The physics of nonequilibrium electrons and phonons in semiconductors is an important branch of fundamental physics that has many practical applications, especially in the development of ultrafast and ultrasmall semiconductor devices. This volume is devoted to different trends in the field which are presently at the forefront of research. Special attention is paid to the ultrafast relaxation processes in bulk semiconductors and two-dimensional semiconductor structures, and to their study by different spectroscopic methods, both pulsed and steady-state. The evolution of energy and space distribution of nonequilibrium electrons and the relaxation kinetics of hot carriers and phonons are considered under various conditions such as temperature, doping and pumping intensity by leading experts in the field.

This book introduces the main concepts of nonequilibrium phenomena in superconductors. The authors cover both experimentally well-understood topics and problems which physicists could challenge more in view of current theoretical understanding. Some of these topics include thermoelectric phenomena, influence of laser radiation as well as fluctuations in superconductors.

The three volumes of this handbook treat the fundamentals, technology and nanotechnology of nitride semiconductors with an extraordinary clarity and depth. They present all the necessary basics of semiconductor and device physics and engineering together with an extensive reference section. Volume 3 deals with nitride semiconductor devices and device technology. Among the application areas that feature prominently here are LEDs, lasers, FETs and HBTs, detectors and unique issues surrounding solar blind detection.

The study of electrons and holes confined to two, one and even zero dimensions has uncovered a rich variety of new physics and applications. This book describes the interaction between these confined carriers and the optic and acoustic phonons within and around the confined regions. Phonons provide the principal channel of energy transfer between the carriers and their surroundings and also the main restriction to their room temperature mobility. But they have many other roles; they provide, for example, an essential feature of the operation of the quantum cascade laser. Since their momenta at relevant energies are well matched to those of electrons, they can also be used to probe electronic properties such as the confinement width of 2D electron gases and the dispersion curve of quasiparticles in the fractional quantum Hall effect. The book describes both the physics of the electron-phonon interaction in the different confined systems and the experimental and theoretical techniques that have been used in its investigation. The experimental methods include optical and transport techniques as well as techniques in which phonons are used as the experimental probe. The aim of the book is to provide an up to date review of the physics and its significance in device performance. It is also written to be explanatory and accessible to graduate students and others new to the field.

Remarkable developments in the spectroscopy field regarding ultrashort pulse generation have led to the possibility of producing light pulses ranging from 50 to5 fs and frequency tunable from the near infrared to the ultraviolet range. Such pulses enable us to follow the coupling of vibrational motion to the electronic transitions in molecules and

Various experimental techniques for point contact production are described. Examples of point-contact spectra are presented for pure metals, alloys and compounds, as well as for semimetals and semiconductors, heavy fermion systems, Kond-lattices, mixed valence compounds and more. Superconducting point contacts are considered in respect to Andreev reflection and Josephson effects. Special attention is paid to contact conductance fluctuation, and new trends of research are outlined.

A thorough reference work bridging the gap between contemporary and traditional approaches to noise problems Noise in semiconductor devices refers to any unwanted signal or disturbance in the device that degrades performance. In semiconductor devices, noise is attributed to hot-electron effects. Current advances in information technology have led to the development of ultrafast devices that are required to provide low-noise, high-speed performance. Microwave Noise in Semiconductor Devices considers available data on the speed versus noise trade-off and discusses optimal solutions in semiconductors and semiconductor structures. These solutions are of direct interest in the research and development for fast, efficient, and reliable communications systems. As the only book of its kind accessible to practicing engineers, the material is divided into four parts-the kinetic theory of fluctuations and its corollaries, the methods of measurements of microwave noise, low-dimensional structures, and, finally, devices. With over 100 illustrations presenting recent experimental data for up-to-date semiconductor structures designed for ultrafast electronics, together with results of microscopic simulation where available, these examples, tables, and references offer a full comprehension of electronic processes and fluctuation in dimensionally quantizing structures. Bridging the apparent gap between the microscopic approach and the equivalent circuit approach, Microwave Noise in Semiconductor Devices considers microwave fluctuation phenomena and noise in terms of ultrafast kinetic processes specific to modern quantum-well structures. Scientists in materials science, semiconductor and solid-state physics, electronic engineers, and graduate students will all appreciate this indispensable review of contemporary and future microwave and high-speed electronics.