Phase Transitions
A Materials Perspective
Published on 15. May 2025
Book
Hardback
412 pages
978-1-009-54975-2 (ISBN)
Description
This accessible text is an introduction to the theory of phase transitions and its application to real materials. Assuming some familiarity with thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, the book begins with a primer on the thermodynamics of equilibrium phase transitions, including the mean-field and Ginzburg-Landau approaches. The general kinetic features and dynamics of phase transitions are explained, ensuring that readers are familiar with the key physical concepts. With the foundations established, the general theory is applied to the study of phase transitions in a wide range of materials including ferroic materials, caloric materials, liquid crystals and glasses. Non-equilibrium phase transitions, superconductors and quantum phase transitions are also covered. Including exercises throughout and solutions available online, this text is suitable for graduate courses as well as researchers in physics and materials science seeking a primer on popular and emerging research topics.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 250 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
890 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-009-54975-2 (9781009549752)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Antoni Planes is Emeritus Professor of Department of Physics of Condensed Matter at the University of Barcelona. His research interests include the study of phase transitions in materials with multiple coupled degrees of freedom, precursor phenomena, avalanche criticality and caloric effects. He is a fellow of the APS and the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona. Avadh Saxena is Senior Scientist and former Group Leader of the Physics of Condensed Matter and Complex Systems Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). His research interests include phase transitions, non-linear science, topological defects and non-Hermitian quantum mechanics. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a Fellow of LANL and an external member of The Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona.
Content
Part I. General Aspects: 1. Introduction to phase transitions; 2. Dynamics of phase transitions; Part II. Applications: 3. Ferroic materials; 4. Coupling of ferroic degrees of freedom: multiferroics; 5. Caloric and multicaloric materials; 6. Liquid crystals and topological defects; 7. Glassy phenomena in materials with disorder; 8. Non-equilibrium phase transitions; 9. Superconductors; 10. Quantum phase transitions; Appendix. Landau theory and symmetry.