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The book present essential theory and practice of the discrete communication systems design, based on the theory of discrete time stochastic processes, and their relation to the existing theory of digital communication systems. Using the notion of stochastic linear time invariant systems, in addition to the orhogonality principles, a general structure of the discrete communication system is constructed in terms of mathematical operators. Based on this structure, the MPSK, MFSK, QAM, OFDM and CDMA systems, using discrete modulation methods, are deduced as special cases. The signals are processed in the time and frequency domain, which requires precise derivatives of their amplitude spectral density functions, correlation functions and related energy and pover spectral densities. The book is self-sufficient, because it uses the unified notation both in the main ten chapters explaining communications systems theory and nine supplementary chapters dealing with the continuous and discrete time signal processing for both the deterministic and stochastic signals. In this context, the indexing of vital signals and finctions makes obvious distinction beteween them. Having in mind the controversial nature of the continuous time white Gaussian noise process, a separate chapter is dedicated to the noise discretisation by introducing notions of noise entropy and trauncated Gaussian density function to avoid limitations in applying the Nyquist criterion. The text of the book is acompained by the solutions of problems for all chapters and a set of deign projects with the defined projects’ topics and tasks and offered solutions.

“Essays in Physics” gives accounts of 32 chosen topics. The level is that of a 3–4-year university course in Physics. The topics discussed are diverse but “mainstream”. Each essay aims to say something fresh that complements what the reader will find elsewhere. Just what “fresh” means inevitably depends somewhat on the subject matter. Some chapters give a “different” slant on a familiar idea (e.g. electromagnetic energy, Lorentz transformation, photon emission). Some contain an analysis not available elsewhere (diffraction, feedback stability). Some correct material that is commonplace in many textbooks (much atomic physics). Some add insightful discussion to standard material (free energy, Brillouin zones). One in particular refines technique (perturbation theory). One brings order to confusion (-m dB). The aim in all cases is to encourage a fuller, and correct, understanding, and an enhanced intellectual acuity (critical faculty). With a subject as mature as physics, it is bold to claim originality. However I will dare to make that claim, in particular for Chapters 10, 22 and 30, but also for parts of most other chapters.

This short book describes ten fundamental concepts – big ideas – of materials science. Some of them come from mainstream physics and chemistry, including thermodynamic stability and phase diagrams, symmetry, and quantum behaviour. Others are about restless atomic motion and thermal fluctuations, defects in crystalline materials as the agents of change in materials, nanoscience and nanotechnology, materials design and materials discovery, metamaterials, and biological matter as a material. A cornerstone of materials science is the idea that materials are complex systems that interact with their environments and display the emergence of new science from the collective behaviour of atoms and defects. Great attention is paid to the clarity of explanations using only high school algebra and quoting the occasional useful formula. Exceptionally, elementary calculus is used in the chapter on metamaterials. It is not a text-book, but it offers undergraduates and their teachers a unique overview and insight into materials science. It may also help graduates of other subjects to decide whether to study materials science at postgraduate level.

Scientists regularly employ historical narrative as a rhetorical tool in their communication of science, yet there’s been little reflection on its effects within scientific communities and beyond. Science Between Myth and History begins to unravel these threads of influence. The stories scientists tell are not just poorly researched scholarly histories, they are myth-histories, a chimeric genre that bridges distinct narrative modes. This study goes beyond polarizing questions about who owns the history of science and establishes a common ground from which to better understand the messy and lasting legacy of the stories scientists tell. It aims to stimulate vigorous conversation among science practitioners, scholars, and communicators. Scientific myth-histories undoubtedly deliver value, coherence, and inspiration to their communities. They are tools used to broker scientific consensus, resolve controversies, and navigate power dynamics. Yet beyond the explicit intent and rationale behind their use, these narratives tend to have great rhetorical power and social agency that bear unintended consequences. This book unpacks the concept of myth-history and explores four case studies in which scientist storytellers use their narratives to teach, build consensus, and inform the broader public. From geo-politically informed quantum interpretation debates to high-stakes gene-editing patent disputes, these case studies illustrate the implications of storytelling in science. Science Between Myth and History calls on scientists not to eschew writing about their history, but to take more account of the stories they tell and the image of science they project. In this time of eroding common ground, when many find themselves dependent on, yet distrustful of scientific research, this book interrogates the effects of mismatched, dissonant portraits of science.

