Quantum Theory of Conducting Matter - by Shigeji Fujita & Kei Ito & Salvador Godoy (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book explains the microscopic theory of superconducting properties with calculations using quantum statistical methods. The book shows how the Bose-Einstein Condensation Theory is applied to two-dimensional superconductors and quantum Hall systems.

Book Synopsis

Major superconducting properties including zero resistance, Meissner effect, sharp phase change, flux quantization, excitation energy gap, Josephson effects are covered and microscopically explained, using quantum statistical mechanical calculations. First treated are the 2D superconductivity and then the quantum Hall effects. Included are exercise-type problems for each section. Readers can grasp the concepts covered in the book by following the worked-through problems. Bibliographies are included in each chapter and a glossary and list of symbols are given in the beginning of the book.

The book is based on the materials taught by S. Fujita for several courses in Quantum Theory of Solids, Advanced Topics in Modern Physics, and Quantum Statistical Mechanics.

From the Back Cover

Superconductivity is the most striking phenomenon in solid state physics. The electrical resistance normally arising from impurities and the phonons in a metal suddenly drops to zero below a critical temperature T_c. Not all elemental metals show superconductivity, which suggests that the phenomenon depends on the lattice structure and Fermi surface. The cause of the superconductivity is found to be the phonon-exchange attraction.

Quantum Theory of Conducting Matter: Superconductivity targets scientists, researchers and second-year graduate-level students focused on experimentation in the field of condensed matter physics, solid state physics, superconductivity and the Quantum Hall Effect. Many worked out problems are included in the book to aid the reader's comprehension of the subject.

The following superconducting properties are covered and microscopically explained in this book:

• zero resistance
  
• Meissner effect
  
• flux quantization
  
• Josephson effect
  
• excitation energy gap

Shigeji Fujita and Kei Ito are authors of Quantum Theory of Conducting Matter: Newtonian Equations of Motion for a Bloch Electron, predecessor to this book on superconductivity.

Review Quotes

From the reviews:

"This book, basing on a quantum statistical mechanical point of view, develops the pairon theory of superconductivity. ... In total, this comprehensive monograph ... presents a very well textbook on superconductivity theories. ... The methodical advantage of the book is that ... problems of the text are used as tasks for a self-verification and self-training. ... will be very useful for students and also for their teachers specializing into Physics of Condensed Media and related directions." (I. A. Parinov, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1174, 2009)

"Textbook reviews the physics of superconductivity and other superfluid phenomena which occur when matter organizes itself in a totally different way than it is expected to behave. ... This nice manual is intended for Ph.D. students working in condensed matter physics who want to have a global yet detailed and condensed view of these collective effects. The chapters ... contain the essential material to understand the technical aspects of the second quantization method and eigenvalue problems for determining the ground states of these collective effects." (Jean-Yves Fortin, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2011 k)

About the Author

Shigeji Fujita is Professor of Physics at State University of New York at Buffalo and has published 3 books with the Springer family since 1996. His areas of expertise include statistical physics, solid and liquid state physics, superconductivity and Quantum Hall Effect theory.

Kei Ito is in the research division of the National Center for University Entrance Examinations in Tokyo, Japan.