H-b index

The h-b-index is an extension of the h-index suggested in 2005 by Jorge E. Hirsch of the University of California, San Diego to quantify the scientific productivity of physicists and other scientists based on their publication record. The h-b-index developed by Michael Banks of the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Germany, takes the index further by evaluating the impact of compounds used in solid-state physics and scientific topics in general.

The h-b-index is defined in the same manner as the h-index, but is based on a topic (or compound) search instead of a scientists name. The h-index defined by J. Hirsch is:
 * A scientist has index h if h of his/her Np papers have at least h citations each, and the other (Np – h) papers have at most h citations each.

For the case of a topic it is useful to define the h-b index in terms of the number of years, n as $$h = nm $$ If the h-b index is linear with the number of years, then m is given as the gradient. In this respect, a compound or topic with a large m and h-b index can be defined as a hot topic.

Online web programs are available to directly calculate a scientist's M-number and H-index values.

h-b and m -indices of some topics in Physics
Based on the Science Citation Index (SCI) under the Web Of Science(WoS), (as of May 2006):

(Note that the hottest topics are those at the bottom.)


 * Boride:	 h-b = 46   m =0.44
 * pyrochlore:     h-b= 61 m = 0.62
 * Spin flop:	h-b = 34	m = 0.83
 * Optical lattice:	h-b = 43	m = 0.90
 * Antiferroquadrupolar:	h-b = 18	m = 1.00
 * Amorphous silicon:	h-b = 116	m = 1.10
 * Spin frustration:	h-b = 30	m = 1.36
 * ferroelectricity:	h-b = 78	m = 1.39
 * Spin liquid:	h-b = 45	m = 1.55
 * kondo AND lattice:	h = 63	m = 1.97
 * perovskites:	h-b = 103	m = 2.10
 * spin ice:	h-b = 17	m = 2.13
 * magnetoresistance:	h-b = 172	m = 2.39
 * Quantum information:	h-b = 65	m = 2.41
 * geometrical frustration:	h-b = 21	m = 2.63
 * Quantum Critical Point:	h-b = 42	m = 2.63
 * porous silicon:	h-b = 104	m =3.25
 * spin glass:	h-b = 108	m = 3.38
 * Spin valve:	h-b = 48	m = 3.43
 * heavy fermion:	h-b = 97	 m = 3.73
 * superstrings:	h-b = 99	 m = 3.96
 * Teleportation:	h-b = 61	m = 5.08
 * quantum computation:	h-b = 73	m = 5.21
 * M-theory:	h-b = 79	m = 6.58
 * giant magnetoresistance:	h-b = 116	m = 6.82
 * fullerenes:	h-b = 140	m = 7.78
 * quantum dots:	h-b = 149	m = 7.84
 * Nanowires:	h-b = 105	m = 8.75
 * carbon nanotubes:	h-b = 167	m = 12.85

A more complete database can be found here

h-b and m -indices of some compounds in Solid-state Physics
(Note that the hottest topics are those at the bottom.)


 * Si28:	(h-b = 17	m = 0.31)
 * CeB6:	(h-b = 32	m = 0.76)
 * V3Si:	(h-b = 39	m = 0.77)
 * Ni2MnGa:	(h-b = 37	m = 0.82)
 * Nb3Sn:	(h-b = 48	m = 0.94)
 * MgB2:	(h-b = 67	m = 1.31)
 * CeCu2Si2: (h-b = 39	m = 1.44)
 * SrTiO3: (h-b = 94 m = 1.96)
 * GaN:	(h-b = 144	m = 2.12)
 * C-60:	(h-b = 182	m = 5.20)

A more complete database can be found here