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The aim of the workshop was to bring together specialists in various fields where non-exponential relaxation is observed in order to compare models and experimental results and to examine the general physical principles governing this type of behaviour. Non-exponential relaxation is found in extremely diverse physical systems all of which can be classified as complex. The form of the relaxation is generally parametrized using logarithmic, algebraic or stretched exponential decay forms. The conceptually simplest mechanism for the non-exponential decay is a spectrum of relaxation rates due to non-interacting units each of which relaxes with a different intrinsic time constant. Clear experimental examples can be given where for instance the relaxation of a collection of isolated polymer molecules leads to an overall stretched exponential decay. Non-exponential relaxation is observed in all strongly interacting complex systems (structural glasses, spin glasses, etc...) where each elementary unit is in interaction with many other units.

The research of unitary concepts in solid state and molecular chemistry is of current interest for both chemist and physicist communities. It is clear that due to their relative simplicity, low­ dimensional materials have attracted most of the attention. Thus, many non-trivial problems were solved in chain systems, giving some insight into the behavior of real systems which would otherwise be untractable. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop on'Organic and Inorganic Low-Dimensional Crystalline Materials'was organized to review the most striking electronic properties exhibited by organic and inorganic sytems whose space dimensionality ranges from zero (Od) to one (1d), and to discuss related scientific and technological potentials. The initial objectives of this Workshop were, respectively: i) To research unitary concepts in solid state physics, in particular for one dimensional compounds, ii) To reinforce, through a close coupling between theory and experiment, the interplay between organic and inorganic chemistry, on the one hand, and solid state physics on the other, iii) To get a salient understanding of new low-dimensional materials showing'exotic'physical properties, in conjunction with structural features.

This book includes small and large scale applications of super­ conductivity. Part I, SQUIDs, comprises about 75% of this volume, and is devoted to small scale applications, mainly.§uperconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs), and the remainder, Part H, Machines, presents an updated review of large scale applications of superconduc­ tivity. The present book combined with the previous book Superconducting Machines and Devices: Large Systems Applications edited by S. Foner and B. B. Schwartz, Plenum Press, New York (1974) represents a detailed and most up-to-date review of the applications of superconducting tech­ nology. The text of the current book is suitable for advanced undergrad­ uates or graduate students in applied physics and engineering courses. The book should be valuable to scientists, engineers and technologists interested in the current status and future applications of superconduc­ tivity technology. The last 7 chapters in Part I review the major nation­ al efforts on small scale technology and should prove useful for industrial and government planners as weIl as scientists and engineers.

This book presents detailed discussions of several of the large scale applications of superconductivity which will have major economic impact on technical developments in the industrial world. The world­ wide concern with energy problems makes this work particularly timely. Some of the large scale devices and systems such as superconducting generators, motors, power transmission, large magnets, high speed ground transportation and industrial processing clearly speak directly to improved efficiencies of generation and utilization of energy. The articles treat each subject in depth. The text is suitable for advanced undergradu­ ate or graduate engineering or applied science courses. The text should also be of immediate use to practicing engineers and scientists in applied superconductivity. The unique summaries of national efforts in applied superconductivity will also be valuable to industrial and government plan­ ners. The book is based on a NATO Advanced Study Institute entitled,'Large Scale Applications of Superconductivity and Magnetism'which was held September 5 to 14 in the Hotel des Alpes, Entreves, Valle d'Aosta, Northern Italy. This Study Institute represented a departure from other NA TO Advanced Study Institutes in that it was very strongly directed toward engineering applications rather than purely scientifically oriented interests. The planning of this Institute developed over several years and would not have been possible without continued interest by several key NATO Scientific Mfairs Division scientists. It started when one of us (S. F.) met with Dr. H.

