Amorphous Solids

Amorphous Solids
Author: William A. Phillips
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 179
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642815340

It is now ten years since it was first convincingly shown that below 1 K the ther mal conductivity and the heat capacity of amorphous solids behave in a way which is strikingly different to that of crystalline solids. Since that time there has been a wide variety of experimental and theoretical studies which have not only defined and clarified the low temperature problem more closely, but have also linked these differences between amorphous and crystalline solids to those suggested by older acoustic and thermal experiments (extending up to 100 K). The interest in this somewhat restricted branch of physics lies to a considerable extent in the fact that the differences were so unexpected. It might be thought that as the tempera ture, probing frequency, or more generally the energy decreases, a continuum de scription in which structural differences between glass and crystal are concealed should become more accurate. In a sense this is true, but it appears that there exists in an amorphous solid a large density of additional excitations which have no counterpart in normal crystals. This book presents a survey of the wide range of experimental investigations of these low energy excitations, together with a re view of the various theoretical models put forward to explain their existence and nature.

Technology and Applications of Amorphous Silicon

Technology and Applications of Amorphous Silicon
Author: Robert A. Street
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 429
Release: 2013-06-29
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3662041413

This book gives the first systematic and complete survey of technology and application of amorphous silicon, a material with a huge potential in electronic applications. The book features contributions by world-wide leading researchers in this field.

The Physics of Amorphous Solids

The Physics of Amorphous Solids
Author: Richard Zallen
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 324
Release: 1998-06-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780471299417

Ein systematisches Lehrbuch der Theorie, Struktur und Eigenschaften amorpher Festkörper, gedacht für Anfänger auf diesem Gebiet. Illustriert werden diese Grundlagen durch zahlreiche Anwendungen, die beispielsweise ultratransparente optische Fasern in der Telekommunikation, amorphe Halbleiter in der Xerographie und organische Gläser in Architektur und Bauwesen zum Inhalt haben.

Characterization of Amorphous and Crystalline Rough Surface -- Principles and Applications

Characterization of Amorphous and Crystalline Rough Surface -- Principles and Applications
Author:
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 437
Release: 2000-10-23
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0080531385

The structure of a growth or an etch front on a surface is not only a subject of great interest from the practical point of view but also is of fundamental scientific interest. Very often surfaces are created under non-equilibrium conditions such that the morphology is not always smooth. In addition to a detailed description of the characteristics of random rough surfaces, Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences, Volume 37, Characterization of Amorphous and Crystalline Rough Surface-Principles and Applications will focus on the basic principles of real and diffraction techniques for quantitative characterization of the rough surfaces. The book thus includes the latest development on the characterization and measurements of a wide variety of rough surfaces. The complementary nature of the real space and diffraction techniques is fully displayed.Key Features* An accessible description of quantitative characterization of random rough surfaces and growth/etch fronts* A detailed description of the principles, experimentation, and limitations of advanced real-space imaging techniques (such as atomic force microscopy) and diffraction techniques (such as light scattering, X-ray diffraction, and electron diffraction)* Characterization of a variety of rough surfaces (e.g., self-affine, mounded, anisotropic, and two-level surfaces) accompanied by quantitative examples to illustrate the essence of the principles* An insightful description of how rough surfaces are formed* Presentation of the most recent examples of the applications of rough surfaces in various areas

Properties and Applications of Nanocrystalline Alloys from Amorphous Precursors

Properties and Applications of Nanocrystalline Alloys from Amorphous Precursors
Author: Bogdan Idzikowski
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 453
Release: 2005-07-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1402029659

Metallic (magnetic and non-magnetic) nanocrystalline materials have been known for over ten years but only recent developments in the research into those complex alloys and their metastable amorphous precursors have created a need to summarize the most important accomplishments in the field. This book is a collection of articles on various aspects of metallic nanocrystalline materials, and an attempt to address this above need. The main focus of the papers is put on the new issues that emerge in the studies of nanocrystalline materials, and, in particular, on (i) new compositions of the alloys, (ii) properties of conventional nanocrystalline materials, (iii) modeling and simulations, (iv) preparation methods, (v) experimental techniques of measurements, and (vi) different modern applications. Interesting phenomena of the physics of nanocrystalline materials are a consequence of the effects induced by the nanocrystalline structure. They include interface physics, the influence of the grain boundaries, the averaging of magnetic anisotropy by exchange interactions, the decrease in exchange length, and the existence of a minimum two-phase structure at the atomic scale. Attention is also paid to the special character of the local atomic ordering and to the corresponding interatomic bonding as well as to anomalies and particularities of electron density distributions, and to the formation of metastable, nanocrystalline (or quasi-crystalline) phases built from exceptionally small grains with special properties. Another important focus of attention are new classes of materials which are not based on new compositions, but rather on the original and special crystalline structure in the nanoscale.

Properties and Applications of Amorphous Materials

Properties and Applications of Amorphous Materials
Author: M.F. Thorpe
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 464
Release: 2001-01-31
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9780792368113

The particular interest represented in this state of the art survey of amorphous materials is their electronic properties and device applications. The book is organised in five sections, starting with some more unusual aspects of structure. Section 2 deals with the very new area of self organisation in glasses and how this relates to a glass's rigidity. The next section surveys electronic states and transport phenomena. The fourth section deals with an area of photoinduced effects that has recently seen increased interest due to possible device applications. Finally, section 5 covers some properties specific to amorphous silicon and amorphous carbon.

Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Materials

Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Materials
Author: A. Inoue
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2001-01-18
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9783540672715

Amorphous and nanocrystalline materials are a class of their own. Their properties are quite different to those of the corresponding crystalline materials. This book gives systematic insight into their physical properties, structure, behaviour, and design for special advanced applications.

Physics of Amorphous Metals

Physics of Amorphous Metals
Author: Nikolai P. Kovalenko
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2001-05-16
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9783527403158

The discovery of bulk metallic glasses has led to a large increase in the industrial importance of amorphous metals, and this is expected to continue. This book is the first to describe the theoretical physics of amorphous metals, including the important theoretical development of the last 20 years. The renowned authors stress the universal aspects in their description of the phonon or magnon low-energy excitations in the amorphous metals, e.g. concerning the remarkable consequences of the properties of these excitations for the thermodynamics at low and intermediate temperatures. Tunneling excitations - another universal aspect of amorphous systems and responsible for many of their properties - is also intensively treated. Although the book is focused on analytical approaches, it also describes the numerical calculation of the atomic structure, the electronic excitations, and the itinerant magnetic properties of amorphous metallic alloys, while considering modern applications. While both theorists and experimentalist interested in amorphous metals will profit from this book, it will also be useful supplementary reading in courses on solid-state physics and material sciences.