Book Description

The book is an up-to-date introduction to the fundamentals of the initial stages of Electrocrystallization, which are dominated by nucleation and growth of the first clusters of the new phase. It offers a readable exposition of the topic, in simple terms, providing a detailed theoretical description of the phenomena involved. The most relevant aspects of the experimental studies of electrochemical nucleation and growth are considered, as well, including some important methods for acquiring and analyzing experimental results. Having specific properties quite different from those of bulk materials, these small, nano-clusters have always attracted considerable attention, and many sophisticated methods have been developed for cluster studies. In spite of this, information on small clusters can still be obtained by simple experiments, and the book shows that Electrocrystallization is unique in this respect. In this special case the phase change may be controlled experimentally by controlling the voltage and current, two simple and easily measurable electrical quantities. Certainly, this is what makes electrochemical systems an attractive object of study both from a scientific and from a practical point of view. The book is suitable not only for specialists in Electrocrystallization but also for graduate and PhD students, as well as for scientists from diverse but related fields like pure and applied electrochemistry, electrocatalysis, corrosion, electrochemical adsorption and materials science. ... Read more

Book Description

An understanding of thin-film diamond by physical and chemical vapor deposition CVD is of wide application in materials science. This book provides an account of the physical, mechanical and chemical properties of diamond thin films as well as examining the engineering techniques and problems required to exploit them successfully. "Diamond Thin Films" explores the application and measurement of CVD in existing applications and their potential for new usage. The properties of diamond and the techniques of synthesis are examined in detail, with particular emphasis on diamond growth by CVD and quality, shaping and reaction factors. The areas for future study and application are discussed in terms of current state-of-the-art materials and surface science. This book should be a valuable resource for materials scientists and physicists involved in the study of semi-conductor materials, thin films and surface science. ... Read more

Book Description

Topological defects have a fascinating attraction in many different branches of physics ranging from cosmology to liquid crystals and from elementary particles to colloids and biological systems. The experimental and theoretical results on defects in liquid crystals are increasing rapidly, particularly in heterogeneous systems such as liquidcrystal dispersions and emulsions. Interest is also driven by the great technological potential of these systems. Microscopic organizationsin systems with defects are much more complex than in uniform systems, meaning that molecular level theories rapidly become inadequate. Computer simulations thus become an indispensable tool for studying topological defects in liquid crystals, starting from microscopic molecular interactions. These have matured over the last years to successfullycapture such features as order parameter gradients both in the core of defects and far from it. Further simulations can incorporate the role of bulk elasticity, surface interactions, external electromagnetic fields. The book provides an up to date coverage of these issues and also considers a number of outstanding open problems whichcan now be tackled. Emphasis ison the use of computer simulations to test and to complement theoretical predictions, explain experimental observations, and suggest new experiments. ... Read more

Book Description

Despite the tremendous advances in the techniques and equipment for carrying out high-pressure crystallography, the application or exploration of the high-pressure variable in detailed structural studies remains rare. The chapters in this book provide a set of lecture notes and supplementary material for a course on high pressure crystallography. The material comprises state-of-the-art reviews of high-pressure experiments using X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques at synchrotron and neutron facilities and in the laboratory, as well as complementary experimental high-pressure techniques and theoretical methods for investigating matter at elevated pressures. The materials studies range from elemental solids and liquids to inorganic compounds, minerals, organic compounds, clathrates and pharmaceutical compounds, to large biological molecules such as proteins and viruses.The book provides a reference for workers in high-pressure science wishing to learn more about crystallography and for established crystallographers potentially interested in high pressure as a variable, as well as an introductory guide to new researchers in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Photonic Crystals are the newest types of optical material being developed for commercial applications in industry. They are likely to provide an exciting new tool for the manipulations of photons and have received the attention of both academia and industry. Roadmap on Photonic Crystals gives a detailed explanation of the background of photonic crystals, the theories behind them, numerical simulations, crystal structures, fabrication processes, evaluation methods and proposed applications. This also includes a roadmap addressing future development and applications.Industrial scientists, post-doctoral researchers and graduate students will find Roadmap on Photonic Crystals a useful tool in the understanding of the critical aspects of photonic crystals. ... Read more

Book Description

The Handbook of Liquid Crystals is a unique compendium of knowledge on all aspects of liquid crystals. In over 2000 pages the Handbook provides detailed information on the basic principles of both low- and high-molecular weight materials, as well as the synthesis, characterization, modification, and applications (such as in computer displays or as structural materials) of all types of liquid crystals.

