Overview

Over the past twenty-five years, mathematical concepts associated with geometric phases have come to occupy a central place in our modern understanding of the physics of electrons in solids. These 'Berry phases' describe the global phase acquired by a quantum state as the Hamiltonian is changed. Beginning at an elementary level, this book provides a pedagogical introduction to the important role of Berry phases and curvatures, and outlines their great influence upon many key properties of electrons in solids, including electric polarization, anomalous Hall conductivity, and the nature of the topological insulating state. It focuses on drawing connections between physical concepts and provides a solid framework for their integration, enabling researchers and students to explore and develop links to related fields. Computational examples and exercises throughout provide an added dimension to the book, giving readers the opportunity to explore the central concepts in a practical and engaging way.

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9781107157651

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Reviews

Advance praise: 'This book brings together almost forty years of progress in understanding how the wavefunctions of electrons in a crystal, and in particular their continuous evolution with momentum, determine important physical properties. David Vanderbilt is one of the creators of this field, and nearly every chapter includes topics where his contributions were decisive. In addition to its scope, one way in which this book differs from others on related topics is the clear path from physical insight, through theoretical understanding, to practical methods for specific materials. This book can be read profitably by those interested in the fundamental theory of topological phases as well as those seeking to understand modern electronic structure approaches.' Joel Moore, Chern-Simons Professor of Physics, University of California, Berkeley Advance praise: 'The geometric phase and related concepts provide a unified framework for describing many fundamental properties of electrons in solids, from electric polarization to quantized effects in topological materials. Readers wishing to become familiar with these notions will find David Vanderbilt's excellent book to be an invaluable resource.' Ivo Souza, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian Advance praise: 'Berry phases and associated geometric and topological concepts have transformed our understanding of electronic properties. This book provides a much needed pedagogical exposition with computational instructions which will be very valuable for students and researchers in solid state physics and materials science.' Qian Niu, University of Texas Advance praise: 'David Vanderbilt explicates a new exciting frontier in solid state physics and materials theory, and does so in a clear and interesting to read way. Not only does he cover every nook and cranny of this new area, but in the process clearly explains the basics of electronic structure theory, such as density functional theory (DFT) and tight-binding, that will be extremely useful and important to any student of condensed matter theory. The subject of the book is how the phases of the wave functions, neglected for decades, affect important measurable properties of materials. He covers everything from the mathematical theory of geometric phases, applications to polarization and orbital magnetism, all the way to complex applications such as three-dimensional topological insulators and beyond. To be able to write about such seemingly esoteric matters in such a clear and gripping way is the mark of a great teacher. I look forward to my second reading of the book!' Ronald Cohen, Extreme Materials Initiative, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science

Author Information

David Vanderbilt is Board of Governors Professor of Physics at Rutgers University, New Jersey, where he has made significant contributions to computational condensed matter physics. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and was awarded the prestigious Rahman Prize in Computational Physics of the American Physical Society in 2006.

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