Thin films based on silicon and transition-metal elements dominate the semi-conducting industry and are ubiquitous in all modern devices. Films have also been produced in the rare-earth series of elements for both research and specialised applications. Thin films of uranium and uranium dioxide were fabricated in the 1960s and 1970s, but there was little sustained effort until the early 2000s. Significant

Path integrals are a ubiquitous tool in theoretical physics. However, their use is sometimes hindered by the lack of control on various manipulations–such as performing a change of the integration path–one would like to carry out in the light-hearted fashion that physicists enjoy. Similar issues arise in the field of stochastic calculus, which we review to prepare the ground for a proper construction

Fundamental physical constants play a profound role in physics. For example, they govern nuclear reactions, formation of stars, nuclear synthesis and stability of biologically vital elements. These are high-energy processes discussed in particle physics, astronomy and cosmology. More recently, it was realised that fundamental physical constants extend their governing reach to low-energy processes and

The thermodynamic dislocation theory (TDT) is based on two fundamental but unconventional assumptions: first, that the dislocations in a persistently deforming crystalline solid must obey the second law of thermodynamics and thus be described by an effective temperature; and second, that the controlling time scale for deformation of these systems is the inverse of the thermally activated rate at which

Published in Advances in Physics (Vol. 70, No. 3, 2021)

In this article, we review the recent significant progress in the theoretical studies of the electronic states by mainly focusing on Fe-based and cuprate superconductors. These superconductors are “unconventional” in that strong electron-electron correlation mediates the pairing; they are different from conventional phonon-mediated BCS superconductors. To seek the high- Tc pairing mechanism, many scientists

This review addresses resistive switching devices operating according to the bipolar valence change mechanism (VCM), which has become a major trend in electronic materials and devices over the last decade due to its high potential for non-volatile memories and future neuromorphic computing. We will provide detailed insights into the status of understanding of these devices as a fundament for their

Published in Advances in Physics (Vol. 70, No. 3, 2021)

We review the recent developments and the current status in the field of quantum-gas cavity QED. Since the first experimental demonstration of atomic self-ordering in a system composed of a Bose–Einstein condensate coupled to a quantized electromagnetic mode of a high-Q optical cavity, the field has rapidly evolved over the past decade. The composite quantum-gas-cavity systems offer the opportunity

Understanding the electron pairing in hole-doped cuprate superconductors has been a challenge, in particular because the “normal” state from which it evolves is unprecedented. Now, after three and a half decades of research, involving a wide range of experimental characterizations, it is possible to delineate a clear and consistent cuprate story. It starts with doping holes into a charge-transfer insulator

A review is given on the foundations and applications of non-Hermitian classical and quantum physics. First, key theorems and central concepts in non-Hermitian linear algebra, including Jordan normal form, biorthogonality, exceptional points, pseudo-Hermiticity, and parity-time symmetry, are delineated in a pedagogical and mathematically coherent manner. Building on these, we provide an overview of

(2020). Correction. Advances in Physics: Vol. 69, No. 2, pp. 249-250.

(2020). Correction. Advances in Physics. Ahead of Print.

Classical dynamical density functional theory (DDFT) is one of the cornerstones of modern statistical mechanics. It is an extension of the highly successful method of classical density functional theory (DFT) to nonequilibrium systems. Originally developed for the treatment of simple and complex fluids, DDFT is now applied in fields as diverse as hydrodynamics, materials science, chemistry, biology

In recent years significant experimental advances in nano-scale fabrication techniques and in available light sources have opened the possibility to study a vast set of novel light-matter interaction scenarios, including strong coupling cases. In many situations nowadays, classical electromagnetic modeling is insufficient as quantum effects, both in matter and light, start to play an important role

This review provides a perspective on recent developments and their implications for our understanding of novel quantum phenomena in the physics of two-dimensional organic solids. We concentrate on the phase transitions and collective response in the charge sector, the importance of coupling of electronic and lattice degrees of freedom and stress an intriguing role of disorder. After a brief introduction

We present an overview of quantitative and label-free optical methods used to characterize living biological tissues, with an emphasis on emerging applications in clinical tissue diagnostics. Specifically, this review focuses on diffuse optical spectroscopy, imaging, and tomography, optical coherence-based techniques, and non-linear optical methods for molecular imaging. The potential for non- or minimally-invasive

In recent years significant experimental advances in nano-scale fabrication techniques and in available light sources have opened the possibility to study a vast set of novel light-matter interaction scenarios, including strong coupling cases. In many situations nowadays, classical electromagnetic modeling is insufficient as quantum effects, both in matter and light, start to play an important role

The emergence of large-scale connectivity and synchronization are crucial to the structure, function and failure of many complex socio-technical networks. Thus, there is great interest in analyzing phase transitions to large-scale connectivity and to global synchronization, including how to enhance or delay the onset. These phenomena are traditionally studied as second-order phase transitions where

Magnetic field can influence photoluminescence, electroluminescence, photocurrent, injection current, and dielectric constant in organic materials, organic–inorganic hybrids, and nanoparticles at room temperature by re-distributing spin populations, generating emerging phenomena including magneto-photoluminescence, magneto-electroluminescence, magneto-photocurrent, magneto-electrical current, and magneto-dielectrics

The discovery of magnetism by the ancient Greeks was enabled by the natural occurrence of lodestone – a magnetized version of the mineral magnetite. Nowadays, natural minerals continue to inspire the search for novel magnetic materials with quantum-critical behaviour or exotic ground states such as spin liquids. The recent surge of interest in magnetic frustration and quantum magnetism was largely

