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........ published in NEWSLETTER # 58

CONFINED ELECTRONS AND PHOTONS: NEW PHYSICS AND APPLICATIONS
by Professors E. Burstein and C. Weisbuch, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France)

The field of semiconductor optics, optoelectronics and devices is undergoing a major revolution due to the possibility of modifying the light-matter interaction in three different ways: by acting on the electronic dimensionality (structuring materials in quantum wells, quantum wires or quantum boxes), on the photonic dimensionality (through the use of microcavities or photonic bandgap materials) or on the light-matter interaction itself (designing structures for the weak or strong coupling regimes, described respectively in perturbative manner or through Rabi oscillation.

These lecture notes from the 1993 Erice Summer School (NATO ASI SERIES B340) provide a vivid and thorough coverage of the huge scientific material relevant to this burgeoning field, with all its tentative applications both in fundamental research (control of spontaneous emission, new dynamics of excitations, quantum optics, concepts of quantum non-demolition measurements) and in applied research (high efficiency emitters, zero-threshold lasers, switching devices). Special care has been taken to produce in a tutorial manner (reproducing the efficient style of the school) all relevant information from the general basic foundations of the field to the many specific applications. This is reflected in the division of the book into four main parts: fundamentals of solid- state optics, confined electrons, confined photons and applications.

A unique feature of the book is the addition of eighteen selected reprints of special importance which together with the lecture notes make this a single reference volume for the whole field.
Reference books: B308, B340, B342, E194, E300, E315

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