Tapash Chakraborty’s volume—subtitled “Musings on the Ultra-Small World”—is quite different from previous textbooks dealing with quantum materials. The author’s general strategy is to explain the basic principles of various phenomena as plainly as he can without resorting to complicated equations. However, some familiarity with the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and condensed-matter physics is essential to appreciate the book in its entirety.
Nanoscale Quantum Materials is an excellent, carefully written and highly valuable textbook that should be recommended to graduate students in physics, engineering, optics and materials science who want to have a fresh look at nanoscale objects. This book will also be of interest and value to everyone curious about the foundational problems of quantum mechanics and their fascinating applications.
Review by Christian Brosseau, Optica Fellow and professor of physics, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or its publisher, Optica (formerly OSA).