For 50 years conventional electronics has ignored the electron spin. The manipulation and utilisation of the electron spin heralds an exciting and rapidly changing era in electronics, combining the disciplines of magnetism and traditional electronics. The first generation of "spintronic" devices (such as read heads based on giant magnetoresistance or non-volatile magnetic random access memories) have already gained dominant positions in the market place. This volume, the first of its kind on spin electronics describes all the essential topics for new researchers entering the field. It covers magnetism and semiconductor basics, micromagnetism, experimental techniques, materials science, device fabrication and new developments in spin-dependent processes. At the end of most chapters are a number of exercises and worked problems to aid the reader in understanding this fascinating new field.

Our society depends heavily on metals. They are ubiquitous construction materials, critical interconnects in integrated circuits, common coinage materials, and more. Excitingly, new uses for metals are emerging with the advent of nanoscience, as metal crystals with nanoscale dimensions can display new and tunable properties. The optical and photothermal properties of metal nanocrystals have led to cancer diagnosis and treatment platforms now in clinical trials, while, at the same time, the ability to tune the surface features of metal nanocrystals is giving rise to designer catalysts that enable more sustainable use of precious resources. These are just two examples of how metal nanocrystals are addressing important social needs.

In a new branch of physics and technology, called spin-electronics or spintronics, the flow of electrical charge (usual current) as well as the flow of electron spin, the so-called "spin current", are manipulated and controlled together. This book is intended to provide an introduction and guide to the new physics and applications of spin current.

Nanotechnology provides tools for creating functional materials, devices, and systems by controlling materials at the atomic and molecular scales and making use of novel properties and phenomena. Nanotechnology-enabled sensors find applications in several fields such as health and safety, medicine, process control and diagnostics. This book provides the reader with information on how nanotechnology enabled sensors are currently being used and how they will be used in the future in such diverse fields as communications, building and facilities, medicine, safety, and security, including both homeland defense and military operations.

This book focuses on an increasingly important area of materials science and technology, namely, the fabrication and properties of artificial materials where slabs of magnetized materials are sandwiched between slabs of nonmagnetized materials. It includes reviews by experts on the theory and descriptions of the various experimental techniques such as those using nuclear or electron spin probes, as well as optical, X-ray or neutron probes. It also reviews potential applications such as the giant magnetoresistance, and one specialized preparation technique, the electrodeposition. The various chapters are tutorial in nature, making the subject accessible to nonspecialists, as well as useful to researchers in the field.