Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, held in Granada, Spain, 6-12 September 2003

Mesoscopic physics refers to the physics of structures larger than a nanometer (one billionth of a meter) but smaller than a micrometer (one millionth of a meter). This size range is the stage on which the exciting new research on submicroscopic and electronic and mechanical devices is being done. This research often crosses the boundary between physics and engineering, since engineering such tiny electronic components requires a firm grasp of quantum physics. Applications for the future may include such wonders as microscopic robot surgeons that travel through the blood stream to repair clogged arteries, submicroscopic actuators and builders, and supercomputers that fit on the head of a pin. The world of the future is being planned and built by physicists, engineers, and chemists working in the microscopic realm. This book can be used as the main text in a course on mesoscopic physics or as a supplementary text in electronic devices, semiconductor devices, and condensed matter physics courses. For this new edition, the author has substantially updated and modified the material especially of chapters 3: Dephasing, 8: Noise in mesoscopic systems, and the concluding chapter 9.

Advances in semiconductor technology have made possible the fabrication of structures whose dimensions are much smaller than the mean free path of an electron. This book gives a thorough account of the theory of electronic transport in such mesoscopic systems. After an initial chapter covering fundamental concepts, the transmission function formalism is presented, and used to describe three key topics in mesoscopic physics: the quantum Hall effect; localisation; and double-barrier tunnelling. Other sections include a discussion of optical analogies to mesoscopic phenomena, and the book concludes with a description of the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism and its relation to the transmission formalism. Complete with problems and solutions, the book will be of great interest to graduate students of mesoscopic physics and nanoelectronic device engineering, as well as to established researchers in these fields.

Semiconductor technology has developed considerably during the past several decades. The exponential growth in microelectronic processing power has been achieved by a constant scaling down of integrated cir,cuits. Smaller fea ture sizes result in increased functional density, faster speed, and lower costs. One key ingredient of the LSI technology is the development of the lithog raphy and microfabrication. The current minimum feature size is already as small as 0.2 /tm, beyond the limit imposed by the wavelength of visible light and rapidly approaching fundamental limits. The next generation of devices is highly likely to show unexpected properties due to quantum effects and fluctuations. The device which plays an important role in LSIs is MOSFETs (metal oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors). In MOSFETs an inversion layer is formed at the interface of silicon and its insulating oxide. The inversion layer provides a unique two-dimensional (2D) system in which the electron concentration is controlled almost freely over a very wide range. Physics of such 2D systems was born in the mid-1960s together with the development of MOSFETs. The integer quantum Hall effect was first discovered in this system.

Quantum mesoscopic physics covers a whole class in interference effects related to the propagation of waves in complex and random media. These effects are ubiquitous in physics, from the behaviour of electrons in metals and semiconductors to the propagation of electromagnetic waves in suspensions such as colloids, and quantum systems like cold atomic gases. A solid introduction to quantum mesoscopic physics, this book is a modern account of the problem of coherent wave propagation in random media. It provides a unified account of the basic theoretical tools and methods, highlighting the common aspects of the various optical and electronic phenomena involved and presenting a large number of experimental results. With over 200 figures, and exercises throughout, the book was originally published in 2007 and is ideal for graduate students in physics, electrical engineering, applied physics, acoustics and astrophysics. It will also be an interesting reference for researchers.

This book discusses fundamental problems in quantum physics, with emphasis on quantum coherence and decoherence. Papers covering the wide range of quantum physics are included: atom optics, quantum optics, quantum computing, quantum information, cryptography, macroscopic quantum phenomena, mesoscopic physics, physics of precise measurements, and fundamental problems in quantum physics.The book will serve not only as a good introduction to quantum coherence and decoherence for newcomers in this field, but also as a reference for experts.