Prior to 2010, most research on the physics and chemistry of transition metal oxides was dominated by compounds of the 3d-transition elements such as Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu. These materials exhibited novel, important phenomena that include giant magnetoresistance in manganites, as well as high-temperature superconductivity in doped La₂CuO₄ and related cuprates. The discovery in 1994 of an exotic superconducting state in Sr₂RuO₄ shifted some interest toward ruthenates. Moreover, the realization in 2008 that a novel variant of the classic Mott metal-insulator transition was at play in Sr₂IrO₄ provided the impetus for a burgeoning group of studies of the influence of strong spin-orbit interactions in “heavy” (4d- and 5d-) transition-element oxides. This book reviews recent experimental and theoretical evidence that the physical and structural properties of 4d- and 5d-oxides are decisively influenced by strong spin-orbit interactions that compete or collaborate with comparable Coulomb, magnetic exchange, and crystalline electric field interactions. The combined effect leads to unusual ground states and magnetic frustration that are unique to this class of materials. Novel couplings between the orbital/lattice and spin degrees of freedom, which lead to unusual types of magnetic order and other exotic phenomena, challenge current theoretical models. Of particular interest are recent investigations of iridates and ruthenates focusing on strong spin-orbit interactions that couple the lattice and spin degrees of freedom.

Recent advances in quantum technology – from quantum computers and simulators to communication and metrology – have not only opened up a whole new world of applications but also changed the understanding of quantum theory itself. This text introduces quantum theory entirely from this new perspective. It does away with the traditional approach to quantum theory as a theory of microscopic matter, and focuses instead on quantum theory as a framework for information processing. Accordingly, the emphasis is on concepts like measurement, probability, statistical correlations, and transformations, rather than waves and particles. The text begins with experimental evidence that forces one to abandon the classical description and to re-examine such basic notions as measurement, probability, and state. Thorough investigation of these concepts leads to the alternative framework of quantum theory. The requisite mathematics is developed and linked to its operational meaning. This part of the text culminates in an exploration of some of the most vexing issues of quantum theory, regarding locality, non-contextuality, and realism. The second half of the text explains how the peculiar features of quantum theory are harnessed to tackle information processing tasks that are intractable or even impossible classically. It provides the tools for understanding and designing the pertinent protocols, and discusses a range of examples representative of current quantum technology.

For the past almost fifty years, scientists have been trying to explain the phenomenon of superconductivity. The mechanism is the key ingredient of microscopic theory, which was developed by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer in 1957. The theory also introduced the basic concepts of pairing, coherence length, energy gap, and so on. Since then, microscopic theory has undergone an intensive development. This book provides a very detailed theoretical treatment of the key mechanisms of superconductivity, including the current state of the art (phonons, magnons, plasmons). In addition, the book contains descriptions of the properties of the key superconducting compounds that are of the most interest for science and applications. For many years, there has been a search for new materials with higher values of the main parameters, such as the critical temperature and critical current. At present, the possibility of observing superconductivity at room temperature has become perfectly realistic. That is why the book is especially concerned with high-T_c systems such as high-T_c oxides, hydrides with record values for critical temperature under high pressure, nanoclusters, and so on. A number of interesting novel superconducting systems have been discovered recently, including topological materials, interface systems, and intercalated graphene. The book contains rigorous derivations based on statistical mechanics and many-body theory. The book also provides qualitative explanations of the main concepts and results. This makes the book accessible and interesting for a broad audience.

Laszlo Solymar’s book is quite unique in the sense that it is the only one that covers all the major developments in the history of telecommunications for the past 4,000 years, like fire signals, the mechanical telegraph, the electrical telegraph, telephony, optical fibres, fax, satellites, mobile phones, the Internet, the digital revolution, the role of computers, and also some long-forgotten technologies like news broadcasting by a devoted telephone network. It tells the technical aspects of the story but also how it affects people and society; e.g.it discusses the effect of the electric telegraph on war and diplomacy, how thanks to the telegraph Kitchener could preserve the Cairo-to-Cape Town red band for the British Empire, or more recent events like the effect of deregulation upon the monopoly of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). A number of anecdotes are told, e.g. how one murderer was caught by telegraphy when he arrived at Paddington Station and how another murderer was caught by wireless telegraphy when tried to escape by boat from Britain to Canada. The last chapter is concerned with the future: how the future was envisaged in the past and how we imagine the future of telecommunications now.

