Table of contents

The author has performed a review of the literature pertinent to wave scattering from rough surfaces. The early techniques developed for this problem are discussed, including the perturbation technique and the Kirchhoff approximation. The limitations of such models are highlighted. The developments in the theory, since the introduction of these models, are also given. These include: the effects of shadowing; multiple scattering effects; integral equation techniques and variational methods. Results from experimental investigations of rough surface scattering are also reviewed. These results are compared with the theoretical predictions. A brief review is also given of the methods by which the profiles of rough surfaces are measured and the problems inherent in making these measurements. A comparison is made between the assumed profiles, used in the theory, and the measured profiles.

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films are formed by the successive deposition of a series of monolayers of one or more types of amphiphilic molecules initially spread at the interface between water and air. This review is mainly addressed to physicists and device engineers but, since the topic is of an interdisciplinary nature, it is hoped that it may also be of use to research workers in other disciplines. The early development and essential technology of the subject are discussed and key papers are referred to. However, the review is mainly devoted to the large amount of recent work in the field. A wide variety of different types of amphiphilic molecule are discussed ranging from simple carboxylic acids via complex heterocyclic compounds to polymers. The various physical techniques used to determine the crystallographic structure of the films together with the influence of deposition methods on this structure are discussed. The study of the electric and optical properties of various LB films is described both in relation to the physical information which may be gained from these studies and also in respect of possible technical applications. The difficulties inherent in attempting to obtain good three-dimensional crystallographic order in films are pointed out together with possible methods of overcoming these difficulties.

This review covers a wide range of experimental and theoretical studies of two-level or tunnelling states in glasses. Emphasis is on fundamental physics rather than a detailed comparison of experiment and theory. Sections cover the static and dynamic properties of tunnelling states, their contribution to thermal properties and their response to weak and strong electric and acoustic fields, both steady state and pulsed. A section on metallic glasses focuses on the importance of electron tunnelling-state interactions, and a final section illustrates approaches to a microscopic description by means of selected examples.