The five editors of the Handbook are internationally renowned experts from both industry and academia and have drawn together over 70 leading figures in the field as authors.

The four volumes of the Handbook are designed both to be used together or as stand-alone reference sources. Some users will require the whole set, others will be best served with a selection of the volumes.

Volume 1 deals with the basic physical and chemical principles of liquid crystals, including structure-property relationships, nomenclature, phase behavior, characterization methods, and general synthesis and application strategies. As such this volume provides an excellent introduction to the field and a powerful learning and teaching tool for graduate students and above.

Volume 2 concentrates on low-molecular weight materials, for example those typically used in display technology. A high quality survey of the literature is provided along with full details of molecular design strategies, phase characterization and control, and applications development. This volume is therefore by far the most detailed reference source on these industrially very important materials, ideally suited for professionals in the field.

Volume 3 concentrates on high-molecular weight, or polymeric, liquid crystals, some of which are found in structural applications and others occur as natural products of living systems. A high-quality literature survey is complemented by full detail of the synthesis, processing, analysis, and applications of all important materials classes. This volume is the most comprehensive reference source on these materials, and is therefore ideally suited for professionals in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

The Handbook of Liquid Crystals is a unique compendium of knowledge on all aspects of liquid crystals. In over 2000 pages the Handbook provides detailed information on the basic principles of both low- and high-molecular weight materials, as well as the synthesis, characterization, modification, and applications (such as in computer displays or as structural materials) of all types of liquid crystals.

The five editors of the Handbook are internationally renowned experts from both industry and academia and have drawn together over 70 leading figures in the field as authors.

The four volumes of the Handbook are designed both to be used together or as stand-alone reference sources. Some users will require the whole set, others will be best served with a selection of the volumes.

Volume 1 deals with the basic physical and chemical principles of liquid crystals, including structure-property relationships, nomenclature, phase behavior, characterization methods, and general synthesis and application strategies. As such this volume provides an excellent introduction to the field and a powerful learning and teaching tool for graduate students and above.

Volume 2 concentrates on low-molecular weight materials, for example those typically used in display technology. A high quality survey of the literature is provided along with full details of molecular design strategies, phase characterization and control, and applications development. This volume is therefore by far the most detailed reference source on these industrially very important materials, ideally suited for professionals in the field.

Volume 3 concentrates on high-molecular weight, or polymeric, liquid crystals, some of which are found in structural applications and others occur as natural products of living systems. A high-quality literature survey is complemented by full detail of the synthesis, processing, analysis, and applications of all important materials classes. This volume is the most comprehensive reference source on these materials, and is therefore ideally suited for professionals in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Crystal growth and nucleation are treated in the specialized literature in different ways depending on the discipline in question (physics, physical chemistry, chemical engineering) and on the theoretical approaches (atomistic vs continuum approach as regards crystal growth, phase vs chemical concept as regards nucleation). This book relates the different approaches to one another, giving preference to atomistic treatments by the methods of statistical thermodynamics and chemical kinetics. This unified approach also facilitates an understanding of some related phenomena of surface physics, such as adsorption, wetting etc. The book allows research novices and graduate students to get an insight into the physics of the phenomena and to interpret some of the experimental results. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents a practical guide to the analysis of materials and includes a thorough description of the underlying theories and instrumental aberrations caused by real experiments. The main emphasis concerns the analysis of thin films and multilayers, primarily semiconductors, although the techniques are very general. Semiconductors can be very perfect composite crystals and therefore their study can lead to the largest volume of information, since X-ray scattering can assess the deviation from perfection.

