We demonstrate that excitons in semiconductor alloys are subject to competing localization effects due to disorder (random potential fluctuations) and shallow point defects (impurities). The relative importance of these effects varies with alloy chemical composition, impurity activation energy as well as temperature. We evaluate this effect quantitatively for MgxZn1−xO : Al (0 6 x 6 0.058) and find that exciton localization at low (2 K) and high (300 K) temperatures is dominated by shallow donor impurities and alloy disorder, respectively.

Les Alliages à Mémoire de Forme (AMF) possèdent, entre autres, des propriétés de superélasticité et de mémoire de forme remarquables dues à une transformation de phase solide-solide entre l'austénite et la martensite. En particulier, les AMF à base de Nickel-Titane (NiTi) sont aussi utilisés dans l'industrie, pour leur résistance à l'oxydation et leur tenue en fatigue. Leur capacité à dissiper l'énergie incite à leur utilisation au sein de dispositifs amortisseurs dédiés au Génie Civil. En effet, les sources de vibration (trafic routier, séismes, vent, pluie...) affectent la durabilité, vis-à-vis de la fatigue, des câbles de pont. Les amortisseurs de type hydraulique, utilisés jusqu'à aujourd'hui, peuvent transmettre des contraintes néfastes à la structure hors de leur domaine d'utilisation (en fréquence et amplitude). Un nouveau dispositif à base de fils NiTi est étudié au cours de cette thèse. Toutefois, ce matériau adapte son comportement thermomécanique aux conditions de chargement et à l'environnement thermique. Cette étude a permis de mettre au point un outil numérique destiné à caractériser l'influence d'un tel dispositif sur la réponse dynamique d'un système "câble+amortisseur". Pour cela, le matériau est caractérisé expérimentalement afin d'alimenter un nouveau modèle numérique du comportement thermomécanique en superélasticité, à l'échelle du VER. Le modèle proposé est validé selon un critère énergétique. Celui-ci est ensuite étendu à l'échelle du fil par un modèle non-local, afin d'explorer les effets d'hétérogénéité de comportement, dans le but d'une utilisation concrète. Un prototype d'amortisseur, développé au cours de cette thèse, a été testé avec succès sur un câble de pont à l'échelle 1. Le dispositif montre une réelle efficacité à réduire les amplitudes de vibration du câble. L'analyse de différentes configurations d'essais sur le câble fournit des pistes d'optimisation du système. Un modèle d'éléments finis associé, intégrant la loi de comportement du fil, permet de réaliser une analyse dynamique transitoire. Celui-ci est validé, justifiant ainsi la prise en compte des différentes sources de dissipation observées expérimentalement, à savoir : la dissipation intrinsèque, le couplage thermomécanique et la présence d'une phase solide intermédiaire (R-phase). Ces dernières peuvent être découplées, afin d'évaluer leur contribution à l'amortissement du câble.} / Shape memory alloys (SMA) have many interesting properties due to solid-solid phase transformations (usually between austenite and martensite), such as super-elasticity and/or shape memory effects. More particularly, Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) based SMA are currently used in many industrial fields for their oxydation resistance and their fatigue resistance. Furthermore, their dissipation capacities make them particularly suitable for using as dampers dedicated to Civil Engineering issues. Indeed, several phenomena (road traffic, earthquakes, wind, rain...) which are the main causes of structure vibrations, affect the sustainability of bridge cables. Current solutions, consisting in setting-up hydraulic dampers, are not satisfactory out of their working range in terms of amplitude and frequency. A new device based on NiTi wires is studied in this thesis. However, this material adapts its thermomechanical response according to input loading rates or amplitudes and thermal surroundings.In the thesis, we have developed a numerical tool which enables to predict the NiTi wires based damper influence on the dynamical response of the cable. Thus, the specimens are characterized using experimental tests in order to build a numerical thermomecanical model taking into account the superelasticity effect, at the REV scale. The model is validated according to an energetical criterion. The model is then extended to the scale of the structure, using a non-local finite elements model, in order to investigate heterogeneity effects.A damping device, developed during the thesis, is tested successfully on a full-scale bridge cable. Furthermore, the NiTi wires based damping device shows a real damping power effectiveness. The study of several test configurations provides recommendations for optimisation of the system. A related finite elements model is used to realize a transient dynamic analysis. The model, which lies on the superelastic law, is validated. It justifies, afterwards, the consideration of phenomena assumed to be sources of dissipation, such as intrinsic dissipation, thermomechanical coupling and R-phase transformation. These phenomena can be numerically isolated, to evaluate how they take part in the mitigation of cable vibrations.

Our everyday experiences teach us that any imbalance like temperature gradients, non-uniform particle-densities etc. will approach some equilibrium state if not subjected to any external force. Phenomenological descriptions of these empirical findings reach back to the 19th century where Fourier and Fick presented descriptions of relaxation for macroscopic systems by stochastic approaches. However, one of the main goals of thermodynamics remained the derivation of these phenomenological description from basic microscopic principles. This task has gained much attraction since the foundation of quantum mechanics about 100 years ago. However, up to now no such conclusive derivation is presented. In this dissertation we will investigate whether closed quantum systems may show equilibration, and if so, to what extend such dynamics are in accordance with standard thermodynamic behavior as described by stochastic approaches. To this end we consider i.a. Markovian dynamics, Fokker-Planck and diffusion equations. Furthermore, we consider fluctuation theorems as given e.g. by the Jarzynski relation beyond strict Gibbsian initial states. After all we find indeed good agreement for selected quantum systems.

The work at hand presents a novel approach to transport in closed quantum systems. To this end a method is introduced which is essentially based on projection operator techniques, in particular on the time-convolutionless (TCL) technique. The projection onto local densities of quantities such as energy, magnetization, particles, etc. yields the reduced dynamics of the respective quantities in terms of a systematic perturbation expansion. Especially, the lowest order contribution of this expansion is used as a strategy for the analysis of transport in "modular" quantum systems. The term modular basically corresponds to (quasi-) one-dimensional structures consisting of identical or at least similar many-level subunits. Modular quantum systems are demonstrated to represent many physical situations and several examples are given. In the context of these quantum systems lowest order TCL is shown as an efficient tool which also allows to investigate the dependence of transport on the considered length scale. In addition an estimation for the validity range of lowest order TCL is derived. As a first application a "design" model is considered for which a complete characterization of all available transport types as well as the transitions to each other is possible. For this model the relationship to quantum chaos and the validity of the Kubo formula is further discussed. As an example for a "real" system the Anderson model is finally analyzed. The results are partially verified by the numerical solution of the full time-dependent Schroedinger equation which is obtained by exact diagonalization or approximative integrators.