This thesis presents a highly innovative study of the ultrafast structural and vibrational dynamics of hydrated phospholipids, the basic constituents of cell membranes. As a novel approach to the water-phospholipid interface, the author studies phosphate vibrations using the most advanced methods of nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy, including femtosecond two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. He shows for the first time that the structure of interfacial water undergoes very limited fluctuations on a 300 fs time scale and that the lifetimes of hydrogen bonds with the phospholipid are typically longer than 10 ps. Such properties originate from the steric hindrance of water fluctuations at the interface and the orienting action of strong electric fields from the phospholipid head group dipoles. In an extensive series of additional experiments, the vibrational lifetimes of the different vibrations and the processes of energy dissipation are elucidated in detail.

This thesis reports results of precision mass spectrometry of exotic nuclides as a means of elucidating their structure. The work was performed with the ISOLTRAP spectrometer at CERN's ISOLDE facility. The author furthermore offers an overview of existing techniques used in Penning-trap mass spectrometry and also reports on recent promising developments regarding ISOLTRAP. This eloquently written treatment covers both theory and experiment, and includes a general phenomenological introduction to the nuclear-structure intuition contained in the trends of nuclear binding energies.

This book explores the mechanism of alkali-metal ion/molecule association reaction, surveys the instrumental basis to study its kinetic, and describes the instrumentation to the measurement of alkali-metal ion affinities. The applications of the ion complexation mechanism in the condensed phase in reaction to direct analysis MS are also covered. Other topics include mechanism and reaction rate, experimental and theoretical ion affinities, applications of ion attachment reactions (IAR) to mass spectrometry such as alkali ion CIMS, ion attachment MS and cationization mass spectrometry of ESI, FAB, FD, LD, MALDI and SIMS and topics of IAR-based direct analysis mass spectrometry.

The field of Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMP) has reached significant advances in high-precision experimental measurement techniques. The area covers a wide spectrum ranging from conventional to new emerging multi-disciplinary areas like physics of highly charged ions (HCI), molecular physics, optical science, ultrafast laser technology etc. This book includes the important topics of atomic structure, physics of atomic collision, photoexcitation, photoionization processes, Laser cooling and trapping, Bose Einstein condensation and advanced technology applications of AMP in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, fusion, biology and nanotechnology. This book is useful for researchers, professors, graduate, postgraduate and PhD students dealing with atomic and molecular physics. The book has a wide scope with applications in neighboring fields like plasma physics, astrophysics, cold collisions, nanotechnology and future fusion energy sources like ITER (international Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) Tokomak plasma machine, which need accurate AMP data.

The study of quantum fluids, stimulated by the discovery of superfluidity in liquid helium, has experienced renewed interest after the observation of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in ultra-cold atomic gases and the observation a new type of quantum fluid with specific characteristics derived from its intrinsic out-of-equilibrium nature. The main objective of this book is to take a snapshot of the state-of-the-art of this fast moving field with a special emphasis on the hot topics and new trends. Bringing together the most active specialists of the two areas (atomic and polaritonic quantum fluids), we expect that this book will facilitate the exchange and the collaboration between these two communities working on subjects with very strong analogies.

Colloidal nanocrystals show much promise as an optoelectronics architecture due to facile control over electronic properties afforded by chemical control of size, shape, and heterostructure. Unfortunately, realizing practical devices has been forestalled by the ubiquitous presence of charge "trap" states which compete with band-edge excitons and result in limited device efficiencies. Little is known about the defining characteristics of these traps, making engineered strategies for their removal difficult. This thesis outlines pulsed optically detected magnetic resonance as a powerful spectroscopy of the chemical and electronic nature of these deleterious states. Counterintuitive for such heavy atom materials, some trap species possess very long spin coherence lifetimes (up to 1.6 s). This quality allows use of the trapped charge's magnetic moment as a local probe of the trap state itself and its local environment. Beyond state characterization, this spectroscopy can demonstrate novel effects in heterostructured nanocrystals, such as spatially-remote readout of spin information and the coherent control of light harvesting yield.