Characterization enables a microscopic understanding of the fundamental properties of materials (Science) to predict their macroscopic behavior (Engineering). With this focus, the book presents a comprehensive discussion of the principles of materials characterization and metrology. Characterization techniques are introduced through elementary concepts of bonding, electronic structure of molecules and solids, and the arrangement of atoms in crystals. Then, the range of electrons, photons, ions, neutrons and scanning probes, used in characterization, including their generation and related beam-solid interactions that determine or limit their use, are presented. This is followed by ion-scattering methods, optics, optical diffraction, microscopy, and ellipsometry. Generalization of Fraunhofer diffraction to scattering by a three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in crystals, leads to X-ray, electron, and neutron diffraction methods, both from surfaces and the bulk. Discussion of transmission and analytical electron microscopy, including recent developments, is followed by chapters on scanning electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopies. It concludes with elaborate tables to provide a convenient and easily accessible way of summarizing the key points, features, and inter-relatedness of the different spectroscopy, diffraction, and imaging techniques presented throughout. The book uniquely combines a discussion of the physical principles and practical application of these characterization techniques to explain and illustrate the fundamental properties of a wide range of materials in a tool-based approach. Based on forty years of teaching and research, and including worked examples, test your knowledge questions, and exercises, the target readership of the book is wide, for it is expected to appeal to the teaching of undergraduate and graduate students, and to post-docs, in multiple disciplines of science, engineering, biology and art conservation, and to professionals in industry.

Quantum physics is rapidly emerging as a transformative approach to expand the frontiers of technology in areas including communications, information processing, metrology, and sensing. Indeed, the end of Moore’s Law looms in the near future and quantum effects in modern electronics such as quantum tunneling are a limiting factor. In contrast, in new technology based on quantum behavior, the quantum properties represent a new dimension of opportunity. This shift is already creating a growing need for engineers and physical scientists who have specialized knowledge in this area, in order to contribute to the growing effort. There are numerous outstanding textbooks available for a general approach to the field of quantum physics. There is much to be gained by taking the traditional learning approach, but it can take two or three years before students encounter many of the exciting ideas and tools for this area. This book takes an application-motivated approach to enable students to build a quantum toolbox. The first six chapters describe the quantum states of various systems of interest, while the remaining chapters focus mainly on dynamics. Important concepts like the quantum flip-flop, based using Rabi oscillations, and engineering the quantum vacuum are presented. Powerful tools including the atomic operator approach and density matrix operator are introduced with examples of applications. This book is aimed at upper level undergraduates and some first year graduate students. The book is arranged to fulfil the needs for a one-semester or two-semester sequence. For a one-semester sequence, the preface describes several paths that emphasize different aspects of quantum behavior.

After briefly presenting (for the physicist) some notions frequently used in combinatorics (such as graphs or combinatorial maps) and after briefly presenting (for the combinatorialist) the main concepts of quantum field theory (QFT), the book shows how algebraic combinatorics can be used to deal with perturbative renormalisation (both in commutative and non-commutative quantum field theory), how analytic combinatorics can be used for QFT issues (again, for both commutative and non-commutative QFT), how Grassmann integrals (frequently used in QFT) can be used to proCve new combinatorial identities (generalizing the Lindström–Gessel–Viennot formula), how combinatorial QFT can bring a new insight on the celebrated Jacobian conjecture (which concerns global invertibility of polynomial systems) and so on. In the second part of the book, matrix models, and tensor models are presented to the reader as QFT models. Several tensor model results (such as the implementation of the large N limit and of the double-scaling limit for various such tensor models, N being here the size of the tensor) are then exposed. These results are natural generalizations of results extensively used by theoretical physicists in the study of matrix models and they are obtained through intensive use of combinatorial techniques (this time mainly enumerative techniques). The last part of the book is dedicated to the recently discovered relation between tensor models and the holographic Sachdev–Ye–Kitaev model, model which has been extensively studied in the last years by condensed matter and by high-energy physicists.

Introduced as a quantum extension of Maxwell's classical theory, quantum electrodynamic (QED) has been the first example of a quantum field theory (QFT). Eventually, QFT has become the framework for the discussion of all fundamental interactions at the microscopic scale except, possibly, gravity. More surprisingly, it has also provided a framework for the understanding of second order phase transitions in statistical mechanics. In fact, as hopefully this work illustrates, QFT is the natural framework for the discussion of most systems involving an infinite number of degrees of freedom with local couplings. These systems range from cold Bose gases at the condensation temperature (about ten nanokelvin) to conventional phase transitions (from a few degrees to several hundred) and high energy particle physics up to a TeV, altogether more than twenty orders of magnitude in the energy scale. Therefore, although excellent textbooks about QFT had already been published, I thought, many years ago, that it might not be completely worthless to present a work in which the strong formal relations between particle physics and the theory of critical phenomena are systematically emphasized. This option explains some of the choices made in the presentation. A formulation in terms of field integrals has been adopted to study the properties of QFT. The language of partition and correlation functions has been used throughout, even in applications of QFT to particle physics. Renormalization and renormalization group (RG) properties are systematically discussed. The notion of effective field theory (EFT) and the emergence of renormalizable theories are described. The consequences for fine-tuning and triviality issue are emphasized. This fifth edition has been updated and fully revised.