We review developments in the theoretical description and understanding of plutonium in terms of a metal with itinerant (band) 5f electrons. Within this picture most facets of this remarkable and anomalous material are accurately described by first-principle, parameter-free, density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations. We show that the model explains plutonium’s phase stability, elasticity, lattice

Thermoelectric generators, capable of directly converting heat into electricity, hold great promise for tackling the ever-increasing energy sustainability issue. The thermoelectric energy conversion efficiency is heavily dependent upon the materials’ performance that is quantified by the dimensionless figure-of-merit (ZT). Therefore, the central issue in the research of thermoelectric materials lies

This is an introductory review of the physics of topological quantum matter with cold atoms. Topological quantum phases, originally discovered and investigated in condensed matter physics, have recently been explored in a range of different systems, which produced both fascinating physics findings and exciting opportunities for applications. Among the physical systems that have been considered to realize

Controlling transport in quantum systems holds the key to many promising quantum technologies. Here we review the power of symmetry as a resource to manipulate quantum transport and apply these ideas to engineer novel quantum devices. Using tools from open quantum systems and large deviation theory, we show that symmetry-mediated control of transport is enabled by a pair of twin dynamic phase transitions

The discovery of magnetism by the ancient Greeks was enabled by the natural occurrence of lodestone – a magnetized version of the mineral magnetite. Nowadays, natural minerals continue to inspire the search for novel magnetic materials with quantum-critical behaviour or exotic ground states such as spin liquids. The recent surge of interest in magnetic frustration and quantum magnetism was largely

Magnetic fields are now available to 100 T (pulsed), 45 T (static) at temperatures below 0.3 K. Such technical developments allow the study and tuning of (quantum) phase transitions, unusual magnetic structures and (high-temperature) superconductors in a variety of quantum materials. An especially important class of strongly correlated electron materials is the heavy Fermi liquids (HFLs) displaying

Thermoelectric generators, capable of directly converting heat into electricity, hold great promise for tackling the ever-increasing energy sustainability issue. The thermoelectric energy conversion efficiency is heavily dependent upon the materials’ performance that is quantified by the dimensionless figure-of-merit (ZT). Therefore, the central issue in the research of thermoelectric materials lies

Controlling transport in quantum systems holds the key to many promising quantum technologies. Here we review the power of symmetry as a resource to manipulate quantum transport and apply these ideas to engineer novel quantum devices. Using tools from open quantum systems and large deviation theory, we show that symmetry-mediated control of transport is enabled by a pair of twin dynamic phase transitions

Magnetic fields are now available to 100 T (pulsed), 45 T (static) at temperatures below 0.3 K. Such technical developments allow the study and tuning of (quantum) phase transitions, unusual magnetic structures and (high-temperature) superconductors in a variety of quantum materials. An especially important class of strongly correlated electron materials is the heavy Fermi liquids (HFLs) displaying

Inverse problems in statistical physics are motivated by the challenges of ‘big data’ in different fields, in particular high-throughput experiments in biology. In inverse problems, the usual procedure of statistical physics needs to be reversed: Instead of calculating observables on the basis of model parameters, we seek to infer parameters of a model based on observations. In this review, we focus

‘Conventional’ superconductivity, as used in this review, refers to electron–phonon-coupled superconducting electron pairs described by BCS theory. Unconventional superconductivity refers to superconductors where the Cooper pairs are not bound together by phonon exchange but instead by exchange of some other kind, e.g. spin fluctuations in a superconductor with magnetic order either coexistent or nearby

This work provides an up-to-date account of the use of electron-volt neutron spectroscopy in materials research. This is a growing area of neutron science, capitalising upon the unique insights provided by epithermal neutrons on the behaviour and properties of an increasing number of complex materials. As such, the present work builds upon the aims and scope of a previous contribution to this journal

Transparent conductors (TCs) are materials, which are characterized by high transmission of light and simultaneously very high electrical DC conductivity. These materials play a crucial role, and made possible numerous applications in the fields of electro-optics, plasmonics, biosensing, medicine, and “green energy”. Modern applications, for example in the field of touchscreen and flexible displays

(2016). Editorial Board. Advances in Physics: Vol. 65, No. 6, pp. Ebi-Ebi.

Many questions of fundamental interest in today's science can be formulated as inference problems: some partial, or noisy, observations are performed over a set of variables and the goal is to recover, or infer, the values of the variables based on the indirect information contained in the measurements. For such problems, the central scientific questions are: Under what conditions is the information

The glass transition is the most enduring grand-challenge problem in contemporary condensed matter physics. Here, we review the contribution of colloid experiments to our understanding of this problem. First, we briefly outline the success of colloidal systems in yielding microscopic insights into a wide range of condensed matter phenomena. In the context of the glass transition, we demonstrate their

This review gives a pedagogical introduction to the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH), its basis, and its implications to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics. In the first part, ETH is introduced as a natural extension of ideas from quantum chaos and random matrix theory (RMT). To this end, we present a brief overview of classical and quantum chaos, as well as RMT and some of its most

In the last two decades non-equilibrium spectroscopies have evolved from avant-garde studies to crucial tools for expanding our understanding of the physics of strongly correlated materials. The possibility of obtaining simultaneously spectroscopic and temporal information has led to insights that are complementary to (and in several cases beyond) those attainable by studying the matter at equilibrium

The dynamics of heavy particles suspended in turbulent flows is of fundamental importance for a wide range of questions in astrophysics, atmospheric physics, oceanography, and technology. Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations have demonstrated that heavy particles respond in intricate ways to turbulent fluctuations of the carrying fluid: non-interacting particles may cluster together and