Gershenfeld N. The Physics of Information Technology

Cambridge University Press, 2000. — 370 p.Given the economic and intellectual importance of these scaling limits, surprisingly few people are equipped to address them. Understanding how such devices work, and how they can (and cannot) be improved, requires deep insight into the character of physical law as well as engineering practice. The Physics of Information Technology provides this needed connection by introducing underlying governing equations and then deriving operational device principles. The book starts with an introduction to units, forces, and the probabilistic foundations of noise and signalling, then progresses through the electromagnetics of wired and wireless communications, and the quantum mechanics of electronic, optical, and magnetic materials, to discussions of mechanisms for computation, storage, sensing, and display. Attention is drawn throughout to the remarkable opportunities associated with more closely integrating the physical and logical descriptions of classical and quantum information. This textbook will be useful for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in physics, computer science, and electrical engineering, but its unique scope will also make it a handy reference and guide for working scientists, engineers, and technical leaders.Interactions, Units, and Magnitudes
Noise in Physical Systems
Information in Physical Systems
Electromagnetic Fields and Waves
Circuits, Transmission Lines, and Waveguides
Antennas
Optics
Lensless Imaging and Inverse Problems
Semiconductor Materials and Devices
Generating, Detecting, and Modulating Light
Magnetic Storage
Measurement and Coding
Transducers
Quantum Computing and Communications
Problem Solutions