This book reviews up-to-date ideas of how the luminescence radiation in semiconductors originates and how to analyze it experimentally. The book fills a gap between general textbooks on optical properties of solids and specialized monographs on luminescence. It is unique in its coherent treatment of the phenomenon of luminescence from the very introductory definitions, from light emission in bulk crystalline and amorphous materials to the advanced chapters that deal with semiconductor nano...

This book discusses group theory investigations of zincblende and wurtzite semiconductors under symmetry-breaking conditions. The text presents the group theory elements required to develop a multitude of symmetry-breaking problems, giving scientists a fast track to bypass the need for recalculating electronic states. The text is not only a valuable resource for speeding up calculations but also illustrates the construction of effective Hamiltonians for a chosen set of electronic states in...

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the physics of the photovoltaic cell. It is suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers new to the field. It covers: basic physics of semiconductors in photovoltaic devices; physical models of solar cell operation; characteristics and design of common types of solar cell; and approaches to increasing solar cell efficiency. The text explains the terms and concepts of solar cell device physics and shows the reader how to ...

This thesis presents optical methods to split the energy levels of electronic valleys in transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) by means of coherent light-matter interactions. The electronic valleys found in monolayer TMDs such as MoS2, WS2, and WSe2 are among the many novel properties exhibited by semiconductors when thinned down to a few atomic layers, and have have been proposed as a new way to carry information in next generation devices (so-called valleytronics). These valleys are, h...

This book contains advanced subjects in solid state physics with emphasis on the theoretical exposition of various physical phenomena in solids using quantum theory, hence entitled “A modern course in the quantum theory of solids”. The use of the adjective “modern” in the title is to reflect the fact that some of the new developments in condensed matter physics have been included in the book. The new developments contained in the book are mainly in experimental methods (inelastic neutron s...

Enthusiasm for research on the quantum Hall effect (QHE) is unbounded. The QHE is one of the most fascinating and beautiful phenomena in all branches of physics. Tremendous theoretical and experimental developments are still being made in this sphere. Composite bosons, composite fermions and anyons were among distinguishing ideas in the original edition.In the 2nd edition, fantastic phenomena associated with the interlayer phase coherence in the bilayer system were extensively desc...

This thesis presents systematic experimental research on chiral-lattice crystals referred to as B20-type germanium compounds, especially focusing on skyrmion spin textures and Dirac electrons. An emergent electromagnetic field observed in MnGe demonstrates a formation of three-dimensional skyrmion crystals. Detection of skyrmions in nanoscale Hall bar devices made of FeGe is realized by measuring the topological Hall effect, a transport property reflecting emergent fields produced by skyrm...

Semiconductor nanostructures such as nanowires are promising building blocks of future nanoelectronic, nanophotonic and nanosensing devices. Their physical properties are primarily determined by the epitaxy process which is rather different from the conventional thin film growth. This book shows how the advanced nucleation theory can be used in modeling of growth properties, morphology and crystal phase of such nanostructures. The book represents a systematic account of modern nucleation t...

Originated from studies on steam engines, thermodynamics is formulated traditi- ally for homogeneous materials. Applying to condensed matters however, laws of thermodynamics have to be evaluated with respect to the structural detail. Foll- ing after Kirkwood’s chemical thermodynamics, the author’s attempt is to discuss lattice dynamics in crystalline states in light of the traditional laws. It is noted that lattice symmetry remains as implicit in crystalline states if assumed as homo- neou...

Quantum computers, though not yet available on the market, will revolutionize the future of information processing. Quantum computers for special purposes like quantum simulators are already within reach. The physics of ultracold atoms, ions and molecules offer unprecedented possibilities of control of quantum many body systems and novel possibilities of applications to quantum information processing and quantum metrology. Particularly fascinating is the possibility of using ultracold atom...

Topological Insulators (TIs) are insulators in the bulk, but have exotic metallic states at their surfaces. The topology, associated with the electronic wavefunctions of these systems, changes when passing from the bulk to the surface. This work studies, by means of infrared spectroscopy, the low energy optical conductivity of Bismuth based TIs in order to identify the extrinsic charge contribution of the bulk and to separate it from the intrinsic contribution of the surface state carriers...

This thesis combines quantum electrical engineering with electron spin resonance, with an emphasis on unraveling emerging collective spin phenomena. The presented experiments, with first demonstrations of the cavity protection effect, spectral hole burning and bistability in microwave photonics, cover new ground in the field of hybrid quantum systems. The thesis starts at a basic level, explaining the nature of collective effects in great detail. It develops the concept of Dicke states spi...