Book Description

Superconducting devices are improving at a tremendous pace. This book provides a modern, up-to-date reference on both the physics and the technology of superconducting magnets. It is unique in combining the theoretical aspects of superconductivity, electromagnetic field theory, and the thermodynamics of helium cooling with the technological details for producing and engineering high performance superconducting materials. ... Read more

Book Description

This book on electrical, optical, magnetic and thermal properties of materials differs from other introductory texts in solid state physics. First, it is written for engineers, particularly materials and electrical engineers, who want to gain a fundamental understanding of semiconductor devices, magnetic materials, lasers, alloys, and so forth. Second, it stresses concepts rather than mathematical formalism. Third, it is not an encyclopedia: The topics are restricted to material considered to be essential and which can be covered in one 15-week semester. The book is divided into five parts. The first part, "Fundamentals of Electron Theory," introduces the essential quantum mechanical concepts needed for understanding materials science; the other parts may be read independently of each other. Many practical applications are discussed to provide students with an understanding of electronic devices currently in use. The solutions to the numerical problems are given in the appendix. Previous editions have been well received by students and teachers alike. This third edition has again been thoroughly revised and brought up to date to take into account the explosive developments in electrical, optical, and magnetic materials and devices. In particular, the book contains expanded sections on flat-panel displays (liquid crystals, electroluminescent devices, and field-emission and plasma displays) as well as discussions of recent developments in ferro- and piezoelectricity, magneto-optical memories, photonic and magnetoresistive devices, blue- and green-emitting LED's, and dielectric and thermoelectric properties. Rolf E. Hummel is Professor of Materials Science at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He received his Ph.D. in 1963 from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and the Max-Planck Institute for Materials Research, also in Stuttgart. His previous publications include Optical Properties of Metals and Alloys (1971) Electro- and Thermo-transport in Metals and Alloys (1977), the two-volume Handbook of Optical Properties (ed.) (1996) and Understanding Materials Science (1998).

FROM THE REVIEWS:

HARPER'S REVIEW "This book will provide an excellent fundamental understanding of materials for the wide range of electrical and electronic appliances." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A great reference text. Well organized and presented.
This is an excellent text for every electrical engineering student whether graduate or undergraduate. I found the information to be clear and concise which made the concepts easily manageable. The use of mathematical formulas are placed in such a way as to aid with the reading rather than to be overbearing as other solid-state physics texts can be. The author does a great job in sectioning the book into parts, thereby making it easier to focus on a particular area of interest without having to hunt for the deisred information. For practicing engineers, this is a good reference book, especially if you are looking to gain a further understanding of device physics.

Easy to read, concept-oriented treatment of the subject.
The author should be commended for writing a textbook that focuses on the concepts instead of mathematical formulas, making the subject easy to comprehend. At the same time, the formulas are there for more indepth understanding. Overall, a good textbook for an undergraduate student of materials science. ... Read more

Book Description

Ice is one of the most abundant and environmentally important materials on Earth, and its unique and intriguing physical properties present fascinating areas of study for a wide variety of researchers. This book is about the physics of ice, by which is meant the properties of the material itself and the ways in which these properties are interpreted in terms of water molecules and crystalline structure. Although ice has a simple crystal structure its hydrogen bonding results in unique properties, which continue to be the subject of active research. In Physics of Ice, the physical principles underlying the properties of ice are carefully developed at a level aimed at pure and applied researchers in the field.Importanttopics like current understandings of the electrical, mechanical and surface properties, and the occurrence of many different crystalline phases are developed in a coherent way for the first time. An extensive reference list and numerous illustrations add to the usefullness and readability of the text. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good book on modern physics for the layman
This book is clear and very interesting. It teaches the general idea of light and modern physics. It can be too simplistic at times for technically minded people. ... Read more

Book Description

Contents

1 Quarks and Leptons.2 Particle Interactions in the Standard Mode.3 Electromagnetism as a Gauge Theory.4 Relativistic Quantum Mechanics.5 Quantum Field Theory I.6 Quantum Field Theory II: Interacting Scalar Fields.7 Quantum Field Theory III: Complex Scalar Fields, Dirac and Maxwell fields; Introduction of Electromagnetism.8 Elementary Processes in Scalara and Spinor Electrodynamics.9 Deep Inelastic Electron-nucleon Scattering and the Quark Parton Model.10 Higher Order Processes and Renormalisation. 11 Appendices.Index

Synopsis

This book provides an accessible, practical and comprehensive introduction to the three gauge theories of the 'standard model' of particle physics: quantum electrodynamics (QED), quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and the electroweak theory. For each of them, the authors provide a thorough discussion of the main conceptual points; a detailed exposition of many practical calculations of physical quantities; and a comparison of these quantitative predictions with experimental results.

