About Book

Atomic physics has proved to be a spectacularly successful application of quantum mechanics, which is one of the cornerstones of modern physics. Atomic physics as a part of physics deals with the investigation of molecules and its parts, which are neutrons, electrons and protons. The field is fundamentally cantered around the nearness of electrons in the molecule, their course of action and the procedures, which can change this game plan. It is additionally firmly identified with sub-atomic, nuclear and optical material science. There are three different aspects to atomic physics: the electronic structure of atoms, spectroscopic techniques to measure electronic transitions between different states, and the variety of chemical elements represented by the periodic table and their properties, which are governed by their electronic structure. This book aims to report recent advances and applications in the field of the atomic physics. It focuses on atomic collisions, nanostructured catalysts, spectroscopies, chromatin, optical imaging, asphaltic materials, textile fibers, critical point fluids, nanosized crystals and self-assembled monolayers. It presents these topics in the easiest to comprehend language. It attempts to understand the multiple branches that fall under the discipline of atomic physics and how such concepts have practical applications. Selections of theoretical and experimental techniques are included beside their application to systems at different level of complexity and nature. This book is an essential guide for both academicians and those who wish to pursue this discipline further.

Preface ..................................................................................................................... v

1 Atomic Mechanisms Governing Strength of Metallic Nanosized

Crystals .................................................................................................................... 1

Abstract ........................................................................................................... 1

1. Introduction ................................................................................................... 2

2. Methods of physical and numerical experi-ments ................................... 3

3. Results and discussion .................................................................................. 8

4. Conclusions .................................................................................................. 25

Conflict of interest ....................................................................................... 27

Funding ......................................................................................................... 27

2. Atomic Layer Deposition on Self-Assembled-Monolayers ........................ 32

1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 32

2. ALD on self-assembled-monolayer .......................................................... 36

3. Conclusions .................................................................................................. 50

Acknowledgements ..................................................................................... 51

3. Atomic and Molecular Low-n Rydberg States in Near Critical Point

Fluids* ................................................................................................................... 57

1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 57

2. Perturber effects on low- n Rydberg states ............................................ 58

3. Experiment techniques and theoretical methodology ........................... 69

4. Atomic perturbers ....................................................................................... 77

5. Conclusion .................................................................................................... 88

Acknowledgements ..................................................................................... 91

4. Atomic Force Microscopy – For Investigating Surface Treatment of Textile

Fibers ..................................................................................................................... 98

1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 98

PART I: Use of AFM/LFM tool for friction analysis of sized glass fibers ..... 98

1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 98

2. Experimental .............................................................................................. 100

3. Results and discussions ............................................................................ 105

4. Conclusions ................................................................................................ 113

Part II: Air-atmospheric plasma treatment of PET (Polyethylene Terephtalate)

woven fabrics studied by atomic force microscopy .................................... 113

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 113

2. Experimental work .................................................................................... 116

3. Results and discussions ............................................................................ 120

4. Conclusions ................................................................................................ 126

5. Acknowledgement ..................................................................................... 126

5. Atomic Force Microscopy to Characterize the Healing Potential of Asphaltic

Materials ............................................................................................................. 130

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 130

2. Asphalt under the AFM – historic overview ........................................ 132

3. Utilizing the AFM images as a basis for asphalt healing model ........ 135

4. Healing model parameters ....................................................................... 138

5. Mechanical properties of the phases ...................................................... 141

6. Simulation of healing in bitumen ........................................................... 144

7. Nano-indentation ...................................................................................... 148

8. Discussion and recommendations .......................................................... 152

6. Atomic Force Microscopy in Optical Imaging and Characterization ...... 157

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 157

2. AFM probes in near-field optical microscopy ...................................... 158

3. AFM versus scatterometry ...................................................................... 170

4. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 179

5. Acknowledgement ..................................................................................... 179

7. Atomic Force Microscopy of Chromatin ...................................................... 183

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 183

2. Biophysical tools to characterize biological structures ...................... 184

3. Choice of AFM instrument modality and conditions for biological sample

studies .......................................................................................................... 187

4. Sample preparation ................................................................................... 190

5. Usual applications of AFM in biology .................................................... 196

6. Next generation AFM for the study of specific molecules in biological

context in situ ............................................................................................. 205

7. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 206

8. Acknowledgement ..................................................................................... 206

8. Atomic Force Spectroscopies: A Toolbox for Probing the Biological

Matter .................................................................................................................. 215

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 215

2. AFM fundamentals .................................................................................... 217

3. AFM spectroscopic modes ........................................................................ 224

4. Applications to biological samples ......................................................... 234

5. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 241

9. Atomic Layer Deposition of Noble Metals – New Developments

in Nanostructured Catalysts ............................................................................ 247

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 247

2. Palladium ALD ........................................................................................... 251

3. Platinum ALD ............................................................................................ 256

4. ALD of mixed-noble metal catalysts ...................................................... 261

5. Stabilization of noble metal nanoparticles ........................................... 265

6. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 266

7. Acknowledgment ...................................................................................... 267

10. Lasers in Atomic Collisions, Cold Plasma and Cold Atom Physics ......... 272

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 272

2. Laser assisted charge transfer collisions ............................................... 273

3. Laser pulses for the coherent manipulation of quantum states in

cold atoms ................................................................................................... 285

4. Laser interactions with glow plasmas .................................................. 298

5. Acknowledgments ..................................................................................... 309

Citation ................................................................................................................ 315

Index .................................................................................................................... 317

About Author

Clive Ruiz pursued his Master’s Program in Applied Physics from State University, Pittsburg. HIs interest areas of academic research include atomic physics and plasma physics. He is an Assistant Professor at Technical College, Manzanillo. He has also won an “Outstanding Professor Award” for his valuable contribution towards the student community especially in the higher education programs. His books and research papers in the field of quantum chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, reaction rate theory, atomic physics, and applied mathematics have been published worldwide.