Happy New Year

This is the first issue of EPJ D in 2001, the new century in the new millennium! This is therefore appropriate timing for introducing some modifications in the journal. However, there is no need for a revolution. EPJ D is a healthy journal, which receives an increasing flow of excellent papers, but it is our continuing concern to adapt the journal to the evolution of science and to publish a better journal. So what's new in 2001? By examining the list of topics covered by EPJ D, you will find changes. To emphasize a few active fields, new sections have been added so that physicists working on these subjects can find immediately the papers belonging to their domain. For example, there is presently a large community working on quantum gases and Bose-Einstein condensation. For this community and those working on laser cooling of atoms, molecules, ions, we have created a section Laser Cooling and Quantum Gas. In the same manner, to satisfy those interested in quantum information, entanglement, quantum cryptography, we have extended the Quantum Optics section to Quantum Optics and Quantum Information. A new section has also been created for Ultrafast Phenomena and for the processes occurring in High Intensity Fields. The introduction of this section is triggered by the rapid development of femtosecond lasers and their numerous applications ranging from time-resolved spectroscopy of biological molecules to X-ray generation. Another new and exciting field, bringing even more interdisciplinary into our journal is molecules of biological interest in the gas phase. Finally, the section Nonlinear Dynamics has been polished. It is now the natural place to publish results dealing the fundamental aspects of chaotic systems and the manifestation of these phenomena in Atoms, Molecules and Optics. However, these new sections do not mean that EPJ D is now only devoted to a few fashionable subjects. Papers dealing with more traditional topics are obviously highly welcomed and they should find their place in one of the other sections. We have also decided to have regular publication of topical issues. We plan to publish two topical issues each year. In 2001, the topics of these issues will be Clusters and Femtosecond Spectroscopy. Another evolution concerns the Rapid Notes. Although they have existed since the start of the journal and they correspond to a regular demand of our community (fast publication of short papers, less than 4 pages, describing important advances), the EPJ D Rapid Notes were not very popular. We wish to make them more attractive. First, by increasing the rapidity of publication: our aim is to publish a Rapid Note 3 months at most after its reception by the editorial office. For this purpose the Editors, the Editorial Office and the Publisher will give the highest priority to these Rapid Notes. Second, by using a different lay-out to separate and distinguish them from the other papers of the same issue. Furthermore, if you wish to communicate with an editor it will be no longer necessary to look for his email address. To achieve better connections between authors and editors, every editor can now be reached through the electronic address first name.last name@epjd.org. The mail will be directly forwarded towards his personal address. Finally, we expect that 2001 will be the real beginning of a new type of publication that combines the possibilities of the printed journal and of the on-line edition. First as soon as a paper is accepted and proofread, it will appear on the on-line version by using the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) system, and can therefore be quoted. There are however additional advantages. For example, it is now possible to have a short paper published in the printed journal and an extended version on-line, with supplementary material (tables, figures, complements) and possibly various multimedia documents. Obviously, if there are additional materials in the on-line version, this will be mentioned on the printed version. Technical information is available hereafter. We hope that all these small advances will make the journal more attractive. However, what makes a journal alive are really the authors. Therefore, we wish you many results, many discoveries and we hope that you will provide us with lots of excellent papers. Happy New Year! The publisher informs the authors of the possibility to published “electronic-only" materials. Electronic-only material is designed to provide supplementary information which is either too voluminous to be printed or is designed specifically for the Web, such as illustration in colour. Electronic-only material may include but is not restricted to: •(Large) tables • Appendices • Programmes • Images, videos For more information on the submission of this material, (file requirements, etc.), please contact the production office at: articles@edpsciences.org     

Editorial

With this volume The European Physical Journal D (EPJ D) continues its tradition of publishing a selection of papers drawn from the bi-annual main conference in the field of cluster physics. The readers should be aware that this is not a conference proceeding in the normal sense of the word, i.e. it is not a collection of all posters and papers presented at this conference. Rather, the guest-editors for this volume of EPJ D have selected only such papers from this conference which comply with the normal high quality standards of a refereed international scientific journal -- in terms of novelty, soundness and scientific quality. The guest-editors have made sure that all papers have been subject to a standard refereeing process which ensures these high standards as expected by the readers of EPJ D. We trust that the specific collection of papers published in this volume will contribute to the future attractiveness of EPJ D especially in the ever growing field of cluster physics.     