Compound superconductors with the Al5 structure carry the promise of the second generation in practical superconductivity. They will provide higher operating magnetic fields at higher tem­ peratures than the preceding alloy superconductors. To fulfill this promise, their brittle nature must be accommodated in a fila­ mentary structure. Achieving this has been no simple task and imaginative research and clever production techniques have led to many usable conductor configurations. In addition, several new and exciting possibilities are being proposed; for example, in situ processing promises easier production with improved strain toler­ ance. It is timely, therefore, to take measure of what we have achieved and to assess our understanding so that we may choose, with some confidence, paths for future research and potential ap­ plications. To meet these needs, the International Cryogenic Materials Conference Board has sponsored this special topic conference on Filamentary Al5 Superconductors bringing together superconductiv­ ity researchers, superconducting wire producers, and high field magnet users to discuss current research problems. That the in­ formation exchange was intensive and successful is evidenced by the excellent papers in this volume. In order to capture some of the synergistic wisdom generated in discussions at the conference several people were asked to assemble and interpret the comments and concerns of the fusion, high energy physics, solid state phys­ ics, and metallurgy groups.

Research activities in low dimensional conductors have shown a rapid growth since 1972 and have led to the discovery of new and remarkable phy­ sical properties unique to both molecular and inorganic conductors exhibi­ ting one-dimensional transport behaviour. This NATO Institute was a conti­ nuation of aseries of NATO Advanced Study Institutes of Worshops which took place at regular intervals till 1979. This is the first time, however, that charge density wave transport and electronic properties of low dimen­ sional organic conductors are treated on an equal footing. The program of the Institute was framed by tutorial lectures in the theories and experiments of low dimensional conductors. The bulk of the course covered two series of low-dimensional mate­ rials with their respective properties. 1) The I-D inorganic conductors exhibiting the phenomena of sliding charge density waves, narrow band noise, memory effects, etc..• 2) Low-dimensional crystallized organic conductors giving rise to various possibilities of ground states, spin-Peierls, spin density wave, Peierls, superconductivity and magnetic-field induced spin density wave, etc... Since it has been established from the beginning that this Institute was to be devoted essentially to the Physics of Low Dimensional Conductors, only one main course summarized the progress in chemistry and material preparation.

This conference is the second on the Science and Technology of Thin Film Superconductors. It proved to be an excellent forum for these specialists in thin film superconductivity. The conference, held April 30-May 4, 1990, in Denver, Colorado, hosted 170 researchers from 17 countries. The response to the conference again emphasized the need for a meeting devoted to the science and technology of thin film superconductors. The breadth of artic1es and advances made in this technology since the first conference in November 1988, reflect on the maturity of the topic. These proceedings contain artic1es on deposition methods by sputtering, e1ectron beam evaporation, resistive evaporation, laser ablation, chemical vapor deposition and electrodeposition, and on other studies related to substrates, thermodynamics of formation, grain boundaries and weak links, characterization, and some practical applications. The program committee was pleased with the quality of the publications and contributed articles. This conference was highlighted by a fuU day dedicated to presentations from the federallaboratories, discussing a wide range of topics on the fabrication, characterization, and theory of high-temperature superconductor thin films. Other highlights at the conference dealt with (1) critical parameters or problems in measuring critical current density and other important parameters, and (2) problems of scale-up, reproducibility, and amenability to device fabrication. It became evident from the presentations that three issues were developing into critical issues for the ultimate practical application of high­ temperature superconductor thin films.

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity considerable progress has been made in research and development of superconductive electronic devices. This fact is reflected by the large variety of contributions to the 4th International Conference on Superconducting and Quantum Effect Devices and their Applications - SQUID'91. This comprehensive proceedings volume covers Josephson junctions, SQUIDs, radiation detectors, flux-flow transitors.. The main applications are contained in the chapters on biomagnetic instrumentation, metrologym and rf-applications. The purpose of this volume is to provide an up-to-date reference book on thestatus of this rapidly changing and promising field of electronic device research on the basis of low- and high-temperature materials.

What is a supermaterial? A concise definition is by no means obvious, but a clue can be obtained from the topics discussed here.. In addition to superconductors, the reader will encounter magnetic effects of many kinds, including giant and even colossal ones, organic conductors, photoconductors, and even 400-year-old Japanese ceramics. Processing is a prominent pursuit in supermaterials research, especially but not exclusively of the superconductors. The papers on characterisation and theory break new ground, particularly in pursuit of new optoelectronic phenomena. The parade of new materials recently synthesised, often containing four or more elements, is surprising. But it is in it reporting of new applications that the book stands out: from circuits to sensors, supermaterials are making their impact on society.