The 6th International Conference on Laser Probing (LAP2012) had been held in Paris at the Institut Henri Poincare. It highlighted the state of the art in Laser Probing and reinforced the common ground and synergies among the different actors in the field. The Institut de Physique Nucleaire d'Orsay and the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds in Caen had been in charge of the organization of this event, co-sponsored by the Institut National de Physique Nucleaire et de Physique des Particules (IN2P3) and the Laboratory Physique des 2 Infinis et des Origines (P2IO). Previously published as special issue of Hyperfine Interactions, vol. 216, 1-3.

This book provides in-depth knowledge about the fabrications, structures, properties and applications of three outstanding electrochemically engineered nanoporous materials including porous silicon, nanoporous alumina and nanotubular titania. The book integrates three major themes describing these materials. The first theme is on porous silicon reviewing the methods for preparation by electrochemical etching, properties and methods for surface functionalization relevant for biosensing applications. Biomedical applications of porous silicon are major focus, described in several chapters reviewing recent developments on bioanalysis, emerging capture probes and drug delivery. The second theme on nanoporous alumina starts with describing the concept of self-organized electrochemical process used for synthesis nanopore and nanotube structures of valve metal oxides and reviewing recent development and progress on this field. The following chapters are focused mainly on optical properties and biosensing application of nanoporous alumina providing the reader with the depth of understanding of the structure controlled optical and photonic properties and design of optical biosensing devices using different detection principles such as photoluminescence, surface plasmon resonance, reflective spectrometry, wave guiding, Raman scattering etc. The third theme is focused on nanotubular titania reviewing three key applications including photocatalysis, solar cells and drug delivery. The book represents an important resource for academics, researchers, industry professionals, post-graduate and high-level undergraduate students providing them with both an overview of the current state-of-the-art on these materials and their future developments.

This thesis focuses on the fundamental problem of characterising partially coherent beams. The book describes several non-interferometric methods based on phase-space tomography for recovering the spatial coherence information of optical beams. In the context of optical beams, partially coherent light provides numerous advantages over coherent light. From microscopy to optical communications, there are many disciplines that benefit from using partially coherent beams. However, their range of applications currently remains limited due to the complexity of extracting information. In addition to providing a feasible experimental solution for the general case, the book explores several situations in which beam symmetries are exploited to simplify the information extraction process. Each characterisation method is accompanied by a corresponding theoretical explanation and a thorough description of experimental examples.

This volume contains the proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Symmetries in Subatomic Physics (SSP2012), that was held in Groningen, The Netherlands from 18 till 22 June 2012. This sequence of symposia is now firmly connected with one of the main branches in fundamental nuclear and particle physics, i.e. in searches for physics beyond the Standard Model, focused on the (violation of) the discrete symmetries of Parity, Charge conjugation and Time reversal invariance. This field comes in various disguises: With large experimental facilities and large collaborations, as in LHC physics or in neutrino experiments, but also as table top experiments by small groups in the field of nuclear, atomic and molecular physics, such as in searches for a permanent electric dipole moments and atomic parity violation.

Bringing the practitioners of these divergent fields together gives a coherent overview and see the complementarities of the various approaches to the same question: why is the Standard Model what it is and what lies beyond it.

NMR Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis at Low Magnetic Fields, by Stefan Gloeggler, Bernhard Blumich, Stephan Appelt Dynamic Nuclear Hyperpolarization in Liquids, by Ulrich L. Gunther NMR with Multiple Receivers, by Eriks Kupce TROSY NMR Spectroscopy of Large Soluble Proteins, by Yingqi Xu, Stephen Matthews Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy of Proteins, by Henrik Muller, Manuel Etzkorn, Henrike Heise Paramagnetic Solid-State Magic-Angle Spinning NMR Spectroscopy, by Guido Pintacuda, Gwendal Kervern