Call for papers Special issue on “Quantum interference and cryptographic keys: novel physics and advancing technologies"

The collective phenomena of quantum interference, including wave particle duality and apparent non-locality, have intrigued the physics community for many years. It is only recently that we have begun to turn these somewhat counter intuitive quantum phenomena to good use. A leading force in that direction is quantum cryptography - absolute secure key exchange encoding data on the polarisation or phase of individual photons, or using the quantum correlations between pairs of particles. Technologies are now implemented to bring the various forms of quantum cryptography to commercial application. At the same time the possibility of communications applications has stimulated the study of a variety of novel quantum interference phenomena. Quantum information experiments involving two, three and four photons are planned and a novel Field of continuous variable (many photon) quantum information has emerged. These various aspects of quantum cryptography are considered in the conference “QUICK: Quan- tum interference and cryptographic keys: novel physics and advancing technologies", taking place in Cargese from April 7 to 13, 2001. Following that conference, we invite submission of original papers to a special issue of the European Physical Journal D, on the following topics: - quantum cryptography technologies, - quantum cryptography systems, - free space quantum cryptography and satellites, - pair-photon sources and multiphoton interference, - single photon sources, - continuous variable quantum information, - security aspects, - cryptographic protocols, - entanglement purification in cryptographic schemes, - novel physics and quantum gates for photonic qubits. The submitted articles should be sent to the EPJ D Editorial Office in Orsay. The deadline is July 15, 2001. We look forward to a stimulating special issue.     

Call for papers

The collective phenomena of quantum interference, including wave particle duality and apparent non-locality, have intrigued the physics community for many years. It is only recently that we have begun to turn these somewhat counter intuitive quantum phenomena to good use. A leading force in that direction is quantum cryptography - absolute secure key exchange encoding data on the polarisation or phase of individual photons, or using the quantum correlations between pairs of particles. Technologies are now implemented to bring the various forms of quantum cryptography to commercial application. At the same time the possibility of communications applications has stimulated the study of a variety of novel quantum interference phenomena. Quantum information experiments involving two, three and four photons are planned and a novel Field of continuous variable (many photon) quantum information has emerged. These various aspects of quantum cryptography are considered in the conference “QUICK: Quan- tum interference and cryptographic keys: novel physics and advancing technologies", taking place in Cargese from April 7 to 13, 2001. Following that conference, we invite submission of original papers to a special issue of the European Physical Journal D, on the following topics: - quantum cryptography technologies, - quantum cryptography systems, - free space quantum cryptography and satellites, - pair-photon sources and multiphoton interference, - single photon sources, - continuous variable quantum information, - security aspects, - cryptographic protocols, - entanglement purification in cryptographic schemes, - novel physics and quantum gates for photonic qubits. The submitted articles should be sent to the EPJ D Editorial Office in Orsay. The deadline is July 15, 2001. We look forward to a stimulating special issue.     

Call for papers Special issue on “Quantum interference and cryptographic keys: novel physics and advancing technologies"