Systems with competing energy scales are widespread and exhibit rich and subtle behaviour, although their systematic study is a relatively recent activity. This text presents lectures given at a NATO Advanced Study Institute reviewing the current knowledge and understanding of this fascinating subject, particularly with regard to phase transitions and dynamics, at an advanced tutorial level. Both general and specific aspects are considered, with competitions having several origins; differences in intrinsic interactions, interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic effects, such as geometry and disorder; irreversibility and non-equilibration. Among the specific physical application areas are supercooled liquids and glasses, high-temperature superconductors, flux or vortex pinning and motion, charge density waves, domain growth and coarsening, and electron solidification.

The on-going developments, and the recent achievements of the superconducting electronics (especially in the field of Josephson junctions and the inherent nonlinear dynamics) inspired us to organize a conference where different groups working on the subject could meet and discuss the latest results of their investigations. This idea was realized as two joint workshops, the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Superconducting Electronics with Prof. N.F. Pedersen as chairman, and the 2nd Workshop on Josephson Devices, with Profs. G. Costabile and M. Russo as chairmen, held in Capri, Italy on September 3-7, 1990. The Workshops were very successful. About 70 scientists from 12 countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, People's Republic of China, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA, USSR, and Venezuela) enjoyed the many interesting and mostly informal occasions for scientific exchanges as well as the very pleasant weather of Southern Italy. We are very grateful to the Institutions which made possible the realization and the success of the conference with their financial support : NATO Science Committee through the NATO International Scientific Exchange Programmes, University of Salerno, and Istituto di Cibernetica of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (C.N.R.) of Italy. The conference was held under the auspices of the Progetto Finalizzato'Superconductive and Cryogenic Technologies'of C.N.R. Finally special thanks go to our Conference Secretary Anna Maria Mazzarella for carrying out most of the organizative work, and for her continuous'on stage'support in solving all the problems which inevitably arise in such occasions.

Since the discovery of superconductivity in 1911 by H. Kamerlingh Onnes, of the order of half a billion dollars has been spent on research directed toward understanding and utiliz­ ing this phenomenon. This investment has gained us fundamental understanding in the form of a microscopic theory of superconduc­ tivity. Moreover, superconductivity has been transformed from a laboratory curiosity to the basis of some of the most sensitive and accurate measuring devices known, a whole host of other elec­ tronic devices, a soon-to-be new international standard for the volt, a prototype generation of superconducting motors and gener­ ators, and magnets producing the highest continuous magnetic fields yet produced by man. The promise of more efficient means of power transmission and mass transportation, a new generation of superconducting motors and generators, and computers and other electronic devices with superconducting circuit elements is all too clear. The realization of controlled thermonuclear fusion is perhaps totally dependent upon the creation of enormous magnetic fields over large volumes by some future generation of supercon­ ducting magnets. Nevertheless, whether or not the technological promise of superconductivity comes to full flower depends as much, and perhaps more, upon economic and political factors as it does upon new technological and scientific breakthroughs. The basic science of superconductivity and its technological implications were the subject of a short course on'The Science and Technology of Superconductivity'held at Georgetown University, Washington, D. C., during 13-26 August 1971.

The book covers different aspects of the chemistry and physics of molecular materials, including organic synthesis of specific organic donors and ligands, organic metals and superconductors, molecule-based magnets, multiproperty materials and organic-inorganic hybrids. The 17 chapters are written by some of the most authoritative authors in their field. The two last chapters are devoted to molecular electronics and devices, in particular the achievements and potential for applications. An excellent work for all students and researchers in organic conductors, superconductors and molecule based magnets.

One of the most spectacular consequences of the description of the superfluid condensate in superfluid He or in superconductors as a single macroscopic quantum state is the quantization of circulation, resulting in quantized vortex lines. This book draws no distinction between superfluid He3 and He4 and superconductors. The reader will find the essential introductory chapters and the most recent theoretical and experimental progress in our understanding of the vortex state in both superconductors and superfluids, from lectures given by leading experts in the field, both experimentalists and theoreticians, who gathered in Cargèse for a NATO ASI. The peculiar features related to short coherence lengths, 2D geometry, high temperatures, disorder, and pinning are thoroughly discussed.