This book is the first comprehensive work to be published on far-ultraviolet (FUV) and deep-ultraviolet (DUV) spectroscopy, subjects of keen interest because new areas of spectroscopy have been born in the FUV and DUV regions. For example, FUV spectroscopy in condensed matter has become possible due to the development of attenuated total reflection/FUV spectroscopy. As other examples, DUV surface-enhanced Raman scattering and DUV tip-enhanced Raman scattering have received great attention. Imaging by DUV spectroscopy has also become an area of interest. More recently, FUV and DUV spectroscopy have shown potential for applications in several fields including industry. All these topics are described in this book. Doctoral students and researchers in universities and national research institutes as well as researchers in various industries will find this volume highly useful.

Photochromism is the reversible phototransformation of a chemical species between two forms having different absorption spectra. During the phototransformation not only the absorption spectra but also various physicochemical properties change, such as the refractive index, dielectric constant, oxidation/reduction potential, and geometrical structure. The property changes can be applied to photonic equipment such as erasable memory media, photo-optical switch components, and display devices. This book compiles the accomplishments of the research project titled "New Frontiers in Photochromism" supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The project focused not only on the above-mentioned classical subjects in photochromism, such as color changes, optical memory, and optical switches, but also on fundamental physicochemical studies and unprecedented application fields that have not yet been explored in photochromism. The latter topics include light-driven mechanical motion, photocontrol of surface wettability, metal deposition on solid materials, photocontrol of chiral properties, ultrafast decoloration dyes, and femtosecond laser experiments, among others.

The second edition deals with all essential aspects of non-relativistic quantum physics up to the quantisation of fields. In contrast to common textbooks of quantum mechanics, modern experiments are described both for the purpose of foundation of the theory and in relation to recent applications. Links are made to important research fields and applications such as elementary particle physics, solid state physics and nuclear magnetic resonance in medicine, biology and material science. Special emphasis is paid to quantum physics in nanoelectronics such as resonant tunnelling, Coulomb blockade and the realisation of quantum bits. This second edition also considers quantum transport through quantum point contacts and its application as charge detectors in nanoelectronic circuits. Also the realization and the study of electronic properties of an artificial quantum dot molecule are presented. Because of its recent interest a brief discussion of Bose-Einstein condensation has been included, as well as the recently detected Higgs particle. Another essential new addition to the present book concerns a detailed discussion of the particle picture in quantum field theory. Counterintuitive aspects of single particle quantum physics such as particle-wave duality and the Einstein-Podolski-Rosen (EPR) paradox appear more acceptable to our understanding if discussed on the background of quantum field theory. The non-locality of quantum fields explains non-local behaviour of particles in classical Schroedinger quantum mechanics. Finally, new problems have been added. The book is suitable as an introduction into quantum physics, not only for physicists but also for chemists, biologists, engineers, computer scientists and even for philosophers as far as they are interested in natural philosophy and epistemology.

This thesis examines various aspects of excess excitation energy dissipation via dynamic changes in molecular structure, vibrational modes and solvation. The computational work is carefully described and the results are compared to experimental data obtained using femtosecond spectroscopy and x-ray scattering. The level of agreement between theory and experiment is impressive and provides both a convincing validation of the method and significant new insights into the chemical dynamics and molecular determinants of the experimental data. Hence, the method presented in the thesis has the potential to become a very important contribution to the rapidly growing field of femtosecond x-ray science, a trend reflected in the several free-electron x-ray lasers (XFELs) currently being built around the world. Light-induced chemical processes are accompanied by molecular motion of electrons and nuclei on the femtosecond time scale. Uncovering these dynamics is central to our understanding of the chemical reaction on a fundamental level. Asmus O. Dohn has implemented a highly efficient QM/MM Direct Dynamics method for predicting the solvation dynamics of transition metal complexes in solution.