The collective phenomena of quantum interference, including wave particle duality and apparent non-locality, have intrigued the physics community for many years. It is only recently that we have begun to turn these somewhat counter intuitive quantum phenomena to good use. A leading force in that direction is quantum cryptography - absolute secure key exchange encoding data on the polarisation or phase of individual photons, or using the quantum correlations between pairs of particles. Technologies are now implemented to bring the various forms of quantum cryptography to commercial application. At the same time the possibility of communications applications has stimulated the study of a variety of novel quantum interference phenomena. Quantum information experiments involving two, three and four photons are planned and a novel Field of continuous variable (many photon) quantum information has emerged. These various aspects of quantum cryptography are considered in the conference “QUICK: Quan- tum interference and cryptographic keys: novel physics and advancing technologies", taking place in Cargese from April 7 to 13, 2001. Following that conference, we invite submission of original papers to a special issue of the European Physical Journal D, on the following topics: - quantum cryptography technologies, - quantum cryptography systems, - free space quantum cryptography and satellites, - pair-photon sources and multiphoton interference, - single photon sources, - continuous variable quantum information, - security aspects, - cryptographic protocols, - entanglement purification in cryptographic schemes, - novel physics and quantum gates for photonic qubits. The submitted articles should be sent to the EPJ D Editorial Office in Orsay. The deadline is July 15, 2001. We look forward to a stimulating special issue.     

Topical issue on Geometry, Integrability and Nonlinearity in Condensed Matter Physics

Recent developments in the study of nonlinear phenomena have led to the realization that a combination of the concepts of integrability, geometry and topology provides a new powerful framework for describing a great variety of physical systems. It was therefore felt that the compilation of a special issue comprising articles on the interdiseiplinary topic of Geometry, Integrability and Nonlinearity in Condensed Matter Physics, would indeed be timely. The enthusiastic response and support that we received from the active researchers in this subject, when we organized an International Conference on the above topic from July 15 to July 20, 2001, in Bansko, Bulgaria, provided a further motivation for undertaking this task. As the topic is interdisciplinary in nature, the articles in this volume contain new results on a wide range of subjects. These include among others, integrable equations and the interplay between geometry and nonlinearity, the role of optical solitons in communication. (and, possibly, computation), common nonlinear and geometrical aspects of condensed matter, field theory, and so on. The increasingly important role played by geometry and topology in diverse areas such as the quantum Hall effect, localization, deformation and elasticity, quasiparticle kinetics and dynamics, spin systems, membranes, is highlighted in some of the articles. There are papers in which essential links of nonlinearity to differential geometry are identified and many elegant mathematical methods are presented. Some other articles focus on how the mathematical tools of geometry and nonlinear analysis can be applied to solve certain physical problems. Given the vast range of titles, it was difficult to strictly divide the contributions into distinct categories. Except for the pedagogical introductory article by Rajaraman titled "CP _N Solitons in Quantum Hall Systems", which essentially "sets the stage" for the various themes covered, we have grouped the articles broadly under the following headings: Geometry, integrability and mathematical physics; Solitons: Interaction phenomena, nonlinear optics; Condensed matter physics; Soft condensed matter physics; Quantum phenomena. We gratefully acknowledge the support from Los Alamos National Lab, USA; Université de Cergy-Pontoise, France; The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy and the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, Sofia, Bulgaria, in putting this special volume together. We believe that the cross-fertilization and synergy of a host of ideas in seemingly disparate fields of physics would lead to the natural emergence of new paradigms, which in turn could pave the way for collaborative research to arrive at new solutions of complex nonlinear problems. It is our hope that this topical issue will be useful in providing an impetus for achieving this broad objective. Radha Balakrishnan, Chennai, India Rossen Dandoloff, Cergy-Pontoise, France Vladimir Gerdjikov, Sofia, Bulgaria Dimitar Pushkarov, Sofia, Bulgaria Avadh Saxena, Los Alamos, USA     

Quantum interference and cryptographic keys: novel physics and advancing technologies (QUICK)