The description is intentionally conceptual so that the reader can grasp the real processes involved. In this way the analysis becomes significantly easier, making the reader aware of misleading artifacts and assisting in the determination of a more complete and reliable analysis. The theory of scattering is very important and is covered in such a way that the assumptions are clear. Greatest emphasis is placed on the dynamical diffraction theory including new developments extending its applicability to reciprocal space mapping and modelling samples with relaxed and distorted interfaces.

A practical guide to the measurement of diffraction patterns, including the smearing effects introduced to the measurement, is also presented. ... Read more

Book Description

This critical overview describes fluid flow driven by the thermocapillary effect in models of crystal growth. Simple models are the floating-zone technique and the open-boat technique. Basic equations, boundary layer scaling, stability analysis, pattern formation and additional buoyancy are discussed. Particular emphasis is given to the understanding of the physics of flow. This reference book gives a state-of-the-art report and reviews the literature available. ... Read more

Book Description

This is an exhaustive, accurate and strict reflection of a crystal's symmetry and physical quantities. All irreducible corepresentations (ICRs) of the 230 crystallographic space groups are presented. The inclusion of the systematic decomposition of dimension induced space group representations into their irreducible constituents is particularly valuable as they have never been published before to this extent. Additional information about representations of double groups, corepresentations, representations induced by local point groups and complete irreducible representations is also given. ... Read more

Book Description

The book considers the main growth-related phenomena occurring during epitaxial growth, such as thermal etching, doping, segregation of the main elements and impurities, coexistence of several phases at the crystal surface and segregation-enhanced diffusion. It is complete with tables, graphs and figures, which allow fast determination of suitable growth parameters for practical applications. ... Read more

Book Description

This book gives an up-to-date introduction to the structure, physical properties and applications of quasicrystalline alloys. It covers quasiperiodic tilings and the determination and modelling of the atomic structure of quasicrystals. The electronic properties, determined from measurements of the partial electronic density of states and the calculation of the electronic structure, play a key role in this introduction, as does an extensive discussion of the determination and simulation of the atomic dynamics. For the application of these aperiodic crystals, defects are a critical issue. Thus the book also presents a detailed treatement of the study of defects in quasicrystals by high resolution electron microscopy and ion channeling, as well as computer simulations of defects and fracture in decorated tilings. ... Read more

Book Description

Modeled after the very successful Wiley-VCH title Catalysis from A to Z, Crystallography from A to Z is designed with both the experienced practitioner and newcomer in mind. As with NMR or other spectroscopic techniques, the theoretical and technical aspects are rather complex. "Which technique should be used for which scientific technique?" is an important question. Crystallography from A to Z helps users answer that question. This accessible source provides ready answers before users attempt a technique, and also helps troubleshoot and provide correct interpretation of the results obtained. ... Read more

Book Description

The prime objective of the collection of lectures contained in this book is to formulate our current understanding of aperiodic solids with long range order, quasicrystals in particular. At the same time it provides a comprehensive insight into the most recent concepts and tools of condensed matter physics and gives a detailed discussion and interpretation of relevant experimental data. The deliberate pedagogical approach of the authors makes this book particularly useful for graduate students and experimentalists wishing to acquaint themselves with the fundamental concepts. ... Read more

Book Description

Epitaxy is a very active area of theoretical research since several years. It is experimentally well-explored and technologically relevant for thin film growth. Recently powerful numerical techniques in combination with a deep understanding of the physical and chemical phenomena during the growth process offer the possibility to link atomistic effects at the surface to the macroscopic morphology of the film. The goal of this book is to summarize recent developments in this field, with emphasis on multiscale approaches and numerical methods. It covers atomistic, step-flow, and continuum models and provides a compact overview of these approaches. It also serves as an introduction into this highly active interdisciplinary field of research for applied mathematicians, theoretical physicists and computational materials scientists.