Publisher's Synopsis
The recent progress in evaporating techniques for preparing ultrathin films has made it possible to control each layer thickness on an atomic scale. By alternate deposition of two or more elements, artificial superstructures can be fabricated. Artificially structured multilayers have now begun to attract attention as a new class of superlattice, and the emphasis of this volume is on artificial superlattices formed from metallic elements. The term superlattice is used to refer to all multilayers with short wavelength compositional modulation, regardless of whether they are epitaxial or not. Artificial superlattices can be used in a model system for fundamental research. They can be controlled and designed to fit the study of a specific problem in solid state physics. The many examples given in this volume verify that metallic superlattices are highly attractive for use in basic studies. The reader is provided with an overview of metallic superlattices: one can see in what combination an artificial superstructure can be constructed, to which extent the structure can be tailored, and what the physical and chemical properties are.