This book provides the first extensive treatment of magnetic small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The theoretical background required to compute magnetic SANS cross sections and correlation functions related to long-wavelength magnetization structures is laid out; and these concepts are scrutinized based on the discussion of experimental neutron data. Regarding prior background knowledge, some familiarity with the basic magnetic interactions and phenomena, as well as scattering theory, is desired. The target audience comprises Ph.D. students and researchers working in the field of magnetism and magnetic materials who wish to make efficient use of the magnetic SANS method. Besides revealing the origins of magnetic SANS (Chapter 1), and furnishing the basics of the magnetic SANS technique (Chapter 2), much of the book is devoted to a comprehensive treatment of the continuum theory of micromagnetics (Chapter 3), as it is relevant for the study of the elastic magnetic SANS cross section. Analytical expressions for the magnetization Fourier components allow one to highlight the essential features of magnetic SANS and to analyze experimental data both in reciprocal (Chapter 4) and real space (Chapter 6). Chapter 5 provides an overview of the magnetic SANS of nanoparticles and so-called complex systems (e.g., ferrofluids, magnetic steels, spin glasses, and amorphous magnets). It is this subfield where major progress is expected to be made in the coming years, mainly via the increased use of numerical micromagnetic simulations (Chapter 7), which is a very promising approach for the understanding of the magnetic SANS from systems exhibiting nanoscale spin inhomogeneity.

This book presents an in-depth deliberation on optical networks in four parts, capturing the past, present, and ensuing developments in the field. Part I has two chapters presenting an overview of optical networks and the enabling technologies. Part II has three chapters dealing with the single-wavelength optical networks: optical LANs/MANs, optical access networks using passive optical network architecture, SONET/SDH, optical transport network and resilient packet ring. Part III consists of four chapters on WDM-based optical networks, including WDM-based local/metropolitan networks (LANs/MANs) using single and multihop architectures over passive-star couplers, WDM/TWDM access networks as an extension of PONs with WDM transmission, WDM metro ring networks covering circuit-switched (using point-to-point WDM and wavelength-routed transmission) plus packet-switched architectures and WDM long-haul backbone networks presenting the offline and online design methodologies using wavelength-routed transmission. Part IV deals with some selected topics in six chapters. The first deals with transmission impairments and power-consumption issues in optical networks, while the next three chapters deal with the survivable optical networks, network control and management techniques, including GMPLS, ASON, and SDN/SDON, and datacenter networks using electrical, optical, and hybrid switching techniques. The final two chapters present elastic optical networks using flexible grid for better utilization of the optical-fiber spectrum and optical packet and burst-switched networks. The three appendices present the basics of the linear programming techniques, noise processes encountered in the optical communication systems, and the fundamentals of queuing theory and its applications in telecommunication networks. (238 words)

The scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) was invented by Binnig and Rohrer and received a Nobel Prize of Physics in 1986. Together with the atomic force microscope (AFM), it enables non-destructive observing and mapping atoms and molecules on solid surfaces down to a picometer resolution. A recent development is the non-destructive observation of wavefunctions in individual atoms and molecules, including nodal structures inside the wavefunctions. STM and AFM have become indespensible instruments for scientists of various disciplines, including physicists, chemists, engineers, and biologists to visualize and utilize the microscopic world around us. Since the publication of the first edition in 1993, this book has been recognized as a standard introduction for everyone that starts working with scanning probe microscopes, and a useful reference book for those more advanced in the field. After an Overview chapter accessible for newcomers at an entry level presenting the basic design, scientific background, and illustrative applications, the book has three Parts. Part I, Principles, provides the most systematic and detailed theory of its scientific bases from basic quantum mechancis and condensed-metter physics in all available literature. Quantitative analysis of its imaging mechanism for atoms, molecules, and wavefunctions is detailed. Part II, Instrumentation, provides down to earth descriptions of its building components, including piezoelectric scanners, vibration isolation, electronics, software, probe tip preparation, etc. Part III, Related methods, presenting two of its most important siblings, scanning tunnelling specgroscopy and atomic force miscsoscopy. The book has five appendices for background topics, and 405 references for further readings.