This special issue of The European Physical Journal - D was organised in conjunction with the conference “Quantum interference and cryptographic keys: novel physics and advancing technologies (QUICK)", that took place in the Institut d'études Scientifiques de Cargèse from April 7th to 13th, 2001. This conference was organised at the initiative of the European Quantum Communication and Cryptography projects QuComm, S4P, QuiCoV, EQUIS and EQCSPOT, in the framework of the European Union IST/FET/QIPC program. The conference successfully achieved its goal which was to provide a forum for scientific exchanges for one hundred researchers and students, from academia and industry, working world-wide on the physics, implementations, and applications of quantum communications. The papers in this special issue give an account of some highlights of the conference. They were selected and refereed according to the high quality scientific standards of the European Physical Journal and include topics of the highest contemporary interest in the field, such as practical implementations and security proofs of Quantum Key Distribution, single photon sources, new schemes involving quantum continuous variables and the manipulation of non-classical light. We acknowledge the support given by the European Commission (High Level Scientific Conference), QUIPROCONE (Network of Excellence), the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (DGA), the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (European Research Office) and the USAF European Office of Aerospace Research and Development. We hope this issue will remind all participants of the special atmosphere of creative work and co-operation of the conference, and will give the general readership of EPJ D a feeling for the character of this attractive field of research. Finally, we warmly thank the Cargèse team and the EPJ D Editorial Office for their efficient and friendly help with all organisational issues. Philippe Grangier, John Rarity, Anders Karlsson     

Complexation and overcharging of polyelectrolyte stars and charged colloids

We examine the complexation behavior of polyelectrolyte stars on oppositely charged colloidal particles with similar sizes by means of computer simulations employing the molecular dynamics approach. In particular the overcharging phenomenon is considered and its dependence on the charge and functionality of the stars. The complexes thus formed are a realization of inverse patchy particles (Bianchi et?al 2011 Soft Matter 7 8313) for which both the number of patches and the total charge can be tuned.     

Editorial

The Spring Meetings of the German Physical Society have long been an essential forum for physicists in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. These conferences, held at different universities, provide a lively and unique atmosphere for young researchers, in particular, in which to present their most recent results to a broad audience, establish new contacts and discuss future projects.This special issue of Applied Physics B – Lasers and Optics – features selected papers presented at the 1997 Spring Meeting of the Quantum Optics Section, held at the University of Mainz. Clearly, a selection of articles cannot provide exhaustive coverage of the scientific program of a conference. Nevertheless, the reader will hopefully get an impression of the broad range of the discussed topics, maybe even of the international spirit. The board of editors of the journal as well as the guest editors have planned this special issue as the beginning of a trend to highlight top-quality modern research presented at future meetings of the Quantum Optics Section by publication in Applied Physics B – Lasers and Optics.     

Fluorocarbons and global warming

It was with great pleasure that we accepted the invitation of the Editors-in-Chief of the Revue Générale de Thermique to supply this 12th IIF Informatory Note on fluorocarbons and refrigeration, established and published by IIF, for publication in the journal. IIF's Notes express the Institute's opinion on issues which are of technical and political importance, with a view to assisting in major decisions. We hope that this Note will be of interest to many readers of the Revue Générale de Thermique, as it refers to a large range of temperatures, from freezing and lyophilisation to high temperature heat pumps—subject areas relevant to six IIF Commissions. We would like to thank the Revue Générale de Thermique for the opportunity to write in the journal, and we would be interested in the reactions and thoughts that our Note inspires.     

Editorial

The two Editors-in-Chief of EPJ D are now Tito Arecchi and Jean-Michel Raimond. Ingolf Hertel's term came to its end and he will be now acting as an External Advisor. He should be warmly thanked for the work he accomplished during the hard times of the journal's creation. The present success of EPJ D owes a lot to his dedication and to the continued efforts of Gilbert Grynberg, whose untimely death has been a loss for physics as well as for this journal. Jean-Michel Raimond is at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie and the Institut Universitaire de France, in Paris. His research is performed at the Laboratoire Kastler Brossel of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, on cavity quantum electrodynamics, at the fulcrum between fundamental quantum mechanics studies and the development of quantum information techniques. Published online 5 May 2003     

Recent advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy II

Following the first review on recent advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy, the present review summarizes papers mainly published in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy during 2007. This serves to give a fast overview of recent advances in this research field as well as to provide readers of this journal a quick introduction to the various subfields of Raman spectroscopy. It also reflects the current research interests of the Raman community. Similar reviews of highly active areas of Raman spectroscopy will appear in future issues of this journal. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.