Current Trends in the Physics of Materials: International Summer School Proceedings (Enrico Fermi International School of Physics S.) - Tapa dura

The last ten years have witnessed considerable developments in new materials and in experimental techniques for their preparation, characterization and study. Various new fundamental phenomena have been discovered and new directions for applications have come to life - e.g. quantum wells and superlattices, high T- c superconductors, scanning tunnelling microscopy and the various techniques involving the use of sources of synchrotron radiation. This book reviews main areas of current interest in the study of the physical properties of materials, from basic concepts and analytical laboratory techniques to developments in technical applications and is directed to solid-state physicists and chemists, materials scientists and materials and device engineers.