For this two-volume third edition, much of the book has been re-written to reflect developments over the last decade, both in the curricula of university courses, and in particle physics research. On the one hand, substantial new material has been introduced which is intended for use in undergraduate physics courses. New introductory chapters provide a precise historical account of the properties of quarks and leptons, and a qualitative overview of the quantum field description of their interactions, at a level appropriate to third year courses. The chapter on relativistic quantum mechanics has been enlarged and is supplemented by additional sections on scattering theory and Green functions, in a form appropriate to fourth year courses. On the other hand, since precision experiments now test the theories beyond lowest order in perturbation theory, an understanding of the data requires a more sophisticated knowledge of quantum field theory, including ideas of renormalisation. The treatment of quantum field theory has therefore been considerably extended so as to provide a uniquely accessible and self-contained introduction to quantum field dynamics, as described by Feynman graphs. The level is suitable for advanced fourth year undergraduates and first year graduates.

These developments are all contained in the first volume, which ends with a discussion of higher order corrections in QED; the second volume is devoted to the non-Abelian gauge theories of QCD and the electroweak theory. As in the first two editions, emphasis is placed throughout on developing realistic calculations from a secure physical and conceptual basis.

Readership

Graduate and senior undergraduate students taking courses on the standard model of particle physics. Postgraduate students and researchers in particle physics. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you are having trouble with QFT - BUY THIS BOOK!
This book (2nd edition) has 15 chapters . I have just finished chapter 4 entitled QFT and I am compeled to write this review! After a year of studying of QFT informally I can report that this is the way to introduce yourself to the topic. I've been through Mandl & Shaw, Peskin & Schoeder, Ryder, Weinberg and a few others and this is heads and tails the BEST intro available. In 42 pages, Aitchison & Hey make the transistion from classical to QM and from QM to QFT as gracefully as I can conceive. For example, the transition from the discrete Lagrangian to the field Lagrangian is very explicit. One benfit of this is that the dependence of L on partial of phi wrt x is clearly motivated leading to the manifestly relativistically invariant form of L. They explicitly develop physical intuition at every step of the way - for example, this is the only book that I have found that explicitly asks the question where is QM's wavefunction in the QFT formalism? Answer - The vacuum to one-particle matrix elements of the field operators. The transistion from free fields to interacting fields is far clearer than any other treatment I've seen. I also appreciated that the problems were used to basically fill in details left out of the text. I was able to 'practice' the various kinds of manipulations that are required.

Amazingly clear introduction to the subject
This book is the best book I've seen on the subject. The qualitative description of qunatum field theory in particular are amazingly lucid for the subject. The only possible flaw in the book is that the problems at the end of each chapter are both few in number and for the most part do not challenge the student at all; for the most part they are just rote calculations. ... Read more

Book Description

Low temperature plasmas have had a very broad range of applications ever since their discovery. However, recent developments in the dextrous handling of dry etching non-equilibrium plasma has attracted a great common interest that has driving force behind the major developments in diagnostic, theoretical, and numerical techniques during the past two decades. A greater fundamental understanding of the kinetics of radio-frequency (rf) plasmas and their interaction with surfaces in regard to the process of large scale integrated circuits has been achieved through the cooperation between academia and industry. At the same time, new applications have become possible, and our recently revealed basic understanding of low temperature rf plasmas has diffused to other areas of plasma physics.

Each chapter of this book is edited in the same form as the article collected in the special issue of Applied Surface Science, which is published in memory of the ... Read more

Book Description

Principles and Applications of Quantum Control

Over the past fifteen years, significant developments have been made in utilizing quantum attributes of light and matter to assume unprecedented control over the dynamics of atomic and molecular systems. This growth reflects a confluence of factors including the maturation of quantum mechanics as a tool for chemistry and physics, the development of new laser devices increasing our ability to manipulate light, and the recognition that coherent laser light can be used to imprint information on atoms and molecules for practical purposes. Written by two of the world’s leading researchers in the field, Principles of the Quantum Control of Molecular Processes offers a systematic introduction to the fundamental principles of coherent control, and to the physics and chemistry necessary to master it.

Designed as both a resource for self-study and as a graduate textbook, this survey of the subject provides a step-by-step discussion of light-matter interactions along with coverage of such essential topics as:

• Molecular dynamics and control
• The dynamics of photodissociation
• Bimolecular collision processes
• The control of chirality and asymmetric synthesis
• Application of control using moderate and strong fields
• Tuning the system and laser parameters to achieve optimal control
• Decoherence and methods for countering it

Both authoritative and comprehensive, this first in-depth treatment of coherent control is destined to become the standard reference in an increasingly influential field.

