Guo-ping Zhang – författare

This book, the first of this kind, provides a comprehensive introduction to ultrafast phenomena, covering the fundamentals of ultrafast spin and charge dynamics, femtosecond magnetism, all-optical spin switching, and high-harmonic generation. It covers the experimental tools, including ultrafast pump-probe experiments, and theoretical methods including quantum chemistry and density functional theory, both time-independent and time-dependent. The authors explain in clear language how an ultrafast laser pulse is generated experimentally, how it can induce rapid responses in electrons and spins in molecules, nanostructures and solids (magnetic materials and superconductors), and how it can create high-harmonic generation from atoms and solids on the attosecond timescale. They also show how this field is driving the next generation of magnetic storage devices through femtomagnetism, all-optical spin switching in ferrimagnets and beyond, magnetic logic in magnetic molecules, and ultrafast intense light sources, incorporating numerous computer programs, examples, and problems throughout, to show how the beautiful research can be done behind the scene.

Key features:

· Provides a clear introduction to modern ultrafast phenomena and their applications in physics, chemistry, materials sciences, and engineering.

· Presents in detail how high-harmonic generation occurs in atoms and solids.

· Explains ultrafast demagnetization and spin switching, a new frontier for development of faster magnetic storage devices.

· Includes numerous worked-out examples and problems in each chapter, with real research codes in density functional theory and quantum chemical calculations provided in the chapters and in the Appendices.

This book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers in physics, chemistry, biology, materials sciences, and engineering.

This book, the first of this kind, provides a comprehensive introduction to ultrafast phenomena, covering the fundamentals of ultrafast spin and charge dynamics, femtosecond magnetism, all-optical spin switching, and high-harmonic generation. It covers the experimental tools, including ultrafast pump-probe experiments, and theoretical methods including quantum chemistry and density functional theory, both time-independent and time-dependent. The authors explain in clear language how an ultrafast laser pulse is generated experimentally, how it can induce rapid responses in electrons and spins in molecules, nanostructures and solids (magnetic materials and superconductors), and how it can create high-harmonic generation from atoms and solids on the attosecond timescale. They also show how this field is driving the next generation of magnetic storage devices through femtomagnetism, all-optical spin switching in ferrimagnets and beyond, magnetic logic in magnetic molecules, and ultrafast intense light sources, incorporating numerous computer programs, examples, and problems throughout, to show how the beautiful research can be done behind the scene.

Key features:

· Provides a clear introduction to modern ultrafast phenomena and their applications in physics, chemistry, materials sciences, and engineering.

· Presents in detail how high-harmonic generation occurs in atoms and solids.

· Explains ultrafast demagnetization and spin switching, a new frontier for development of faster magnetic storage devices.

· Includes numerous worked-out examples and problems in each chapter, with real research codes in density functional theory and quantum chemical calculations provided in the chapters and in the Appendices.

This book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers in physics, chemistry, biology, materials sciences, and engineering.

This textbook provides ample opportunities for practice and real experimental demonstrations. Conceptual understanding and mastering key techniques are enhanced by rigorous derivations, numerous worked examples, more than 300 exercises, about 150 problems and 16 computer codes. The preface summarizes all of the key concepts and formulas, along with a detailed schedule for teaching.

The first three chapters introduce the quantum idea, wave-particle duality, operators and measurement. The Noether theorem is invoked to introduce the Schrödinger equation, followed by applications to infinite and finite quantum wells, quantum tunneling, harmonic oscillators, Heisenberg equation of motion, uncertainty principle, blackbody radiation and photoelectric effect. Chapters 4 and 5 are on angular momentum, the hydrogen atom and time-independent approximate methods. Chapters 6 and 7 are on spin and time-dependent perturbation theory. Chapters 8, 9 and 10 are on molecular orbitals, energy bands, quantum transport, scanning tunneling microscopy, lattice vibrations, Berry phase and quantum computing.

The book is intended for a one-semester or one-year course and is also appropriate for researchers in related fields.