Low-Dimensional Systems: Theory, Preparation, and Some Applications

Book excerpt: The term low-dimensional systems, which is used in the title of this volume, refers to those systems which contain at least one dimension that is intermediate between those characteristic of atoms/molecules and those of the bulk material. Depending on how many dimensions lay within this range, one generally speaks of quantum wells, quantum wires, and quantum dots. At such an intermediate state, some properties of low-dimensional systems are very different from those of their molecular and bulk counterparts. These properties generally include optical, electronic, and magnetic properties, and all these are partially covered in this book. The book's main thrust is a discussion of the actual state of the art in the broad area of nanotechnology. The initial focus is on the innovative synthesis of nanomaterials and their properties, such as quantum size effects, superparamagnetism, or field emission. These topics lead into the various field-based interactions, including plasmon-magnetic-spin- and exciton coupling. The newer, more sophisticated methods for characterizing nanomaterials are discussed, as well as the methods for possible industrial applications. In general, chemists and physicists, as well as experts on both theory and experiments on nanosized regime structures meet here to discuss the general phenomena underlying their fields of interest from different points of view.