PAUL W. BRUMER, PhD, is University Professor–Theoretical Chemical Physics and holds the Roel Buck Chair in Chemical Physics at the University of Toronto. He received his BSc. from Brooklyn College and his PhD from Harvard University.

MOSHE SHAPIRO, PhD, is the Jacques Mimran Professor of Chemical Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, and a Professor of Chemistry and Physics at the University of British Columbia. He received his BSc, MSc, and PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The authors are among the cofounders of the field of coherent control. They have published extensively on this and related subjects in chemical physics, and have received numerous awards and worldwide recognition for their research contributions. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a polymer physics textbook for upper level undergraduates and first year graduate students. Any student with a working knowledge of calculus, physics and chemistry should be able to read this book. The essential tools of the polymer physical chemist or engineer are derived in this book without skipping any steps. The book is a self contained treatise that could also serve as a useful reference for scientists and engineers working woth polymers. While no prior knowledge of polymers is assumed, the book goes far beyond introductory polymer textx in the scope of what is covered. The fundamental concepts required to fully understand polymer melts, solutions and gels in terms of both static structure and dynamics are explained in detail. Problems at the end of each chapter provide the reader with the opportunity to apply what has been learned to practice. The book is divided into four parts. After an introduction in Chapter 1, where the necessary concepts from a first cours on polymers are summarized, the conformations of single polymer chains are treated in Part 1. Part 2 deals with the thermodynamics of polymer solutions and melts, including the conformations of chains in those states. Part 3 applies the concepts of Part 2 to the formation and properties of polymer networks. Finally, Part 4 explains the essential aspects of how polymers move in both melt and solution states. In all cases, attention is restricted to concepts that are firmly entrenched in the field. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

bible of ferroelectricis
this is by far the most detail book on ferroelectric theory and application

The most comprehensive book on the physics of ferroelectrics
The book by Lines and Glass is the most comprehensive book on the physics of ferroelectrics that I have come across in the pertinent literature. It is by no means for the novice since a solid background in solid state physics is absoluytely needed. The book especially addresses the lattice dynamics picture of ferroelectricity in a concise manner. Also, optical properties of ferroelectrics are given in full depth that is rather difficult to find in many other texts. This book is by no means a textbook. It is very comprehensive reference volume as it contains a lot of critical experimental data and quite a lot of illustrations. Furthermore, the bibliography is vast. All physical models used in the physics of ferroelectricity are derived/summarized from the very first step making the book very "dense" in content. It would characterize the book as somewhat difficult to read, yet I highly recommend it for those who are interested in the physics of ferroelectric phenomena. I do hope that book will be reprinted soon and be available at an affordable price. Addendum: Since the writing of this review, it seems the book has become available again at a much reduced price ;-) ... Read more

Book Description

Develops the concepts of quantum theory for the solid state from basics to a level beyond broader texts in a single sourcebook. Appropriate prior knowledge is assumed - and it applies that knowledge to build an understanding of three topics, namely semiconductors, magnetism and superconductivity. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

good intro
A nice and tidy volume to learn, refer and teach. It can be used along with John Davies' book on Low dimensional semiconductors. Only some very necessary ideas are given exposure here. For more in depth learning one should check other books. But for advanced undergarduates this is a recommendable volume. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the second English edition of what has become one of the definitive works on superconductivity in German -- currently in its sixth edition.
Comprehensive and easy to understand, this introductory text is written especially with the non-specialist in mind. The authors, both long-term experts in this field, present the fundamental considerations without the need for extensive mathematics, describing the various phenomena connected with the superconducting state, with liberal insertion of experimental facts and examples for modern applications.
While all fields of superconducting phenomena are dealt with in detail, this new edition pays particular attention to the groundbreaking discovery of magnesium diboride and the current developments in this field. In addition, a new chapter provides an overview of the elements, alloys and compounds where superconductivity has been observed in experiments, together with their major characteristics. The chapter on technical applications has been considerably expanded to accommodate microelectronics, while the key aspects of critical currents as well as Josephson junctions now each have their own chapter.
A 'must-have' for students and graduates.
... Read more

Book Description

Effective medium theory arises in condensed matter physics when a field in a material medium is to be considered. The subject has been developed considerably and while the results are useful for predicting materials performance, the theory can also be used in a wide range of problems in physics and engineering. This book develops the topic of effective medium theory by bringing together the essentials of both the static and the dynamical theory. Electromagnetic systems are thoroughly dealt with, as well as related areas such as the CPA theory of alloys, liquids, the density functional theory and others, and the unifying aspects of the effective medium concept are emphasized. The final chapter contains a wide range of useful applications in condensed matter physics and material science. ... Read more