The properties and nature of water clusters studied with novel spectroscopic approaches are presented in this thesis. Following a general introduction on the chemistry of water and water clusters, detailed descriptions of the experiments and analyses are given. All the experimental results, including first size-selective spectra of large clusters consisting of 200 water molecules, are presented with corresponding analyses. Hitherto unidentified hydrogen bond network structures, dynamics, and reactivity of various water clusters have been characterized at the molecular level. The main targets of this book are physical chemists and chemical physicists who are interested in water chemistry or cluster chemistry.

Quantum Chemistry of Solids delivers a comprehensive account of the main features and possibilities of LCAO methods for the first principles calculations of electronic structure of periodic systems. The first part describes the basic theory underlying the LCAO methods applied to periodic systems and the use of Hartree-Fock(HF), Density Function theory(DFT) and hybrid Hamiltonians. The translation and site symmetry consideration is included to establish connection between k-space solid -state physics and real-space quantum chemistry. The inclusion of electron correlation effects for periodic systems is considered on the basis of localized crystalline orbitals. The possibilities of LCAO methods for chemical bonding analysis in periodic systems are discussed. The second part deals with the applications of LCAO methods for calculations of bulk crystal properties, including magnetic ordering and crystal structure optimization. In the second edition two new chapters are added in the application part II of the book. Chapter 12 deals with the recent LCAO calculations and illustrates the efficiency of the scalar-relativistic LCAO method for solids, containing heavy atoms. Chapter 13 deals with the symmetry properties and the recent applications of LCAO method to inorganic nanotubes. New material is added to chapter 9 devoted to LCAO calculations of perfect-crystal properties. The possibilities of LCAO method for calculation of the high-frequency dielectric constants of crystals and the description of phase transitions in solids are discussed. The efficiency of LCAO method in the quantum-mechanics-molecular dynamics approach to the interpretation of x-ray absorption and EXAFS spectra is illustrated. A new section is devoted to recent LCAO calculations of electronic, vibrational and magnetic properties of tungstates MeWO4 (Me: Fe,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn,Cd).

This work addresses the computation of excited-state properties of systems containing thousands of atoms. To achieve this, the author combines the linear response formulation of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with linear-scaling techniques known from ground-state density-functional theory. This extends the range of TDDFT, which on its own cannot tackle many of the large and interesting systems in materials science and computational biology. The strengths of the approach developed in this work are demonstrated on a number of problems involving large-scale systems, including exciton coupling in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex and the investigation of low-lying excitations in doped p-terphenyl organic crystals.

This comprehensive book presents all aspects of acoustic metamaterials and phononic crystals. The emphasis is on acoustic wave propagation phenomena at interfaces such as refraction, especially unusual refractive properties and negative refraction. A thorough discussion of the mechanisms leading to such refractive phenomena includes local resonances in metamaterials and scattering in phononic crystals.

This work pursues a novel route to functionalizing large surfaces with hybrid nanoparticles. It also casts new light on the combined use of surface plasmon resonance and X-rays. SPR spectroscopy is employed to study Au-based plasmonic nanostructures fabricated by novel methods, and a new experimental device is developed combining SPR with X-ray absorption spectroscopy at a synchrotron beamline. Using the new SPR-XAS setup developed in this work, the author has studied in-situ and real-time effects of X-ray irradiation in materials such as glasses and Co-phthalocyanines.

The book is devoted to the modern theory and experimental manifestation of Polarization Bremsstrahlung (PB) which arises due to scattering of charged particles from various targets: atoms, nanostructures (including atomic clusters, nanoparticle in dielectric matrix, fullerens, graphene-like two-dimensional atomic structure) and in condensed matter (monocrystals, polycrystals, partially ordered crystals and amorphous matter) The present book addresses mainly researchers interested in the radiative processes during the interaction between fast particles and matter. It also will be useful for post-graduate students specializing in radiation physics and related fields.

