impact journals.

The book presents a comprehensive survey of the thermoballistic approach to charge carrier transport in semiconductors. This semi-classical approach, which the authors have developed over the past decade, bridges the gap between the opposing drift-diffusion and ballistic models of carrier transport. While incorporating basic features of the latter two models, the physical concept underlying the thermoballistic approach constitutes a novel, unifying scheme. It is based on the introduction of "ballistic configurations" arising from a random partitioning of the length of a semiconducting sample into ballistic transport intervals. Stochastic averaging of the ballistic carrier currents over the ballistic configurations results in a position-dependent thermoballistic current, which is the key element of the thermoballistic concept and forms the point of departure for the calculation of all relevant transport properties. In the book, the thermoballistic concept and its implementation are developed in great detail and specific examples of interest to current research in semiconductor physics and spintronics are worked out.

The book describes the fundamentals, latest developments and use of key experimental techniques for semiconductor research. It explains the application potential of various analytical methods and discusses the opportunities to apply particular analytical techniques to study novel semiconductor compounds, such as dilute nitride alloys. The emphasis is on the technique rather than on the particular system studied.

This work is based on experiences acquired by the authors regarding often asked questions and problems during manifold education of beginners in analytical transmission electron microscopy. These experiences are summarised illustratively in this textbook. Explanations based on simple models and hints for the practical work are the focal points. This practically- oriented textbook represents a clear and comprehensible introduction for all persons who want to use a transmission electron microscope in practice but who are not specially qualified electron microscopists up to now.

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

This book introduces the fundamentals and applications of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property of noble metallic nanoparticles, with an emphasis on the biosensing applications of plasmonic nanoparticles, especially in living cell imaging and photothermal therapy. It provides an overview of the different operating principles of plasmonic sensors, particularly the single-nanoparticle-based detections, and a series of creative biosensors based on the modulation of different parameters of nanoparticles (particle size, shape, composition and surrounding medium) for label-free detection. The interparticle coupling effect, plasmon resonance energy transfer, electron transfer on plasmonics surface are also covered in this book.

This book is intended for graduate students and researchers working in the interdisciplinary field combining chemistry, biology, material science and nanophotonics.

Yi-Tao Long is a Professor at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, China.