Book Description

Professor Ziman's classic textbook on the theory of solids was first pulished in 1964. This paperback edition is a reprint of the second edition, which was substantially revised and enlarged in 1972. The value and popularity of this textbook is well attested by reviewers' opinions and by the existence of several foreign language editions, including German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish and Russian. The book gives a clear exposition of the elements of the physics of perfect crystalline solids. In discussing the principles, the author aims to give students an appreciation of the conditions which are necessary for the appearance of the various phenomena. A self-contained mathematical account is given of the simplest model that will demonstrate each principle. A grounding in quantum mechanics and knowledge of elementary facts about solids is assumed. This is therefore a textbook for advanced undergraduates and is also appropriate for graduate courses. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A joy to read
This book deserves to be much more widely used. Ziman's prose is simply wonderful, where Kittel is unreadable, and Ashcroft & Mermin often dense. It's a bit quirky (how on earth did he find the epigrams for each chapter?) but that is what makes it lovable. Anyone who doubts his scientific soundness should check out his massive "Electrons & Phonons."

The main advantage of this book is that it emphasizes conceptual understanding over mathematical manipulation. That's also its weakness: Ziman often glosses over or just sketches what in other texts would be occasions for massive algebra. Perhaps if you are a true theorist type, you can fill in the blanks on your own. As an experimentalist, I feel like I need some other intro texts to make me feel like I can do *some* math in the field. On the other hand, I don't know of any textbook that makes me feel I could do the truly heavy lifting.

No doubt as good as the first edition
I used heavily the first edition of this book, and have not seen the second, but it is no doubt as good as the first, which was packed full of insights into the many rich phenomena that exists in solids. It has served, and will serve, future generations of students in the 21st century in their development of new ideas and technologies based on condensed matter physics.

Writers of physics texts should follow the strategy that this author does, in his statement that "a treatise expounds; a textbook explains". The emphasis of any book in physics should be in developing the reader's intuition; the mathematics sometimes takes hold and moves the reader away from the essential ideas. The author is one of the few who has not done this, and that is no doubt the reason for this book's popularity.

An excellent classic
The book is surely an advanced treatment of solid state physics and as such, the uninitiated reader may not necessarily appreciate the beauty of the treatment at first. Indubitably, however, Ziman presents a coherent and clear exposition in which the principles of the solid state are explained in a unified manner --a merit many books are missing. It is a joy to read if you have the basics covered in an earlier course and/or self-study. Ziman's Shakespearian flair is virtually impossible to not realize and in turn, further enhances the quality of the exposition. For those who would like to kick their theoretical background up a notch, this book is the right answer.

Very good; not really intro level, though.
For students who have Kittel or Ashcroft/Mermin under their belt, this book provides a somewhat more mathematical presentation of fundamental concepts in solid state theory, as is clear from the contents shown on this site. I might add, that Ziman is a highly respected physicist, well known for his work on superconductivity. This was the first book I got into my hands that said something like "as the group of lattice translations is abelian, Bloch functions that are translated change only by a phase factor", which made me hungry for more. ... Read more

Book Description

The proceedings of the fifth in a series of workshops on the physics and detectors for the next generation of e+e- at the linear colliders are focused on the motivation and requirements for the next generation of high energy physics accelerators. Possible technical specifications for the possible accelerator complex as well as experimental aspects of the physics program are presented. Comprehensive studies of the physics potential of the linear colliders, carried out in Asia, Europe, and the United States, are reviewed and discussed. Topics included are: Higgs, SUSY Higgs, top quark physics, QCD/two-photon physics, SUSY superpartners, electroweak interactions, new and alternative physics, simulation tools, detector interface, vertexing and tracking detectors, particle ID and muon detectors, calorimetry and masks, as well as data acquisition and triggering. ... Read more

Book Description

Concepts in Surface Physics presents a tutorial treatment of the main concepts and phenomena of the physics of crystal surfaces. Emphasis is placed on simplified calculations and the corresponding detailed analytical derivations - that are able to throw light on the most important physical mechanisms. More rigorous techniques, which often require a large amount of computer time, are also explained. The topics treated include thermodynamic and statistical properties of clean nd adsorbate-covered surfaces, atomic structure, vibrational properties, electronic structure, and the theory of physisorption and chemisorption. As well as including some improvements on the original book, this second edition has been supplemented with problems to encourage students to investigate the subject more thoroughly. ... Read more

Book Description

Low-dimensional solids are of fundamental interest in materials science due to their anisotropic properties. Written not only for experts in the field, this book explains the important concepts behind their physics and surveys the most interesting one-dimensional systems and discusses their present and emerging applications in molecular scale electronics. The second edition of this successful book has been completely revised to include the remarkable achievements of the last ten years of research and applications. Chemists, polymer and materials scientists as well as students will find this book a very readable introduction to the solid-state physics of electronic materials. ... Read more