Nanoscale Quantum Materials

In the past four decades, there has been growing interest in the exciting new topic of physics in low dimensions. Thousands of original ideas have been proposed in the literature, and some are confirmed experimentally, along with several Nobel prizes which have been awarded in this field. While there are several books available, almost all are technical and accessible only to expert researchers. This book provides an accessible introduction to the field, with less emphasis on technical details. Whilst this book does not provide a traditional history of nano-science, instead it uses simple explanations and case studies as vehicles to explain key discoveries and the importance of them, enabling readers without a background in the area to gain an understanding of some aspects of nanoscale physics. It will be of interest to researchers working in condensed matter physics, in addition to engineers and advanced students in those disciplines. It also remains accessible to ‘physics enthusiasts’ from other academic disciplines, as technical details are contained within boxes and footnotes which can be skipped for a general reading of the book. Features: - Provides an accessible introduction to a technical subject - Contains exciting developments from the cutting-edge science being conducted in the area - Authored by a recognised expert in the field

Although there are many books available on the preparation, properties, and characterization of nanomaterials, few provide an interdisciplinary account of the physical phenomena that govern the novel properties of nanomaterials. Addressing this shortfall, Nanoscale Physics for Materials Science covers fundamental cross-disciplinary concepts in materials science and engineering. It presents a comprehensive description of the physical phenomena and changes that can be expected when macroscopically sized materials are reduced to the nanometer level. The text is divided according to physical phenomena and interactions. After reviewing the necessary theoretical background, the authors address the electrical, optical, and magnetic properties as functions of size and distance. They discuss the energy spectrum, the charging effect, tunneling phenomena, electronically induced stable nanostructures, absorption and scattering, electromagnetic interactions, magnetism, ferromagnetic domain-wall-related phenomena, and spin transport in magnetic nanostructures. Problem sets are included at the end of each chapter. Providing an excellent treatment of physical phenomena not covered in similar books, this text explores the electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of materials at the nanoscale level. It delves into the dramatic physical changes that occur on scales where the quantum nature of objects starts dominating their properties.

This self-contained text describes the underlying theory and approximate quantum models of real nanodevices for nanotechnology applications.

Semiconductor nanostructures are ideal systems to tailor the physical properties via quantum effects, utilizing special growth techniques, self-assembling, wet chemical processes or lithographic tools in combination with tuneable external electric and magnetic fields. Such systems are called "Quantum Materials".The electronic, photonic, and phononic properties of these systems are governed by size quantization and discrete energy levels. The charging is controlled by the Coulomb blockade. The spin can be manipulated by the geometrical structure, external gates and by integrating hybrid ferromagnetic emitters.This book reviews sophisticated preparation methods for quantum materials based on III-V and II-VI semiconductors and a wide variety of experimental techniques for the investigation of these interesting systems. It highlights selected experiments and theoretical concepts and gives such a state-of-the-art overview about the wide field of physics and chemistry that can be studied in these systems.

With the launch of the Quantum Technology Flagship Programme by the European Commission, developments in the realization of new technologies based on quantum physics have been recognized as a priority. These are important for cryptographic techniques for telecommunications security, new computing hardware that can solve problems so far inaccessible even to the latest generation of supercomputers, and precision standards and sensors with important applications ranging from materials science to medical diagnostics. This book presents a collection of lectures from the International School of Physics Enrico Fermi on Nanoscale Quantum Optics, held in Varenna, Italy, from 23 – 28 July 2018. The course was attended by 60 students, researchers and lecturers, and provided an opportunity to train a new generation of scientists on topics that promise great innovations in science and technology. Included here are 9 lectures and seminars and 3 poster contributions from the school. Subjects covered include: basic concepts for quantum optics and quantum technologies; materials for quantum nanophotonics; quantum optics and non-classical light generation; creating quantum correlations between quantum-dot spins; platforms for telecom-entangled photon sources; nanoscale sensing and quantum coherence; and nano-optomechanics, among others. The book offers a valuable overview of the state-of-the-art and current trends in nanoscale quantum optics. It will be invaluable for all those with an interest in this subject.

This book is an introduction to a rapidly developing field of modern theoretical physics – the theory of quantum transport at nanoscale. The theoretical methods considered in the book are in the basis of our understanding of charge, spin and heat transport in nanostructures and nanostructured materials and are widely used in nanoelectronics, molecular electronics, spin-dependent electronics (spintronics) and bio-electronics. The book is based on lectures for graduate and post-graduate students at the University of Regensburg and the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden). The first part is devoted to the basic concepts of quantum transport: Landauer-Büttiker method and matrix Green function formalism for coherent transport, Tunneling (Transfer) Hamiltonian and master equation methods for tunneling, Coulomb blockade, vibrons and polarons. The results in this part are obtained as possible without sophisticated techniques, such as nonequilibrium Green functions, which are considered in detail in the second part. A general introduction into the nonequilibrium Green function theory is given. The approach based on the equation-of-motion technique, as well as more sophisticated one based on the Dyson-Keldysh diagrammatic technique are presented. The main attention is paid to the theoretical methods able to describe the nonequilibrium (at finite voltage) electron transport through interacting nanosystems, specifically the correlation effects due to electron-electron and electron-vibron interactions.

Quantum mechanics transcends and supplants classical mechanics at the atomic and subatomic levels. It provides the underlying framework for many subfields of physics, chemistry and materials science, including condensed matter physics, atomic physics, molecular physics, quantum chemistry, particle physics, and nuclear physics. It is the only way we can understand the structure of materials, from the semiconductors in our computers to the metal in our automobiles. It is also the scaffolding supporting much of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The purpose of this book is to present the fundamentals of quantum theory within a modern perspective, with emphasis on applications to nanoscience and nanotechnology, and information-technology. As the frontiers of science have advanced, the sort of curriculum adequate for students in the sciences and engineering twenty years ago is no longer satisfactory today. Hence, the emphasis on new topics that are not included in older reference texts, such as quantum information theory, decoherence and dissipation, and on applications to nanotechnology, including quantum dots, wires and wells. This book provides a novel approach to Quantum Mechanics whilst also giving readers the requisite background and training for the scientists and engineers of the 21st Century who need to come to grips with quantum phenomena The fundamentals of quantum theory are provided within a modern perspective, with emphasis on applications to nanoscience and nanotechnology, and information-technology Older books on quantum mechanics do not contain the amalgam of ideas, concepts and tools necessary to prepare engineers and scientists to deal with the new facets of quantum mechanics and their application to quantum information science and nanotechnology As the frontiers of science have advanced, the sort of curriculum adequate for students in the sciences and engineering twenty years ago is no longer satisfactory today There are many excellent quantum mechanics books available, but none have the emphasis on nanotechnology and quantum information science that this book has