Nanoscale physics has become one of the rapidly developing areas of contemporary physics because of its direct relevance to newly emerging area, nanotechnologies. Nanoscale devices and quantum functional materials are usually constructed based on the results of fundamental studies on nanoscale physics. Therefore studying physical phenomena in nanosized systems is of importance for progressive development of nanotechnologies. In this context study of complex phenomena in such systems and using them for controlling purposes is of great practical importance. Namely, such studies are brought together in this book, which contains 27 papers on various aspects of nanoscale physics and nonlinear dynamics.

The development of transistors, the integrated circuit, liquid-crystal displays, and even DVD players can be traced back to fundamental research pioneered in the field of condensed-matter and materials physics (CMPP). The United States has been a leader in the field, but that status is now in jeopardy. Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics, part of the Physics 2010 decadal survey project, assesses the present state of the field in the United States, examines possible directions for the 21st century, offers a set of scientific challenges for American researchers to tackle, and makes recommendations for effective spending of federal funds. This book maintains that the field of CMPP is certain to be principle to both scientific and economic advances over the next decade and the lack of an achievable plan would leave the United States behind. This book's discussion of the intellectual and technological challenges of the coming decade centers around six grand challenges concerning energy demand, the physics of life, information technology, nanotechnology, complex phenomena, and behavior far from equilibrium. Policy makers, university administrators, industry research and development executives dependent upon developments in CMPP, and scientists working in the field will find this book of interest.

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.

This book offers a detailed discussion of the complex magnetic behavior of magnetic nanosystems, with its myriad of geometries (e.g. core-shell, heterodimer and dumbbell) and its different applications. It provides a broad overview of the numerous current studies concerned with magnetic nanoparticles, presenting key examples and an in-depth examination of the cutting-edge developments in this field. This contributed volume shares the latest developments in nanomagnetism with a wide audience: from upper undergraduate and graduate students to advanced specialists in both academia and industry. The first three chapters serve as a primer to the more advanced content found later in the book, making it an ideal introductory text for researchers starting in this field. It provides a forum for the critical evaluation of many aspects of complex nanomagnetism that are at the forefront of nanoscience today. It also presents highlights from the extensive literature on the topic, including the latest research in this field.

This introductory compendium teaches engineering students how the most common electronic sensors and actuators work. It distinguishes from other books by including the physical and chemical phenomena used as well as the features and specifications of many sensors and actuators. The useful reference text also contains an introductory chapter that deals with their specifications and classification, a chapter about sensor and actuator networks, and a special topic dealing with the fabrication of sensors and actuators using microelectromechanical systems techniques (sensors and actuators on a chip). A set of exercises and six laboratory projects are highlighted.

This review volume, co-edited by Nobel laureate G Ertl, provides a broad overview on current studies in the understanding of design and control of complex chemical systems of various origins, on scales ranging from single molecules and nano-phenomena to macroscopic chemical reactors. Self-organizational behavior and the emergence of coherent collective dynamics in reaction diffusion systems, reactive soft matter and chemical networks are covered. Special attention is paid to the applications in molecular cell biology and to the problems of biological evolution, synthetic biology and design of artificial living cells. Starting with a detailed introduction on the history of research on complex chemical systems, its current state of the art and perspectives, the book comprises 19 chapters that survey the current progress in particular research fields. The reviews, prepared by leading international experts, yield together a fascinating picture of a rapidly developing research discipline that brings chemical engineering to new frontiers.

Society is approaching and advancing nano- and microtechnology from various angles of science and engineering. The need for further fundamental, applied, and experimental research is matched by the demand for quality references that capture the multidisciplinary and multifaceted nature of the science. Presenting cutting-edge information that is applicable to many fields, Nano- and Micro-Electromechanical Systems: Fundamentals of Nano and Microengineering, Second Edition builds the theoretical foundation for understanding, modeling, controlling, simulating, and designing nano- and microsystems. The book focuses on the fundamentals of nano- and microengineering and nano- and microtechnology. It emphasizes the multidisciplinary principles of NEMS and MEMS and practical applications of the basic theory in engineering practice and technology development. Significantly revised to reflect both fundamental and technological aspects, this second edition introduces the concepts, methods, techniques, and technologies needed to solve a wide variety of problems related to high-performance nano- and microsystems. The book is written in a textbook style and now includes homework problems, examples, and reference lists in every chapter, as well as a separate solutions manual. It is designed to satisfy the growing demands of undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and professionals in the fields of nano- and microengineering, and to enable them to contribute to the nanotechnology revolution.