Solid State Physics Of Finite Systems

Quantum mechanics is the set of laws of physics which, to the best of our knowledge, provides a complete account of the microworld. One of its chap ters, quantum electrodynamics (QED), is able to account for the quantal phenomena of relevance to daily life (electricity, light, liquids and solids, etc.) with great accuracy. The language of QED, field theory, has proved to be uni versal providing the theoretical basis to describe the behaviour of many-body systems. In particular finite many-body systems (FMBS) like atomic nuclei, metal clusters, fullerenes, atomic wires, etc. That is, systems made out of a small number of components. The properties of FMBS are expected to be quite different from those of bulk matter, being strongly conditioned by quantal size effects and by the dynamical properties of the surface of these systems. The study of the elec tronic and of the collective behaviour (plasmons and phonons) of FMBS and of their interweaving, making use of well established first principle quantum (field theoretical) techniques, is the main subject of the present monograph. The interest for the study of FMBS was clearly stated by Feynman in his address to the American Physical Society with the title "There is plenty of room at the bottom". On this occasion he said among other things: "When we get to the very, very small world - say circuits of seven atoms - we have a lot of new things that would happen that represent completely new opportunities for design" [1].

The ideal companion in condensed matter physics - now in new and revised edition. Solving homework problems is the single most effective way for students to familiarize themselves with the language and details of solid state physics. Testing problem-solving ability is the best means at the professor's disposal for measuring student progress at critical points in the learning process. This book enables any instructor to supplement end-of-chapter textbook assignments with a large number of challenging and engaging practice problems and discover a host of new ideas for creating exam questions. Designed to be used in tandem with any of the excellent textbooks on this subject, Solid State Physics: Problems and Solutions provides a self-study approach through which advanced undergraduate and first-year graduate students can develop and test their skills while acclimating themselves to the demands of the discipline. Each problem has been chosen for its ability to illustrate key concepts, properties, and systems, knowledge of which is crucial in developing a complete understanding of the subject, including: * Crystals, diffraction, and reciprocal lattices. * Phonon dispersion and electronic band structure. * Density of states. * Transport, magnetic, and optical properties. * Interacting electron systems. * Magnetism. * Nanoscale Physics.

This book on solid state physics has been written with an emphasis on recent developments in quantum many-body physics approaches. It starts by covering the classical theory of solids and electrons and describes how this classical model has failed. The authors then present the quantum mechanical model of electrons in a lattice and they also discuss the theory of conductivity. Extensive reviews on the topic are provided in a compact manner so that any non-specialist can follow from the beginning. The authors cover the system of magnetism in a similar way and various problems in magnetic materials are discussed. The book also discusses the Ising chain, the Heisenberg model, the Kondo effect and superconductivity, amongst other relevant topics. In the final chapter, the authors present some works related to contemporary research topics, such as quantum entanglement in many-body systems and quantum simulations. They also include a short review of some of the possible applications of solid state quantum information in biological systems. Request Inspection Copy Contents: IntroductionElectrical ConductivityTheory of Magnetism and Many-Body Quantum MechanicsContemporary Topics in Many-Body Quantum Physics Readership: Graduate students in physics and quantum information science. Keywords: Condensed Matter Physics;Solid State Physics;Quantum Physics;Quantum Mechanics;Quantum Information;Electrical Conductivity;Theory of Magnetism;Many-body Quantum MechanicsReview:0

This book provides the basis for a two-semester graduate course on solid-state physics. The first half presents all the knowledge necessary for a one-semester survey of solid-state physics, but in greater depth than most introductory solid state physics courses. The second half includes most of the important research over the past half-century, covering both the fundamental principles and most recent advances. This new edition includes the latest developments in the treatment of strongly interacting two-dimensional electrons and discusses the generalization from small to larger systems. The book provides explanations in a class-tested tutorial style, and each chapter includes problems reviewing key concepts and calculations. The updated exercises and solutions enable students to become familiar with contemporary research activities, such as the electronic properties of massless fermions in graphene and topological insulators.

The Consortium for Upper Level Physics Software (CUPS) has developed a comprehensive series of Nine Book/Software packages that Wiley will publish in FY `95 and `96. CUPS is an international group of 27 physicists, all with extensive backgrounds in the research, teaching, and development of instructional software. The project is being supported by the National Science Foundation (PHY-9014548), and it has received other support from the IBM Corp., Apple Computer Corp., and George Mason University. The Simulations being developed are: Astrophysics, Classical Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, Modern Physics, Nuclear and Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Solid State, Thermal and Statistical, and Wave and Optics.

This book is the third of a three-volume series written by the same author. It aims to deliver a comprehensive and self-contained account of the fundamentals of the physics of solids. In the presentation of the properties and experimentally observed phenomena together with the basic concepts and theoretical methods, it goes far beyond most classic texts. The essential features of various experimental techniques are also explained. This volume is devoted mostly to the discussion of the effects of electron—electron interaction beyond the one-electron approximation. The density-functional theory is introduced to account for correlation effects. The response to external perturbations is discussed in the framework of linear response theory. Landau’s Fermi-liquid theory is followed by the theory of Luttinger liquids. The subsequent chapters are devoted to electronic phases with broken symmetry: to itinerant magnetism, to spin- and charge-density waves and their realizations in quasi-one-dimensional materials, as well as to the microscopic theory of superconductivity. An overview is given of the physics of strongly correlated systems. The last chapter covers selected problems in the physics of disordered systems.

The aim of this book is to familiarise the reader with the rich collection of ideas, methods and results available in the theory of critical phenomena in systems with confined geometry. The existence of universal features of the finite-size effects arising due to highly correlated classical or quantum fluctuations is explained by the finite-size scaling theory. This theory (1) offers an interpretation of experimental results on finite-size effects in real systems; (2) gives the most reliable tool for extrapolation to the thermodynamic limit of data obtained by computer simulations; (3) reveals the intimate mechanism of how the critical singularities build up in the thermodynamic limit; and (4) can be fruitfully used to explain the low-temperature behaviour of quantum critical systems. The exposition is given in a self-contained form which presumes the reader's knowledge only in the framework of standard courses on the theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena. The instructive role of simple models, both classical and quantum, is demonstrated by putting the accent on the derivation of rigorous and exact analytical results. Contents:Overview of Critical Phenomena in Bulk SystemsThe Approximating Hamiltonian MethodExactly Solved ModelsFinite-Size Scaling at CriticalityLong-Range InteractionsModified Finite-Size ScalingBoundary EffectsFinite-Size Scaling at First Order TransitionsLimit Gibbs States and Finite-Size ScalingBulk Quantum SystemsThe Casimir EffectSurvey of Results on the Casimir Effect Readership: Graduate students and researchers in theoretical and condensed matter physics. Keywords:Phase Transition;Critical Phenomena;Finite Size Scaling;Quantum Phase TransitionsReviews: “… this book offers a careful survey of finite-size scaling near bulk phase transitions …” Journal of Statistical Physics “The book is a very comprehensive and detailed account of this field … I have found the final section on the Casimir effect particularly interesting. It is very well written and detailed … I recommend it to serious students of critical phenomena and condensed matter, but those who already have the basic knowledge of the theory of phase transitions.” Contemporary Physics