Physical Phenomena at High Magnetic Fields IV (PPHMF-IV) was the fourth in the series of conferences sponsored by the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL). The success of PPHMF-I, II and III, held in 1991, 1995 and 1998 respectively, encouraged the organizers to once again bring together experts in scientific research areas where high magnetic fields play an important role, to critically assess the current status of research in these areas, and to discuss promising new directions in science, as well as applications which are in the forefront of these fields.

A comprehensive collection of papers on theoretical aspects of electronic processes in simple and synthetic metals, superconductors, bulk and low-dimensional semiconductors under extreme conditions, such as high magnetic and electric fields, low and ultra-low temperatures. The main emphasis is on low-dimensional conductors and superconductors, where correlated electrons, interacting with magnetic or nonmagnetic impurities, phonons, photons, or nuclear spins, result in a variety of new physical phenomena, such as quantum oscillations in the superconducting state, Condon instability, Skyrmions and composite fermions in quantum Hall effect systems, and hyperfine field-induced mesoscopic and nanoscopic phenomena. Several new experimental achievements are reported that promise to delineate future trends in low temperature and high magnetic field physics, including the experimental observation of the interplay between superconductivity and nuclear spin ordering at ultra-low temperatures, new observations of Condon domains in normal metals, and an experimental proposal for the realisation of isotopically engineered, semiconductor-based spin-qubit elements for future quantum computation and communication technology.

The purpose of the conference was to bring together experts in research areas of science in which high magnetic fields play an important role, to critically assess the current status of research in these areas, and to discuss promising new directions in science, as well as applications which are at the forefront of these fields.The program consisted of talks given by leading experts presenting overviews and critical assessments of certain areas, including semiconductors, the quantum Hall effect, heavy fermions, superconductivity, organic solids, chemical systems, and the generation and use of high magnetic fields in basic and applied research.

This three-volume book provides a comprehensive review of experiments in very strong magnetic fields that can only be generated with very special magnets. The first volume is entirely devoted to the technology of laboratory magnets: permanent, superconducting, high-power water-cooled and hybrid; pulsed magnets, both nondestructive and destructive (megagauss fields). Volumes 2 and 3 contain reviews of the different areas of research where strong magnetic fields are an essential research tool. These volumes deal primarily with solid-state physics; other research areas covered are biological systems, chemistry, atomic and molecular physics, nuclear resonance, plasma physics and astrophysics (including QED).