Transport In Phonon Systems

In Transport in Phonon Systems'' the principles of physical kinetics are given and the description of transport properties in a wide class of macroscopic physical systems - the phonon systems - is presented. Important problems of phonon transport such as thermal conductivity and thermal waves of second sound, dielectric losses, sound propagation and absorption, phonon echo, and phonon transport in superfluid helium II are discussed. Many of these problems are discussed for the first time and the author presents numerous original results. Not only specialists but also those wishing to enter the field of phonon physics and phonon kinetics can benefit from Transport in Phonon Systems''.

This book develops a methodology for the real-time coupled quantum dynamics of electrons and phonons in nanostructures, both isolated structures and those open to an environment. It then applies this technique to both fundamental and practical problems that are relevant, in particular, to nanodevice physics, laser–matter interaction, and radiation damage in living tissue. The interaction between electrons and atomic vibrations (phonons) is an example of how a process at the heart of quantum dynamics can impact our everyday lives. This is e.g. how electrical current generates heat, making your toaster work. It is also a key process behind many crucial problems down to the atomic and molecular scale, such as the functionality of nanoscale electronic devices, the relaxation of photo-excited systems, the energetics of systems under irradiation, and thermoelectric effects. Electron–phonon interactions represent a difficult many-body problem. Fairly standard techniques are available for tackling cases in which one of the two subsystems can be treated as a steady-state bath for the other, but determining the simultaneous coupled dynamics of the two poses a real challenge. This book tackles precisely this problem.

In recent years there has been a huge increase in the research and development of nanoscale science and technology. Central to the understanding of the properties of nanoscale structures is the modeling of electronic conduction through these systems. This graduate textbook provides an in-depth description of the transport phenomena relevant to systems of nanoscale dimensions. In this textbook the different theoretical approaches are critically discussed, with emphasis on their basic assumptions and approximations. The book also covers information content in the measurement of currents, the role of initial conditions in establishing a steady state, and the modern use of density-functional theory. Topics are introduced by simple physical arguments, with particular attention to the non-equilibrium statistical nature of electrical conduction, and followed by a detailed formal derivation. This textbook is ideal for graduate students in physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering.

A collection of 25 papers presented at the 11th International Symposium on Ceramic Materials and Components for Energy and Environmental Applications (CMCEE-11), June 14-19, 2015 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Paper in this volume were presented in the below six symposia from Track 1 on the topic of Ceramics for Energy Conversion, Storage, and Distribution Systems: High-Temperature Fuel Cells and Electrolysis Ceramic-Related Materials, Devices, and Processing for Heat-to-Electricity Direct Conversion Material Science and Technologies for Advanced Nuclear Fission and Fusion Energy Advanced Batteries and Supercapacitors for Energy Storage Applications Materials for Solar Thermal Energy Conversion and Storage High Temperature Superconductors: Materials, Technologies, and Systems

Mesoscopic physics deals with systems larger than single atoms but small enough to retain their quantum properties. The possibility to create and manipulate conductors of the nanometer scale has given birth to a set of phenomena that have revolutionized physics: quantum Hall effects, persistent currents, weak localization, Coulomb blockade, etc. This Special Issue tackles the latest developments in the field. Contributors discuss time-dependent transport, quantum pumping, nanoscale heat engines and motors, molecular junctions, electron–electron correlations in confined systems, quantum thermo-electrics and current fluctuations. The works included herein represent an up-to-date account of exciting research with a broad impact in both fundamental and applied topics.

Building on the success of its predecessor, Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Structure, Properties and Applications, this second volume focuses on those areas that have grown rapidly in the past few years. Contributing authors reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the book and are all leaders in their particular areas of research. Among the many topics they cover are graphene and other carbon-like and tube-like materials, which are likely to affect and influence developments in nanotubes within the next five years. Extensive use of illustrations enables you to better understand and visualize key concepts and processes.

A state-of-the-art overview of this rapidly expanding field, featuring fundamental theory, practical applications, and real-life examples.

Understanding non-equilibrium properties of classical and quantum many-particle systems is one of the goals of contemporary statistical mechanics. Besides its own interest for the theoretical foundations of irreversible thermodynamics(e.g. of the Fourier's law of heat conduction), this topic is also relevant to develop innovative ideas for nanoscale thermal management with possible future applications to nanotechnologies and effective energetic resources. The first part of the volume (Chapters 1-6) describes the basic models, the phenomenology and the various theoretical approaches to understand heat transport in low-dimensional lattices (1D e 2D). The methods described will include equilibrium and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, hydrodynamic and kinetic approaches and the solution of stochastic models. The second part (Chapters 7-10) deals with applications to nano and microscale heat transfer, as for instance phononic transport in carbon-based nanomaterials, including the prominent case of nanotubes and graphene. Possible future developments on heat flow control and thermoelectric energy conversion will be outlined. This volume aims at being the first step for graduate students and researchers entering the field as well as a reference for the community of scientists that, from different backgrounds (theoretical physics, mathematics, material sciences and engineering), has grown in the recent years around those themes.