This thesis investigates the transitions from one electronically excited state to another. Such processes - the fastest of events in chemistry - can be studied with femtosecond resolution, and Thomas S. Kuhlman approaches the question both with experimental and theoretical methods. His approach contributes to explain processes of high importance to all scientific fields concerned with the interaction between light and matter: the deactivation of the electronically excited states after excitation. Thomas S. Kuhlman concludes in this thesis that the electronic transition proceeds before the entire set of available degrees of freedom are active - 'It is as simple as that' !

Modified Cyclodextrins for Chiral Separation offers a review of the latest advances in developing modified cyclodextrins as chiral selectors for various chromatographic and electromigration techniques. Over the years, many descriptions of chiral separation have appeared in academic journals and books, but most of them have been devoted to either the development of analytical methods and protocols or the summary of different chiral selectors, including cyclodextrins for chiral separation applications. This is in marked contrast to this volume which focuses on the research endeavors concerning the development of cyclodextrin derivatives specifically as either chiral mobile phases for capillary electrophoresis, or chiral stationary phases for various chromatographic techniques including gas chromatography, or high-performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography. The ongoing thread in this book is the synthesis of structurally-defined cyclodextrin derivatives and their applications in enantiomer separation by means of different analytical techniques. Modified Cyclodextrins for Chiral Separation is intended for those who are interested in expanding their knowledge of cyclodextrin chemistry and chiral separation, and in what cyclodextrin modification can be made to suit the needs of chiral selectors for different analytical techniques. It primarily focuses on the state-of-the-art cyclodextrin chemistry which is the basis for all chiral selectors used in these chiral separation techniques. Weihua Tang, PhD, is a professor at the Key Laboratory of Soft Chemistry and Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China. Siu-Choon Ng, PhD, is a professor at the Division of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dongping Sun, PhD, is a professor at the Key Laboratory of Soft Chemistry and Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China.

Introduction to Thin Film Transistors reviews the operation, application and technology of the main classes of thin film transistor (TFT) of current interest for large area electronics. The TFT materials covered include hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), poly-crystalline silicon (poly-Si), transparent amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOS), and organic semiconductors. The large scale manufacturing of a-Si:H TFTs forms the basis of the active matrix flat panel display industry. Poly-Si TFTs facilitate the integration of electronic circuits into portable active matrix liquid crystal displays, and are increasingly used in active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays for smart phones. The recently developed AOS TFTs are seen as an alternative option to poly-Si and a-Si:H for AMOLED TV and large AMLCD TV applications, respectively. The organic TFTs are regarded as a cost effective route into flexible electronics. As well as treating the highly divergent preparation and properties of these materials, the physics of the devices fabricated from them is also covered, with emphasis on performance features such as carrier mobility limitations, leakage currents and instability mechanisms. The thin film transistors implemented with these materials are the conventional, insulated gate field effect transistors, and a further chapter describes a new thin film transistor structure: the source gated transistor, SGT. The driving force behind much of the development of TFTs has been their application to AMLCDs, and there is a chapter dealing with the operation of these displays, as well as of AMOLED and electrophoretic displays. A discussion of TFT and pixel layout issues is also included. For students and new-comers to the field, introductory chapters deal with basic semiconductor surface physics, and with classical MOSFET operation. These topics are handled analytically, so that the underlying device physics is clearly revealed. These treatments are then used as a reference point, from which the impact of additional band-gap states on TFT behaviour can be readily appreciated. This reference book, covering all the major TFT technologies, will be of interest to a wide range of scientists and engineers in the large area electronics industry. It will also be a broad introduction for research students and other scientists entering the field, as well as providing an accessible and comprehensive overview for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.

This book is about pulse nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), with its techniques, the information to be obtained, and practical advice on performing experiments. The emphasis is on the motivation and physical ideas underlying NMR experiments and the actual techniques, including the hardware used. The level is generally suitable for those to whom pulse NMR is a new technique, be they students in chemistry or physics on the one hand and research workers in biology, geology, or agriculture, on the other. The book can be used for a senior or first year graduate course where it could supplement the standard NMR texts.