Recent studies on two-dimensional systems have led to new insights into
the fascinating interplay between physical properties and
dimensionality. Many of these ideas have emerged from work on electrons
bound to the surface of a weakly polarizable substrate such as liquid
helium or solid hydrogen. The research on this subject continues to be
at the forefront of modern condensed matter physics because of its
fundamental simplicity as well as its connection to technologically
useful devices.
This book is the first comprehensive overview of experimental and
theoretical research in this exciting field. It is intended to provide a
coherent introduction for graduate students and non-experts, while at
the same time serving as a reference source for active researchers in
the field. The chapters are written by individuals who made significant
contributions and cover a variety of specialized topics. These include
the origin of the surface states, tunneling and magneto-tunneling out of
these states, the phase diagram, collective excitations, transport and
magneto-transport.