Michael G Cottam

In this primer to the many-body theory of condensed-matter systems, the authors introduce the subject to the non-specialist in a broad, concise, and up-to-date manner. A wide range of topics are covered including the second quantization of operators, coherent states, quantum-mechanical Green's functions, linear response theory, and Feynman diagrammatic perturbation theory. Material is also incorporated from quantum optics, low-dimensional systems such as graphene, and localized excitations in systems with boundaries as in nanoscale materials. Over 100 problems are included at the end of chapters, which are used both to consolidate concepts and to introduce new material. This book is suitable as a teaching tool for graduate courses and is ideal for non-specialist students and researchers working in physics, materials science, chemistry, or applied mathematics who want to use the tools of many-body theory.

Cottam and Tilley provide an introduction to the properties of wave-like excitations associated with surfaces and interfaces. The emphasis is on acoustic, optic and magnetic excitations, and apart from one section on liquid surfaces, the text concentrates on solids. The important topic of superlattices is also discussed, in which the different kinds of excitation are considered from a unified point of view. Throughout the book, the authors are careful to relate theory and experiment and all of the most important experimental techniques are described. The theoretical treatment assumes only a knowledge of undergraduate physics, except for Green function methods that are used in a few sections; these methods are developed in an appendix. The book also contains extensive references, enabling the reader to consult the research and review literature. Each of the main chapters contains problems to allow the reader to develop topics presented in the text.

An introduction to the properties of wavelike excitations associated with surfaces and interfaces. The emphasis is on acoustic, optic, and magnetic excitations, and, apart from one section on liquid surfaces, the text concentrates on solids. The important topic of superlattices is also discussed, in which the different kinds of excitation are considered from a unified point of view.