Phonons: Theory and Experiments III


Book Description

The first volume of this treatment, Phonons: Theory and Experiments I, was devoted to the basic concepts of the physics of phonons and to a study of models for interatomic forces. The second volume, Phonons: Theory and Experiments II, contains a study of experimental techniques and the inter pretation of experimental results. In the present third volume we treat a number of phenomena which are directly related to phonons. The aim of this book is to bridge the gap between theory and experi ment. An attempt has been made to present the descriptive as well as the analytical aspects of the topics. Although emphasis is placed on the role of phonons in the different topics, most chapters also contain a general intro duction into the specific subject. The book is addressed to experimentalists and to theoreticians working in the vast field of dynamical properties of solids. It will also prove useful to graduate students starting research in this or related fields. The choice of the topics treated was partly determined by the author's own activity in these areas. This is particularly the case for the chapters dealing with phonons in one-dimensional metals, disordered systems, super ionic conductors and certain newer aspects of ferroelectricity and melting. I am very grateful to my colleagues J. Bernasconi, V.T. Hochli and 1.




Phonons: Theory and Experiments II


Book Description

The first part of this three-volume treatment, Phonons: Theory and Exper iments I, has been devoted to the basic concepts of the physics of phonons and to a study of models of interatomic forces. The present second volume, Phonons: Theory and Experiments II, contains a thorough study of experi mental techniques and the interpretation of experimental results. In a third volume we shall treat a number of phenomena which are directly related to lattice dynamics. The aim of this treatment is to bridge the gap between theory and ex periment. Both experimental aspects and theoretical concepts necessary for an interpretation of experimental data are discussed. An attempt has been made to present the descriptive as well as the analytical aspects of the top ics. Although emphasis is placed on the experimental and theoretical study of the dynamics of atoms in solids, most chapters also contain a general in troduction to the specific subject. The text is addressed to experimentalists and theoreticians working in the vast field of dynamical properties of solids. It will also prove useful to graduate students starting research in this or related fields. The choice of the topics treated was partly determined by the author's own activity in these areas. This is particularly the case for the chapters dealing with infrared, Raman and inelastic neutron spectroscopy, as well as for some newer developments such as the optical spectroscopy of thin films and adsorbates.




Phonons: Theory and Experiments I


Book Description

This two-volume treatment grew out of lectures the author gave at the "Ecole Poly technique Federale de Lausanne" during the years 1975-1980 for graduate students in experimental physics in their last year of study. It is written by an experimentalist with some interest in theory and is ad dressed mainly to experimentalists, but also to theoreticians interested in experiments. This treatment tries to bridge the gap between theory and experiments; it should assist experimentalists in the interpretation of their data in the vast field of lattice dynamics. An attempt has been made to provide not only the basic concepts but also a working knowledge in this field of solid-state physics. In this first volume, the basic concepts of the physics of phonons are developed and illustrated by many examples; it provides the background necessary for the interpretation of most experimental results. The second volume, which is in preparation, is devoted to experimental techniques, the interpretation of experiments, and discussion of phenomena which are directly related with phonons. The book is designed for introductory courses at the graduate level. It is believed that the book will also prove useful to those graduate students starting research in this or related fields, as well as to many workers already active in this branch of solid-state physics.







Nanoscale Phase Separation and Colossal Magnetoresistance


Book Description

The study of the spontaneous formation of nanostructures in single crystals of several compounds is now a major area of research in strongly correlated electrons. These structures appear to originate in the competition of phases. The book addresses nanoscale phase separation, focusing on the manganese oxides known as manganites that have the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect of potential relevance for device applications. It is argued that the nanostructures are at the heart of the CMR phenomenon. The book contains updated information on manganite research directed to experts, both theorists and experimentalists. However, graduate students or postdocs will find considerable introductory material, including elements of computational physics.




Optical Response of Nanostructures


Book Description

This book gives a theoretical description of linear and nonlinear optical responses of matter with special emphasis on the microscopic and ‘nonlocal’ nature of resonant response. It will have a tremendous influence on modern device techniques, as it deals with frontier research in response theory.




X-Ray Multiple-Wave Diffraction


Book Description

X-ray multiple-wave diffraction, sometimes called multiple diffraction or N-beam diffraction, results from the scattering of X-rays from periodic two or higher-dimensional structures, like 2-d and 3-d crystals and even quasi crystals. The interaction of the X-rays with the periodic arrangement of atoms usually provides structural information about the scatterer. Unlike the usual Bragg reflection, the so-called two-wave diffraction, the multiply diffracted intensities are sensitive to the phases of the structure factors in volved. This gives X-ray multiple-wave diffraction the chance to solve the X-ray phase problem. On the other hand, the condition for generating an X ray multiple-wave diffraction is much more strict than in two-wave cases. This makes X-ray multiple-wave diffraction a useful technique for precise measure ments of crystal lattice constants and the wavelength of radiation sources. Recent progress in the application of this particular diffraction technique to surfaces, thin films, and less ordered systems has demonstrated the diver sity and practicability of the technique for structural research in condensed matter physics, materials sciences, crystallography, and X-ray optics. The first book on this subject, Multiple Diffraction of X-Rays in Crystals, was published in 1984, and intended to give a contemporary review on the fundamental and application aspects of this diffraction.




Excitons in Low-Dimensional Semiconductors


Book Description

The author develops the effective-mass theory of excitons in low-dimensional semiconductors and describes numerical methods for calculating the optical absorption including Coulomb interaction, geometry, and external fields. The theory is applied to Fano resonances in low-dimensional semiconductors and the Zener breakdown in superlattices. Comparing theoretical results with experiments, the book is essentially self-contained; it is a hands-on approach with detailed derivations, worked examples, illustrative figures, and computer programs. The book is clearly structured and will be valuable as an advanced-level self-study or course book for graduate students, lecturers, and researchers.




Site Symmetry in Crystals


Book Description

Site Symmetry in Crystals is the first comprehensive account of the group-theoretical aspects of the site (local) symmetry approach to the study of crystalline solids. The efficiency of this approach, which is based on the concepts of simple induced and band representations of space groups, is demonstrated by considering newly developed applications to electron surface states, point defects, symmetry analysis in lattice dynamics, the theory of second-order phase transitions, and magnetically ordered and non-rigid crystals. Tables of simple induced respresentations are given for the 24 most common space groups, allowing the rapid analysis of electron and phonon states in complex crystals with many atoms in the unit cell.




Symmetries in Physics


Book Description

Symmetries in Physics presents the fundamental theories of symmetry, together with many examples of applications taken from several different branches of physics. Emphasis is placed on the theory of group representations and on the powerful method of projection operators. The excercises are intended to stimulate readers to apply the techniques demonstrated in the text.