Thisbookisaimedatgraduatestudents,postdocsandseniorresearcherswithpreliminaryexpertiseinmaterialsphysicsorchemistry,andwithaninterestinthephysicalandchemicalpropertiesof4d-and5dtransitionmetaloxides,especiallyruthenatesandiridates.The4d-and5d-transitionmetaloxidesareamongthemostcurrentandinterestingquantummaterials.Thisbookreviewsrecentexperimentalandtheoreticalevidencethatthephysicalandstructuralpropertiesofthesematerialsaredecisivelyinfluencedbystrongspin-orbitinteractionsthatcompetewithcomparableCoulomb,magneticexchangeandcrystallineelectricfieldinteractions.Thiscompetitionoftenleadstounusualgroundstatesandmagneticfrustrationthatareuniquetothisclassofmaterials.Novelcouplingbetweentheorbital/latticeandspindegreesoffreedom,whichseriouslychallengecurrenttheoreticalmodelsandarenotaddressedbytraditionaltextbooks,areofparticularinterest,Thisbookalsoreviewsafewtechniquesforsingle-crystalgrowththataremostsuitableforthe4d-and5d-transitionmetaloxides.Thediscussionisintendedtohelpfillanexistingvoidintheliteraturedescribingrelevantsynthesistechniquesfor4d-and5d-materials,whichisadauntingexperimentalchallenge.
