Abstract

This volume is a translation and revision of the Original Russian version by Baryahktar. It covers all of the main fields involved in Condensed Matter Physics, such as crystallography, electrical properties, fluids, magnetism, material properties, optics, radiation, semiconductors, and superconductivity, as well as highlights of important related subjects such as quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, and statistical mechanics. Both theoretical and experimental aspects of condensed matter are covered in detail.
The entries range from very short paragraphs on topics where definitions are needed, such as Bloch's law, clathrate compound, donor, domain, Kondo lattice, mean free path, and Wigner crystal, to long discussions of more general or more comprehensive topics such as antiferromagnetism, crystal lattice dynamics, dislocations, Fermi surface, Josephson effect, luminescence, magnetic films, phase transitions and semiconductors. The main theoretical approaches to Condensed Matter Physics are explained. There are several long tables on, for example, Bravais lattices, characteristics of magnetic materials, units of physical quantities, symmetry groups. The properties of the main elements of the periodic table are given.
Numerous entries not covered by standard Solid State Physics texts
o Self-similarity
o The adiabatic approximation
o Bistability
Emphasis on materials not discussed in standard texts
o Activated carborn
o Austenite
o Bainite
o Calamitics
o Carbine
o Delat phase
o Discotics
o Gunier-Preston zones
o Heterodesmic structures
o Heusler Alloys
o Stress and strain deviators
o Vicalloy
· Each entry is fully cross-referenced to help tracking down all aspects of a topic under investigation
Highly illustrated to clarify many concepts
More than 4,000 articles written by more than 700 specialists make up this unique and long awaited reference work on solid state physics. The articles are highly scientific and aimed at upper-division undergraduate and graduate students and researchers who want information about subjects outside their own areas of expertise. Originally published in Russian (1996-98), this set will be welcome and useful to a somewhat narrow audience. The articles are well written and cover many topics not found in most reference books in solid state physics. -- J. O. Christensen, Brigham Young University in: Choice, Jan 05
Until the publication of the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Solid State Physics with Professor Viktor G. Bar’yakhtar as its General Editor, no such resource was available to the scientific community. The task of making this encyclopedia accessible to non-Russian readers was undertaken by Academic Press with Professor Charles P. Poole Jr. in the role of the General Editor for the English translation. Both the publisher and the editor deserve the gratitude of the condensed matter community for bringing this project to fruition.
Alexei A. Maradudin, Professor Condensed Matter Theory, University of California, Irvine, USA