Alexandre S. Alexandrov - Böcker

High-temperature superconductivity has transformed the landscape of solid state science, leading to the discovery of new classes of materials, states of matter, and concepts. However, despite being over a quarter of a century since its discovery, there is still no single accepted theory to explain its origin. This book presents one approach, the strong-coupling or bipolaron theory, which proposes that high-temperature superconductivity originates from competing Coulomb and electron-phonon interactions. The author provides a thorough overview of the theory, describing numerous experimental observations, and giving detailed mathematical derivations of key theoretical findings at an accessible level. Applications of the theory to existing high-temperature superconductors are discussed, as well as possibilities of liquid superconductors and higher critical temperatures. Alternative theories are also examined to provide a balanced and informative perspective. This monograph will appeal to advanced researchers and academics in the fields of condensed matter physics and quantum-field theories.

There is a growing understanding that the progress of the conventional silicon technology will reach its physical, engineering and economic limits in about a decade. What will take us beyond 2010 are new molecular and other nanotechnologies that require the efforts of trans-disciplinary teams of physicists, quantum chemists, material and computer scientists, and engineers. This volume represents a unique collection of interdisciplinary review and original papers by experts in molecular nanowires, carbon nanotubes, mesoscopic super- and semiconductors, and theorists in the field of strongly correlated electrons and phonons. Topics include molecular nanojunctions and electronics, mesoscale semiconductors and superconductors, carbon nanotubes, low dimensional conductors, polarons and strongly-correlated electrons in nanoobjects, quantum theory of nanoscale, and new techniques for making nano and mesoscopic sensors and detectors.

There is a growing understanding that the progress of the conventional silicon technology will reach its physical, engineering and economic limits in about a decade. What will take us beyond 2010 are new molecular and other nanotechnologies that require the efforts of trans-disciplinary teams of physicists, quantum chemists, material and computer scientists, and engineers. This volume represents a unique collection of interdisciplinary review and original papers by experts in molecular nanowires, carbon nanotubes, mesoscopic super- and semiconductors, and theorists in the field of strongly correlated electrons and phonons. Topics include molecular nanojunctions and electronics, mesoscale semiconductors and superconductors, carbon nanotubes, low dimensional conductors, polarons and strongly-correlated electrons in nanoobjects, quantum theory of nanoscale, and new techniques for making nano and mesoscopic sensors and detectors.

Polarons in Advanced Materials will lead the reader from single-polaron problems to multi-polaron systems and finally to a description of many interesting phenomena in high-temperature superconductors, ferromagnetic oxides, conducting polymers and molecular nanowires. The book divides naturally into four parts. Part I introduces a single polaron and describes recent achievements in analytical and numerical studies of polaron properties in different electron-phonon models. Part II and Part III describe multi-polaron physics, and Part IV describes many key physical properties of high-temperature superconductors, colossal magnetoresistance oxides, conducting polymers and molecular nanowires, which were understood with polarons and bipolarons.The book is written in the form of self-consistent reviews authored by well-established researchers actively working in the field and will benefit scientists and postgraduate students with a background in condensed matter physics and materials sciences.

While basic features of polarons were well recognized a long time ago and have been described in a number of review papers and textbooks, interest in the role of electron-phonon interactions and polaron dynamics in di?- ent materials has recently gone through a vigorous revival. Electron-phonon interactions have been shown to be relevant in many inorganic and organic semiconductors and polymers, colossal magnetoresistance oxides, and tra- port through nanowires and quantum dots also often depends on vibronic displacements of ions. These interactions presumably play a role in hi- temperature superconductors as well. The continued interest in polarons extends beyond the physical description of advanced materials. The ?eld has been a testing ground for analytical, semi-analytical, and numerical techniques, such as path integrals, strong-coupling perturbation expansion, advanced variational methods, exact diagonalization, Quantum Monte Carlo, and other techniques. This book reviews some recent developments in the ?eld of polarons, starting with the basics and covering a number of active directions of research. Single- and multipolaron theories have o?ered more insight into colossal magnetoresistance and in a broad spectrum of ph- ical properties of structures with reduced dimension and dimensionality such as transport, optical absorption, Raman scattering, photoluminescence, magneto-optics, etc.While nobody - at present - has a ?nal theory of hi- temperature superconductivity, we discuss one alternative (polaronic) route. We have bene?ted from discussions with many experts in the ?eld.

While basic features of polarons were well recognized a long time ago and have been described in a number of review papers and textbooks, interest in the role of electron-phonon interactions and polaron dynamics in di?- ent materials has recently gone through a vigorous revival. Electron-phonon interactions have been shown to be relevant in many inorganic and organic semiconductors and polymers, colossal magnetoresistance oxides, and tra- port through nanowires and quantum dots also often depends on vibronic displacements of ions. These interactions presumably play a role in hi- temperature superconductors as well. The continued interest in polarons extends beyond the physical description of advanced materials. The ?eld has been a testing ground for analytical, semi-analytical, and numerical techniques, such as path integrals, strong-coupling perturbation expansion, advanced variational methods, exact diagonalization, Quantum Monte Carlo, and other techniques. This book reviews some recent developments in the ?eld of polarons, starting with the basics and covering a number of active directions of research. Single- and multipolaron theories have o?ered more insight into colossal magnetoresistance and in a broad spectrum of ph- ical properties of structures with reduced dimension and dimensionality such as transport, optical absorption, Raman scattering, photoluminescence, magneto-optics, etc.While nobody - at present - has a ?nal theory of hi- temperature superconductivity, we discuss one alternative (polaronic) route. We have bene?ted from discussions with many experts in the ?eld.

Polarons in Advanced Materials will lead the reader from single-polaron problems to multi-polaron systems and finally to a description of many interesting phenomena in high-temperature superconductors, ferromagnetic oxides, conducting polymers and molecular nanowires. The book divides naturally into four parts. Part I introduces a single polaron and describes recent achievements in analytical and numerical studies of polaron properties in different electron-phonon models. Part II and Part III describe multi-polaron physics, and Part IV describes many key physical properties of high-temperature superconductors, colossal magnetoresistance oxides, conducting polymers and molecular nanowires, which were understood with polarons and bipolarons.The book is written in the form of self-consistent reviews authored by well-established researchers actively working in the field and will benefit scientists and postgraduate students with a background in condensed matter physics and materials sciences.