This book discusses fundamental problems in quantum physics, with emphasis on quantum coherence and decoherence. Papers covering the wide range of quantum physics are included: atom optics, quantum optics, quantum computing, quantum information, cryptography, macroscopic quantum phenomena, mesoscopic physics, physics of precise measurements, and fundamental problems in quantum physics. The book will serve not only as a good introduction to quantum coherence and decoherence for newcomers in this field, but also as a reference for experts. Contents: Quantum Computing: Decoherence and Dephasing in Spin-Based Solid State Quantum Computers (S Das Sarma et al.); Quantum-State Manipulations in a Cooper-Pair Box (Y Nakamura et al.); Quantum State Engineering and Josephson Junctions: Charge and Flux Detectors (Yu Makhlin et al.); Quantum Information, Quantum Teleportation, and Entanglement: High-Fidelity Experimental Quantum Teleportation and Entanglement Swapping (A Zeilinger et al.); Experimental Realization of Continuous-Variable Teleportation (A Furusawa); Quantum Optics: Entanglement Manipulation with Atoms and Photons in a Cavity (S Haroche); Generation of Single Photons and Entangled Photon Pairs from a Quantum Dot (Y Yamamoto et al.); Twin Photon Beams for Single Photon Generation (S Takeuchi); Bose-Einstein Condensation and Atom Interferometry: Quantized Vortices in a Bose-Einstein Condensate (J Dalibard et al.); Vortex Excitations in a Bose-Einstein Condensate (S Inouye et al.); Mesoscopic Magnets: Environmental Effects on Quantum Reversal of Mesoscopic Spins (B Barbara et al.); Resistance of Geometrically Confined Magnetic Domain Wall (T Ono et al.); Single Electronics and Superconductors: A Single-Photon Detector in the Far-Infrared Range (O Astafiev et al.); Nanoscale Physics and Atomics: Quantized Conductance of Gold Nanowire Studied by UHV-Electron Microscope with STM (K Takayanagi); Quantum Transport: Quantum Transport in Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in Ultra-Short Period Lateral Superlattices (Y Iye et al.); Enhanced Tunnel Magnetoresistance in Ferromagnetic Single Electron Transistor (R Matsuda et al.); Precise Measurements: Oscillation Phenomena in High Energy Physics: CP Violation in B-Meson Decays and Long Baseline Neutrino Oscillation (K Nakamura); Dynamic Observation of Vortices in High-T c Superconductors (A Tonomura); Precision Optical Frequency Metrology Using Pulsed Lasers (Th Udem et al.); Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detector in Japan (N Mio); Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics: Quantum Information Aspects of Black Hole (A Hosoya); and other papers. Readership: Undergraduates, graduate students and researchers in quantum physics, atomic physics and optics.

”I re-experience once again the stimulating atmosphere of each of the ISQMs: There were theoretical discussions in diverse frontier areas of physics as well as descriptions of beautiful new (or planned) experiments and technologies. From each of the Symposia I always came away with the exciting feeling of how wonderful physics is and how lucky it is to be a physicist in this era.”Chen Ning YangThis volume is selected from the First through Fourth International Symposia on Foundations of Quantum Mechanics. The International Symposia on Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in the Light of New Technology (ISQMs) provide a unique interdisciplinary forum where distinguished theorists and experimentalists of diverse fields of research gather to discuss basic problems in quantum mechanics in the light of new technology. This volume collects 51 papers selected from over 200 papers by many distinguished scientists. It includes articles by C N Yang, J A Wheeler, Y Nambu, L Esaki and M P A Fisher, to name just a few, and contains topics ranging from quantum measurements to quantum cosmology.

Professor Yoseph (Joe) Imry, an early initiator of mesoscopic physics, has been among the leaders in this field for several decades. This book contains articles by leading (theoretical and experimental) scientists working in nanoscience and in related fields. Most of the contributions, consisting both reviews of the state of the art and new results, summarize invited talks given at two conferences held in honor of Imry's 70th birthday: the 101st Statistical Mechanics Conference (Rutgers University, May 10?12, 2009), and Perspectives of Mesoscopic Physics (Weizmann Institute of Science, May 31?June 1, 2009). This book covers a broad range of active research in nanoscience, including topics like quantum interference, decoherence, electron correlations, nano superconductors and nano magnets, nonequilibrium and glassy behavior.