The papers collected in this book were presented to the second and third annual confer­ ences on the metallography, physical chemistry, and physics of superconductors which took place in May of 1965 and 1966. These annual conferences, held at the A. A. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, have quickly become part of the scientific life of the country, and are already a tradition. More than thirty papers were read at each con­ ference, and between 250 and 300 representatives of a large number of organizations were pre­ sent at each conference. There was a distinguished array of scientific organizations taking part in the work of these conferences, which discussed current problems in the structure (constitution) and pro­ perties of superconductors, and ways of improving their characteristics so as to ensure the successful use of these materials in various new fields of technology. In the period which has passed since the first conference (May 1964), scientific research into superconducting systems and compounds has undergone substantial further development. A number of diagrams relating the composition to the superconducting properties have been studiedj new superconducting alloys have been developed together with methods of processing them and making them into various objects. The phase diagrams of the most promising super­ conducting systems (Nb-Sn, V-Ga, Nb-Zr, and Nb-Ti) have been investigated moreprecisely.

Considering the enormous progress achieved in some special areas of superconductivity during the last few years, it seemed worthwhile to discuss thoroughly a subject, which has encountered severe pro­ blems on the theoretical and the experimental side, namely the effects of the anisotropic electron and phonon properties of (single crystalline) materials on the characteristic features of the super­ conducting state. The fact that the majority of scientists actively engaged in this research field at present were brought together at the meeting, has led to an almost complete coverage of the pertinent topics in this volume. Six review papers discuss the development and the present state of theory and experiment concerning the anisotropies of the upper critical field and the magnetization as well as the flux line lattice and the superconducting energy gap. Furthermore, 18 papers present the most recent research on these properties and additional anisotropy effects associated with the intermediate state patterns or the specific heat. Concerning the magnetic properties, remarkable agreement between theory and experiment has been achieved; on the other hand, controversial views regarding the existence of anisotropy in the superconducting energy gap are presented. In both cases, how­ ever, theorists and experimentalists are still confronted with a number of open questions. It is the purpose of this book to draw the attention of scientists to these fascinating problems. Harald W.

This volume is based on the proceedings of the NATO-sponsored Advanced Studies Institute (ASn on The New Superconducting Electronics (held 9-20 August 1992 in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire USA). The contents herein are intended to provide an update to an earlier volume on the same subject (based on a NATO ASI held in 1988). Four years seems a relatively short time interval, and our title itself, featuring The New Superconducting Electronics, may appear somewhat pretentious. Nevertheless, we feel strongly that the ASI fostered a timely reexamination of the technical progress and application potential of this rapid-paced field. There are, indeed, many new avenues for technological innovation which were not envisioned or considered possible four years ago. The greatest advances by far have occurred with regard to oxide superconductors, the so-called high­ transition-temperature superconductors, known in short as HTS. These advances are mainly in the ability to fabricate both (1) high-quality, relatively large-area films for microwave filters and (2) multilayer device structures, principally superconducting-normal-superconducting (SNS) Josephson junctions, for superconducting-quantum-interference-device (SQUID) magnetometers. Additionally, we have seen the invention and development of the flux-flow transistor, a planar three-terminal device. During the earlier ASI only the very first HTS films with adequate critical-current density had just been fabricated, and these were of limited area and had high resistance for microwave current.

The Conference on the Science and Technology of Thin Film Superconductors was conceived in the early part of 1988 as a forum for the specialist in thin film superconductivity. The conference was held on November 14-18, 1988, in Co lorado Springs, Co lorado. Al though many excellent superconductivity conferences had been convened in the wake of the 1986-1987 discoveries in high temperature superconductivity, thin film topics were often dispersed among the sessions of a more general conference agenda. The response to the Conference on the Science and Technology of Thin Film Superconductors confirmed the need for an extended conference devoted to thin film superconductors. These proceedings are a major contribution to the technnology of thin film superconductivity because of the breadth and quality of the articles provided by leaders in the field. The proceedings are divided into articles on laser deposition, sputtering, evaporation, metal organic chemical vapor deposition, thick film, substrate studies, characterization, patterning and applications, and general properties. Most of the articles discuss scientific issues for high temperature thin film superconductors, although the conference was to be a forum for technology and scientific questions for both low and high temperature superconductivity. For the first day of the 5 day conference, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory had organized an excellent set of short courses in superconduc t ing thin film devices.

