This volume presents a collection of review papers on recent work in the connected areas of strongly correlated systems, the effects of coherence on macroscopic systems, and entanglement in quantum systems. These areas have attracted considerable interest due to their complexity and associated unexpected nontrivial phenomena, and also due to their potential applications in various fields, from materials science to information technology. The coverage includes strongly correlated electronic systems such as low-dimensional complex materials, ordered and disordered spin systems, and aspects of the physics of manganites and graphene, both in equilibrium and far from equilibrium.

This book is a collection of articles on the contemporary status of quantum mechanics, dedicated to the fundamental issues of entanglement, decoherence, irreversibility, information processing, and control of quantum evolution, with a view of possible applications. It has multidisciplinary character and is addressed at a broad readership in physics, computer science, chemistry, and electrical engineering. It is written by the world-leading experts in pertinent fields such as quantum computing, atomic, molecular and optical physics, condensed matter physics, and statistical physics.

This book summarizes the basic physics of graphite and newly discovered phenomena in this material. The book contains the knowledge needed to understand novel properties of functionalized graphite demonstrating the occurrence of remarkable phenomena in disordered graphite and graphite-based heterostructures. It also discusses applications of thin graphitic samples in future electronics. Graphite consists of a stack of nearly decoupled two-dimensional graphene planes. Because of the low dimensionality and the presence of Dirac fermions, much of graphite physics resembles that of graphene. On the other hand, the multi-layered nature of the graphite structure together with structural and/or chemical disorder are responsible for phenomena that are not observed yet in graphene, such as ferromagnetic order and superconductivity. Each chapter was written by one or more experts in the field whose contributions were relevant in the (re)discovery of (un)known phenomena in graphite. The book is intended as reference for beginners and experts in the field, introducing them to many aspects of the new physics of graphite, with a fresh overview of recently found phenomena and the theoretical frames to understand them.

The chapters included in the book describe recent developments in the field of superconductivity. The book deals with both the experiment and the theory. Superconducting and normal-state properties are studied by various methods. The authors presented investigations of traditional and new materials. In particular, studies of oxides, pnictides, chalcogenides and intermetallic compounds are included. The superconducting order parameter symmetry is discussed and consequences of its actual non-conventional symmetry are studied. Impurity and tunneling effects (both quasiparticle and Josephson ones) are among topics covered in the chapters. Special attention is paid to the competition between superconductivity and other instabilities, which lead to the Fermi surface gapping.

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Electron Transport in Nanosystems Yalta, Ukraine 17-21 September 2007

Quantum systems with many degrees of freedom are inherently difficult to describe and simulate quantitatively. The space of possible states is, in general, exponentially large in the number of degrees of freedom such as the number of particles it contains. Standard digital high-performance computing is generally too weak to capture all the necessary details, such that alternative quantum simulation devices have been proposed as a solution. Artificial neural networks, with their high non-local connectivity between the neuron degrees of freedom, may soon gain importance in simulating static and dynamical behavior of quantum systems. Particularly promising candidates are neuromorphic realizations based on analog electronic circuits which are being developed to capture, e.g., the functioning of biologically relevant networks. In turn, such neuromorphic systems may be used to measure and control real quantum many-body systems online. This thesis lays an important foundation for the realization of quantum simulations by means of neuromorphic hardware, for using quantum physics as an input to classical neural nets and, in turn, for using network results to be fed back to quantum systems. The necessary foundations on both sides, quantum physics and artificial neural networks, are described, providing a valuable reference for researchers from these different communities who need to understand the foundations of both.

Since its inception in 1966, the series of numbered volumes known as Semiconductors and Semimetals has distinguished itself through the careful selection of well-known authors, editors, and contributors. The "Willardson and Beer" Series, as it is widely known, has succeeded in publishing numerous landmark volumes and chapters. Not only did many of these volumes make an impact at the time of their publication, but they continue to be well-cited years after their original release. Recently, Professor Eicke R. Weber of the University of California at Berkeley joined as a co-editor of the series. Professor Weber, a well-known expert in the field of semiconductor materials, will further contribute to continuing the series' tradition of publishing timely, highly relevant, and long-impacting volumes. Some of the recent volumes, such as Hydrogen in Semiconductors, Imperfections in III/V Materials, Epitaxial Microstructures, High-Speed Heterostructure Devices, Oxygen in Silicon, and others promise that this tradition will be maintained and even expanded. Reflecting the truly interdisciplinary nature of the field that the series covers, the volumes in Semiconductors and Semimetals have been and will continue to be of great interest to physicists, chemists, materials scientists, and device engineers in modern industry.

This book approaches condensed matter physics from the perspective of quantum information science, focusing on systems with strong interaction and unconventional order for which the usual condensed matter methods like the Landau paradigm or the free fermion framework break down. Concepts and tools in quantum information science such as entanglement, quantum circuits, and the tensor network representation prove to be highly useful in studying such systems. The goal of this book is to introduce these techniques and show how they lead to a new systematic way of characterizing and classifying quantum phases in condensed matter systems. The first part of the book introduces some basic concepts in quantum information theory which are then used to study the central topic explained in Part II: local Hamiltonians and their ground states. Part III focuses on one of the major new phenomena in strongly interacting systems, the topological order, and shows how it can essentially be defined and characterized in terms of entanglement. Part IV shows that the key entanglement structure of topological states can be captured using the tensor network representation, which provides a powerful tool in the classification of quantum phases. Finally, Part V discusses the exciting prospect at the intersection of quantum information and condensed matter physics – the unification of information and matter. Intended for graduate students and researchers in condensed matter physics, quantum information science and related fields, the book is self-contained and no prior knowledge of these topics is assumed.

The field of atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) science underpins many technologies and continues to progress at an exciting pace for both scientific discoveries and technological innovations. AMO physics studies the fundamental building blocks of functioning matter to help advance the understanding of the universe. It is a foundational discipline within the physical sciences, relating to atoms and their constituents, to molecules, and to light at the quantum level. AMO physics combines fundamental research with practical application, coupling fundamental scientific discovery to rapidly evolving technological advances, innovation and commercialization. Due to the wide-reaching intellectual, societal, and economical impact of AMO, it is important to review recent advances and future opportunities in AMO physics. Manipulating Quantum Systems: An Assessment of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics in the United States assesses opportunities in AMO science and technology over the coming decade. Key topics in this report include tools made of light; emerging phenomena from few- to many-body systems; the foundations of quantum information science and technologies; quantum dynamics in the time and frequency domains; precision and the nature of the universe, and the broader impact of AMO science.

Proposed 35 years ago, quantum cryptography (QC) and its most prominent part quantum key distribution (QKD) attracts more and more attention. Significant progress has been made in both its theory and practice from many points of view. The present book has four exclusive chapters. All chapters are focused on QC and QKD applications in advanced telecommunication networks: classical fiber optic lines with a constant increase in the range of quantum communication channels and duration of the connection; software-defined optical networks; free-space optical communication systems; and systems with elements of holographic processing. The book will be useful for researchers, engineers, and doctoral students working in areas of QC, QKD, and related areas of information security.