An in-depth study of non-crystalline solids in which the arrangement of the atoms do not have long-range order. Describes the way amorphous solids are formed, the phenomenology of the liquid-to-glass and glass- to-liquid transition, and the technological applications. Emphasizes modern approaches such as scaling, localization, and percolation. Includes extensive treatment of structural aspects of amorphous solids, ranging from metallic glasses, to chalcogenides, to organic polymers. Incorporates illustrations for the clarification of physics concepts.
It is now ten years since it was first convincingly shown that below 1 K the ther mal conductivity and the heat capacity of amorphous solids behave in a way which is strikingly different to that of crystalline solids. Since that time there has been a wide variety of experimental and theoretical studies which have not only defined and clarified the low temperature problem more closely, but have also linked these differences between amorphous and crystalline solids to those suggested by older acoustic and thermal experiments (extending up to 100 K). The interest in this somewhat restricted branch of physics lies to a considerable extent in the fact that the differences were so unexpected. It might be thought that as the tempera ture, probing frequency, or more generally the energy decreases, a continuum de scription in which structural differences between glass and crystal are concealed should become more accurate. In a sense this is true, but it appears that there exists in an amorphous solid a large density of additional excitations which have no counterpart in normal crystals. This book presents a survey of the wide range of experimental investigations of these low energy excitations, together with a re view of the various theoretical models put forward to explain their existence and nature.
This book has its origins in the 1982 Spring College held at the Interna tional Centre for Theoretical Physics, Miramare, Trieste. The primary aim is to give a broad coverage of liquids and amorphous solids, at a level suitable for graduate students and research workers in condensed-matter physics, physical chemistry, and materials science. The book is intended for experimental workers with interests in the basic theory. While the topics covered are many, it was planned to place special emphasis on both static structure and dynamics, including electronic transport. This emphasis is evident from the rather complete coverage of the determination of static structure from both diffraction experiments and, for amorphous solids especially, from model building. The theory of the structure of liquids and liquid mixtures is then dealt with from the standpoint of, first, basic statistical mechanics and, subsequently, pair potentials constructed from the electron theory of simple metals and their alloys. The discussion of static structure is completed in two chapters with rather different emphases on liquid surfaces and interfaces. The first deals with the basic statistical mechanics of neutral and charged interfaces, while the second is concerned with solvation and double-layer effects. Dynamic structure is introduced by a comprehensive discussion of single-particle motion in liquids. This is followed by the structure and dynamics of charged fluids, where again much basic statistical mechanics is developed.
An in-depth study of non-crystalline solids in which the arrangement of the atoms do not have long-range order. Describes the way amorphous solids are formed, the phenomenology of the liquid-to-glass and glass- to-liquid transition, and the technological applications. Emphasizes modern approaches such as scaling, localization, and percolation. Includes extensive treatment of structural aspects of amorphous solids, ranging from metallic glasses, to chalcogenides, to organic polymers. Incorporates illustrations for the clarification of physics concepts.
The Institute for Amorphous Studies was founded in 1982 as the international center for the investigation of amorphous mate rials. It has since played an important role in promoting the und er standing of disordered matter in general. An Institute lecture series on "Fundamentals of Amorphous Materials and Devices" was held during 1982-83 with distinguished speakers from universities and industry. These events were free and open to the public ,and were attended by many representatives of the scientific community. The lectures themselves were highly successful inasmuch as they provided not only formal instruction but also an opportunity for vigorous and stimulating debate. That last element could not be captured within the pages of a book I but the lectures concentrated on the latest advances in the field I which is why their essential contents are he re reproduced in collective form. Together they constitute an interdisciplinary status report of the field. The speakers brought many different viewpoints and a variety of back ground experiences io bear on the problems involved I but though language and conventions vary I the essential unity of the concerns is very clear I as indeed are the ultimate benefits of the many-sided approach.
The aim of this NATO ASI has been to present an up-to-date overview of current areas of interest in amorphous materials, with particular emphasis on electronic properties and device applications. In order to limit the material to a manageable amount, the meeting was concerned almost exclusively with semiconducting materials. This volume should be regarded as a follow-on to the NATO ASI held in Sozopol, Bulgaria in 1996 and published as "Amorphous Insulators and Semiconductors" edited by M.F. Thorpe and M.1. Mitkova (Kluwer Academic Publishers, NATO ASI series, 3 High Technology - Vol. 23). The lectures and seminars fill the gap between graduate courses and research seminars. The lecturers and seminar speakers were chosen as experts in their respective areas, and the lectures and seminars that were given are presented in this volume. During the first week of the meeting, an emphasis was placed on introductory lectures while the second week focused more on research seminars. There were two very good poster sessions that generated a lot of discussion, but these are not reproduced in this volume as the editors wanted to have only larger contributions to make the proceedings more coherent.
The discovery of bulk metallic glasses has led to a large increase in the industrial importance of amorphous metals, and this is expected to continue. This book is the first to describe the theoretical physics of amorphous metals, including the important theoretical development of the last 20 years. The renowned authors stress the universal aspects in their description of the phonon or magnon low-energy excitations in the amorphous metals, e.g. concerning the remarkable consequences of the properties of these excitations for the thermodynamics at low and intermediate temperatures. Tunneling excitations - another universal aspect of amorphous systems and responsible for many of their properties - is also intensively treated. Although the book is focused on analytical approaches, it also describes the numerical calculation of the atomic structure, the electronic excitations, and the itinerant magnetic properties of amorphous metallic alloys, while considering modern applications. While both theorists and experimentalist interested in amorphous metals will profit from this book, it will also be useful supplementary reading in courses on solid-state physics and material sciences.
I like the way the book starts with bonds between atoms before the obligatory chapter on crystalline solids, followed by an excellent treatment of mechanical properties. The standard topics of solid-state physics are then presented, starting with electronic properties. There is a splendid final chapter on polymers. The style is confident, authoritative and up to date ...Richard Feynman, in evaluating his own attempt to teach quantum mechanics early in a physics course, reckoned he had failed. Has Richard Turton succeeded? I think he has. Andrew Briggs, professor of materials, University of Oxford The Times Higher, 24 November 2000 (Physics and Engineering)This book is aimed at first and second year undergraduates taking a course in solid state physics. It is suitable for physics or engineering students. It is aimed at a substantially lower level than the majority of solid state physics texts. in particular, it does not assume any prior knowledge of quantum theory. The text is largely non-mathematical, but questions are integrated into the text to encourage readers to tackle the problem-solving aspects of the subject. Worked examples and a complete set of detailed solutions are included.
