For many years, evidence suggested that all solid materials either possessed a periodic crystal structure as proposed by the Braggs or they were amorphous glasses with no long-range order. In the 1970s, Roger Penrose hypothesized structures (Penrose tilings) with long-range order which were not periodic. The existence of a solid phase, known as a quasicrystal, that possessed the structure of a three dimensional Penrose tiling, was demonstrated experimentally in 1984 by Dan Shechtman and colleagues. Shechtman received the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery. The discovery and description of quasicrystalline materials provided the first concrete evidence that traditional crystals could be viewed as a subset of a more general category of ordered materials. This book introduces the diversity of structures that are now known to exist in solids through a consideration of quasicrystals (Part I) and the various structures of elemental carbon (Part II) and through an analysis of their relationship to conventional crystal structures. Both quasicrystals and the various allotropes of carbon are excellent examples of how our understanding of the microstructure of solids has progressed over the years beyond the concepts of traditional crystallography.

In the early part of the 20th century, x-rays were first used for the investigation of the atomic structure of solids. Until the 1980s experimental evidence suggested that virtually all solid materials were either amorphous or ordered three-dimensional structures with translational and rotational symmetry that were described by classical crystallographic concepts. Since then, a number of structures that stretch the concept of a crystalline material have been discovered. In 1984 a solid phase, known as a quasicrystal, that possessed long-range order but lacked the periodicity of a crystalline material, was observed. At about the same time, novel molecular structures were observed for elemental carbon, and more recently, carbon has been prepared as a two-dimensional material. Some of the recently discovered materials with novel microstructures are reviewed in the present book. Part I of the book describes the structure and properties of quasicrystalline materials while Part II gives an overview of some of the unique phases that have been observed for elemental carbon. These unusual structures are discussed in the context of related materials with traditional crystallographic order.

The transport of electric charge through most materials is well described in terms of their electronic band structure. The present book deals with two cases where the charge transport in a solid is not described by the simple band structure picture of the solid. These cases are related to the phenomena of the quantum Hall effect and superconductivity. Part I of this book deals with the quantum Hall effect, which is a consequence of the behavior of electrons in solids when they are constrained to move in two dimensions. Part II of the present volume describes the behavior of superconductors, where electrons are bound together in Cooper pairs and travel through a material without resistance.

Viscoelastic Solids covers the mathematical theory of viscoelasticity and physical insights, causal mechanisms, and practical applications. The book: presents a development of the theory, addressing both transient and dynamic aspects as well as emphasizing linear viscoelasticity synthesizes the structure of the theory with the aim of developing physical insight illustrates the methods for the solution of stress analysis problems in viscoelastic objects explores experimental methods for the characterization of viscoelastic materials describes the phenomenology of viscoelasticity in a variety of materials, including polymers, metals, high damping alloys, rock, piezoelectric materials, cellular solids, dense composite materials, and biological materials analyzes high damping and extremely low damping provides the theory of viscoelastic composite materials, including examples of various types of structure and the relationships between structure and mechanical properties contains examples on the use of viscoelastic materials in preventing and alleviating human suffering Viscoelastic Solids also demonstrates the use of viscoelasticity for diverse applications, such as earplugs, gaskets, computer disks, satellite stability, medical diagnosis, injury prevention, vibration abatement, tire performance, sports, spacecraft explosions, and music.

Keeping the mathematics to a minimum yet losing none of the required rigor, Understanding Solid State Physics, Second Edition clearly explains basic physics principles to provide a firm grounding in the subject. This new edition has been fully updated throughout, with recent developments and literature in the field, including graphene and the use of quasicrystalline materials, in addition to featuring new journalistic boxes and the reciprocal lattice. The author underscores the technological applications of the physics discussed and emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of scientific research. After introducing students to solid state physics, the text examines the various ways in which atoms bond together to form crystalline and amorphous solids. It also describes the measurement of mechanical properties and the means by which the mechanical properties of solids can be altered or supplemented for particular applications. The author discusses how electromagnetic radiation interacts with the periodic array of atoms that make up a crystal and how solids react to heat on both atomic and macroscopic scales. She then focuses on conductors, insulators, semiconductors, and superconductors, including some basic semiconductor devices. The final chapter addresses the magnetic properties of solids as well as applications of magnets and magnetism. This accessible textbook provides a useful introduction to solid state physics for undergraduates who feel daunted by a highly mathematical approach. By relating the theories and concepts to practical applications, it shows how physics is used in the real world. Key features: Fully updated throughout, with new journalistic boxes and recent applications Uses an accessible writing style and format, offering journalistic accounts of interesting research, worked examples, self-test questions, and a helpful glossary of frequently used terms Highlights various technological applications of physics, from locomotive lights to medical scanners to USB flash drives

Addressing both theoretical and practical aspects of phase transformation in alloys, this text formulates significant aspects of the quantitative metallurgy of phase transformations. It further applies solid-state theoretical concepts to structure problems arising in experimental studies of real alloys. Author Armen G. Khachaturyan, Professor of Materials Science at Rutgers University, ranks among the foremost authorities on this subject. In this volume, he takes a creative approach to examining change in atomic structure and morphology caused by ordering, strain-induced ordering, strain-controlled decomposition, and strain-induced coarsening. Unifying relationships among various fields of solid-state physics are stressed throughout the book. Topics include structure changes in two-phase alloys controlled by the phase transformation elastic strain, in addition to important results in the area of microscopic elasticity regarding problems of elastic interaction in impurity atoms, and strain-induced ordering and decomposition in interstitial solutions. An excellent text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in physical metallurgy, solid state physics, solid state chemistry, and materials science, this volume is also a valuable reference for professionals conducting research in phase transformations