High Temperature Metallurgical Processing contains the proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Thermal Processing of Minerals, Metals and Materials. This symposium explores physical and chemical transformations in materials that have been designed to facilitate the recovery of valuable metals or produce other useful materials. Representatives from both industry and academia focused on the latest innovative high temperature technologies. Because high temperature processes require high energy input, the presenters addressed the need for sustainable technologies that could provide low energy consumption and low pollution emissions. The symposium also examined the thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical reactions, phase transformations at elevated temperatures, and characterization of materials used or produced in high temperature processing.

Magnetic Superconducting and Nano MaterialsSelected, peer reviewed papers from the 6th Japanese-Mediterranean Workshop on Applied Electromagnetic Engineering for Magnetic Superconducting and Nano Materials, organized in Bucharest, Romania in July 27-29 2009

Transparent Conducting and Semiconducting Oxides, Solid State Lighting, Novel Superconductors and Electromagnetic MetamaterialsSelected papers from the 5th Forum on New Materials, part of CIMTEC 2010-12 th International Ceramics Congress and 5th Forum on New Materials, Montecatini Terme, Italy, June 13-18, 2010

Proceedings: 2006 Beijing International Materials Week, June 25-30, 2006, Beijing, China

CIMTEC 2006Proceedings of the 5th International Conference “Science and Engineering of Novel Superconductors”, of the Forum on New Materials, part of CIMTEC 2006 - 11th International Ceramics Congress and 4th Forum on New Materials, Acireale, Sicily, Italy, June 4-9, 2006

There is considerable interest in the intrinsically multiscale structure and dynamics of complex electronic oxides, especially since these materials include those of technological importance, such as colossal magnetoresistance manganites and cuprate high temperature superconductors. Current microscopies, such as diffuse X-ray and inelastic neutron scattering, electromagnetic and acoustic response, NMR and scanning tunneling microscope probes, have revealed static and dynamic multiscale patterns in charge positioning, lattice structure and magnetic orientation, that respond to both external stress and magnetic field. These self-organized patterns include charge and orbital ordering; stripes in strain/spin; and labyrinth-like conductance modulations. The materials exhibit nanoscale phase segregation and mesoscale inhomogeneous clustering, and their phase transitions can have a percolative character.This volume presents experimental and theoretical work on these exciting new developments in condensed matter physics and materials science.

Physical Phenomena at High Magnetic Fields IV (PPHMF-IV) was the fourth in the series of conferences sponsored by the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL). The success of PPHMF-I, II and III, held in 1991, 1995 and 1998 respectively, encouraged the organizers to once again bring together experts in scientific research areas where high magnetic fields play an important role, to critically assess the current status of research in these areas, and to discuss promising new directions in science, as well as applications which are in the forefront of these fields.

The great breakthroughs in the science and technology of superconducting and magnetic materials in recent years promoted many outstanding representatives of various scientific disciplines (physics, chemistry and materials science) to present their latest findings in a scientific atmosphere of the highest standard at the MSM-99 conference. Over 200 eminent scientists from 50 countries gathered to discuss the physics, materials science and application of magnetic and superconducting materials, and to foster research and development collaborations between the scientists and technologists of the regional countries and also with the international scientific community.The main topics of this book are the physics, materials science and application of magnetic and superconducting materials having a close relationship between the strong correlated electron system and magnetism.

This volume consists of lectures highlighting fundamentals of advances in superconducting materials, related technologies and applications. Theory, fundamental aspects, advances in materials synthesis, processing and properties are featured, as well as current developments of superconducting components and devices.Both HTC and LTC superconducting materials are discussed. Several years after the discovery of high Tc superconductivity and a multinational effort in its study, this book collects the main results on the subject and presents a state-of-the-art view of the correlations between crystal chemistry and physical properties.

Rarely do so many leading physicists attend one symposium. No less than nine Nobel laureates and some 40 other top researchers gathered for this symposium and this book contains the material presented in invited talks as well as the posters. The 34 papers are organised into three groups corresponding to various aspects of low dimensional physics of solids.

This volume is a review on the recent progresses done in the understanding of the physics of the superconducting arrays. It consists of five sessions:All the topical contributions go well beyond those characteristics of the condensed matter physics and offer links to the domains of the nonlinear science, complex systems and statistical mechanics.

These proceedings include 76 papers on vortex structure and dynamics, flux pinning, flux creep and melting, critical state phenomena, weak links as well as technical problems for fabrication of materials with high critical current density, for both high-temperature and low-temperature superconductors.

