Fundamental Problems Of Mesoscopic Physics

This book is a snapshot of the vision shared by outstanding scientists on the key theoretical and experimental issues in Mesoscopic Physics. Quantum properties of electrons in solid state devices and transport in semiconducting and superconducting low-dimensional systems, are discussed, as well as the basis of quantum computing (entanglement, noise decoherence and read-out). Each chapter collects the material presented at a Varenna School course of last year, by leading experts in the field. The reader gets a flavor, how theorists and experimentalists are paving the way to the physical realization of solid state qubits, the basic units of the new logic and memory elements for quantum processing. He will be surprised in finding that mesoscopic solid state devices, which were invented just yesterday ( think of the Single Electron Transistor, or the Cooper Pair Box) are currently used as charge-sensing applications in the equipment of frontier research laboratories. These devices contribute as probing systems to produce evidence on still unsettled questions in topics like the metal-insulator transition in disordered two dimensional systems, quantum Hall conductance in heterostructures, or Kondo conductance in quantum dots.

Quantum mechanics was initially constructed to describe objects on atomic and subatomic scales. However, in the last decades, quantum mechanics has been revisited and its use extended to the study and description of macroscopic distinct states. This is accomplished by modeling basic objects of mesoscopic physics, such as superconducting quantum circuits and low-dimensional structures derived from a two-dimensional electronic gas. In recent years, these devices support the study of fundamental systems such as a two-level quantum system, or qubit, as an object for manipulations and applications. This book will provide an introduction to quantum computation and quantum information, based on quantum physics, solid-state theory, and theory of computing. We will become familiar with this important field and explore how it is inseparably linked to basic notions of physics such as superposition, entanglement, and quantum dynamics. Then we will consider superconducting and mesoscopic systems, as well as a series of phenomena, where important are the spectra quantization, interference, and charge discreteness.This book derives its content from a lecture course designed for graduate students and postdocs who are acquainted with quantum mechanics and statistical physics. In particular, it was developed together with the lecture series taught to 5th year students of the Department of Physics and Technology in V N Karazin Kharkiv National University.

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.

An introduction and comprehensive survey of the main issues in mesosocopic physics. Topics covered include quantum Hall effects, transport through quantum wires and dots, coherence in mesoscopic systems, spintronics, disordered systems, and solid state quantum computation. Some contributions are dedicated to the connections between nanoscience and biophysics and quantum optics. Although the topics mentioned have many aspects in common, they span a wide area of physics. It is therefore especially important to provide a broad view of this rapidly expanding field. Thanks to the excellent presentations, the book will be found suitable both for young researchers who want to enter the field and stimulating for more experienced scientists.

Quantum and chaos, key concepts in contemporary science, are incompatible by nature. This volume presents an investigation into quantum transport in mesoscopic or nanoscale systems which are classically chaotic and shows the success and failure of quantal, semiclassical, and random matrix theories in dealing with questions emerging from the mesoscopic cosmos. These traditional theories are critically analysed, and this leads to a new direction. To reconcile quantum with chaos and to restore genuine temporal chaos in quantum systems, a time-discrete variant of quantum dynamics is proposed. Audience:This book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in physics, chemistry and mathematics, whose work involves fundamental questions of quantum mechanics in chaotic systems.

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.