This book is an introduction to the modern methods of the general theory of relativity, tensor calculus, space time geometry, the classical theory of fields, and a variety of theoretical physics oriented topics rarely discussed at the level of the intended reader (mid-college physics major). It does so from the point of view of the so-called principle of covariance; a symmetry that underlies most of physics, including such familiar branches as Newtonian mechanics and electricity and magnetism. The book is written from a minimalist perspective, providing the reader with only the most basic of notions; just enough to be able to read, and hopefully comprehend, modern research papers on these subjects. In addition, it provides a (hopefully short) preparation for the student to be able to conduct research in a variety of topics in theoretical physics; with particular emphasis on physics in curved spacetime backgrounds. The hope is that students with a minimal mathematical background in calculus and only some introductory courses in physics may be able to study this book and benefit from it.

This book focuses on quantum field theory and its application to gravitational physics, in both semiclassical and full quantum frameworks, with special attention paid to renormalization, gauge theories and, especially, effective action formalism. Part I provides both conceptual and technical introductions to quantum field theory, starting from elements of group theory, through classical fields, up to effective action formalism in general gauge theories. Compared to other books on this topic, this book describes the general formalism of renormalization in more detail and pays more attention to gauge theories. Part II discusses basic aspects of quantum field theory in curved spacetime and perturbative quantum gravity. More than half of this part is written with a full exposition of details, including well-explained examples with simple calculations. All chapters include exercises, which range from very simple ones to those requiring small original investigations. The material in the second part was selected on the basis of the “must-know” principle: while detailed expositions are provided for relatively simple techniques and calculations, it is expected that the interested reader will be able to learn more advanced issues independently after learning the basic material and working through the exercises provided. In some cases, when more complicated subjects were discussed, the book only provides references for the original publications, where the reader can find the full details of the calculations used.

This volume is a collection of essays on unusual topics in optics, with a humorous bent and references to pop culture. We examine why flames are yellow, why Newton said there were seven colors (including indigo), how to produce a miniature image of a mermaid on a shoestring budget, why ultraviolet light kills vampires, and other topics.

Nanostructured oxide materials ultra-thin films, nanoparticles and other nanometer-scale objects play prominent roles in many aspects of our every-day life, in nature and in technological applications, among which is the all-oxide electronics of tomorrow. Due to their reduced dimensions and dimensionality, they strongly interact with their environment gaseous atmosphere, water or support. Their novel physical and chemical properties are the subject of this book from both a fundamental and an applied perspective. It reviews and illustrates the various methodologies for their growth, fabrication, experimental and theoretical characterization. The role of key parameters such as film thickness, nanoparticle size and support interactions in driving their fundamental properties is underlined. At the ultimate thickness limit, two-dimensional oxide materials are generated, whose functionalities and potential applications are described. The emerging field of cation mixing is mentioned, which opens new avenues for engineering many oxide properties, as witnessed by natural oxide nanomaterials such as clay minerals, which, beyond their role at the Earth surface, are now widely used in a whole range of human activities. Oxide nanomaterials are involved in many interdisciplinary fields of advanced nanotechnologies: catalysis, photocatalysis, solar energy materials, fuel cells, corrosion protection, and biotechnological applications are amongst the areas where they are making an impact; prototypical examples are outlined. A cautious glimpse into future developments of scientific activity is finally ventured to round off the treatise.

Hendrik Antoon Lorentz was one of the greatest physicists and mathematicians the Netherlands has ever known. Einstein called him “a living work of art, a perfect personality.” During his funeral in 1928, the entire Dutch nation mourned. The national telegraph service was suspended for three minutes and his passing was national and international front-page news. The cream of international science, an impressive list of dignitaries including the Prince Consort, and thousands of ordinary people turned out to see Lorentz being carried to his last resting place. This biography describes the life of Lorentz, from his early childhood as the son of a market gardener in the provincial town of Arnhem, to his death as a leading light in physics and international scientific cooperation and a trailblazer for Einstein’s relativity theory. A number of chapters shed light on his unique place in science, the importance of his ideas, his international conciliatory and scientific activities after World War One, his close friendship with Albert Einstein, and his important role as Einstein’s teacher and intellectual critic. By making use of recently discovered family correspondence, the author was able to show that there lies a true human being behind Lorentz’s façade of perfection. One chapter is devoted to Lorentz’s wife Aletta, a woman in her own right whose progressive feminist ideas were of considerable influence on those of her husband. Two separate chapters focus on his most important scientific achievements, in terms accessible to a general audience.