Our understanding of the physical world was revolutionized in the twentieth century — the era of “modern physics”. The book Introduction to Modern Physics: Theoretical Foundations, aimed at the very best students, presents the foundations and frontiers of today's physics. Typically, students have to wade through several courses to see many of these topics. The goal is to give them some idea of where they are going, and how things fit together, as they go along. The book focuses on the following topics: quantum mechanics; applications in atomic, nuclear, particle, and condensed-matter physics; special relativity; relativistic quantum mechanics, including the Dirac equation and Feynman diagrams; quantum fields; and general relativity. The aim is to cover these topics in sufficient depth that things “make sense” to students, and they achieve an elementary working knowledge of them. The book assumes a one-year, calculus-based freshman physics course, along with a one-year course in calculus. Several appendices bring the reader up to speed on any additional required mathematics. Many problems are included, a great number of which take dedicated readers just as far as they want to go in modern physics. The present book provides solutions to the over 175 problems in Introduction to Modern Physics: Theoretical Foundations in what we believe to be a clear and concise fashion.

The proceedings of this International Symposium focus on recent advances and current research in the study of electromagnetic phenomena in advanced materials, and the potential applications of such research in a variety of areas, including non-destructive testing, steel-making, and nuclear and electrical engineering. Also discussed is the effect of electromagnetic fields on the micro- and macromechanics of solid materials, and the application of electromagnetics to the preparation and characterization of new superconducting materials. This is a valuable account of current research in an increasingly topical area which will be of interest to materials scientists working on advanced materials and to electrical, mechanical and nuclear engineers interested in the application of electromagnetic forces in industry.

Low Temperatures and Electric Power covers the proceeding of the symposium entitled''Cryogenics in Fuel and Power Technology''which was held in March 24-28, 1969 in London, United Kingdom. Said symposium deals with the improvement of systems for electric power and liquid natural gas delivery. The book takes on the problems of the electric power industry, large-scale refrigeration, and cryogenics, and gives different proposals for superconduction, cooling of systems, transfer of liquid natural gas, heat exchange, and energy storage. The text is recommended for electrical engineers and scientists, especially those who work for the government and aim to improve national power systems and delivery of liquid natural gas.

This symposium focused on new superconductors, electronics, magnet technology, energy and new applications. Recent discoveries in HTc, with transition temperatures over 90 K, have spawned a search for practical new applications. These applications extend from current uses such as that of the medical MRI to future applications, represented by research on new high-temperature materials. They span from microcircuit applications to the proposed SMES and fusion reactor applications.

The main objective of this workshop was to review and discuss the electronic and chemical properties of layered cuprate superconductors. These are doped antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulators, and there is the possibility of a dynamic phase separation into metallic clusters and AFM areas. A clarification on the existence and the mechanism of such a phase separation is believed to be crucial for the understanding of high-Tc superconductivity in cuprates.On the one hand, theoretical and recent experimental indications in favor of this possibility were presented, on the other hand experimental papers expressing more skeptical views were also delivered. Related work on phase separations of chemical and structural origin was also included, followed by contributions on the question; “If phase separation is present, what is the pairing mechanism in the metallic clusters?”.

As demonstrated by the contributions in this volume, the domain of superconducting and low-temperature devices is in a rapidly expanding phase. Interactions between materials sciences, low-temperature physics, astrophysics, nuclear and particle physics have provided the incentive for new experiments, which could ultimately record such rare interactions as double beta decay, neutrino scattering, or collisions of the elusive dark matter halo particles. The theoretical and experimental improvements achieved during the last year have been impressive. Detection of 60 keV resolution with a non-zero spin material as a target seems therefore realizable in the near future. Similarly, impressive achievements on ballistic phonons detection and superheated superconducting detectors have been presented, together with reliable techniques for developing ultra low noise electronics required by these ambitious experiments. Apart from the contributions presented during the symposium, the two original papers by Niinikoski proposing the use of bolometers as particle detectors have been included in this volume. These papers, despite their current interest, have never been published before. The comprehensive style of the papers will appeal to specialists and non-specialists alike, in particular solid-state physicists will find the volume of considerable interest, as the field of materials research continues to benefit from the type of work presented here.