Introduction to mesoscopic physics / Yoseph Imry.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Imry, Yoseph.

Series:

Mesoscopic physics and nanotechnology ; 1.

Mesoscopic physics and nanotechnology ; 1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mesoscopic phenomena (Physics).

Physical Description:

xiii, 234 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 1997.

Summary:

"Mesoscopic physics" refers to the physics of structures larger than those in the atomic range (a fraction of a billionth of a meter), but usually smaller than a micron (one millionth of a meter). This size range is where exciting new research on futuristic electronic, optical, and even mechanical devices is being done. Applications may include such wonders as microscopic robot surgeons that travel through the blood stream to repair clogged arteries, 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 and mesoscopic realms, and their research crosses the boundaries between physics, chemistry, and engineering. Understanding such tiny electronic devices requires a solid foundation in physics, especially quantum mechanics. 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.

Contents:

2 A Brief Description of Systems and Fabrication Methods 6

2 Quantum Transport, Anderson Localization 12

Localization ideas 14

2 Thermally Activated Conduction in the Localized Regime 18

3 The Thouless Picture, Localization in Thin Wires and Finite Temperature Effects 21

4 The Scaling Theory of Localization and its Consequences 26

General 26

The case d [less than or equal] 2 27

The case d > 2, the metal-insulator (M-I) transition 30

5 The Weakly Localized Regime 34

3 Dephasing by Coupling with the Environment, Application to Coulomb Electron-Electron Interactions in Metals 38

1 Introduction and Review of the Principles of Dephasing 38

2 Dephasing by the Electron-Electron Interaction 46

3 Review of Results in Various Dimensions 50

4 Dephasing Time vs. Electron-Electron Scattering Time 56

4 Mesoscopic Effects in Equilibrium and Static Properties 60

1 Introductory Remarks, Thermodynamic Fluctuation Effects 60

2 Quantum Interference in Equilibrium Properties, Persistent Currents 65

Generalities, simple situations 65

Independent electrons in disordered systems 71

The semiclassical picture 75

General results on ensemble-averaged persistent currents for constant N 80

Semiclassical theory of spectral correlations, applications to rings 82

Interaction effects on the persistent currents 84

5 Quantum Interference Effects in Transport Properties, the Landauer Formulation and Applications 89

1 Generalities, Remarks on the Kubo Conductivity for Finite Systems 89

2 The Landauer-type Formulation for Conductance in a Mesoscopic System and Some of its Generalizations 93

Introduction: the "single-channel" case 93

The multichannel Landauer formulation 96

The Onsager-type relationship in a magnetic field: generalized multiterminal conductance formulas 103

3 Applications of the Landauer Formulation 107

Series addition of quantum resistors, 1D localization 107

Parallel addition of quantum resistors, A-B oscillations of the conductance 109

On the universality of the conductance fluctuations 120

6 The Quantum Hall Effect (QHE) 124

2 General Arguments 129

3 Localization in Strong Magnetic Fields and the QHE 133

4 Brief Remarks on the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect (FQHE) 139

7 Mesoscopics with Superconductivity 147

2 Superconducting Rings and Thin Wires 151

3 Weakly Coupled Superconductors, the Josephson Effect and SNS Junctions 160

The Bloch picture 160

The Josephson junction and other weak links 163

4 Brief Remarks on Vortices 165

5 The Andreev Reflection, More on SN and SNS Junctions 167

8 Noise in Mesoscopic Systems 176

2 Shot Noise for "Radiation" from a Reservoir 178

3 The Effect of Fluctuations in the Sink, the Equilibrium Limit 181

4 Low-Frequency (1-f) Noise 185

A The Kubo, Linear Response, Formulation 195

B The Kubo-Greenwood Conductivity and the Edwards-Thouless Relationships 198

C The Aharonov-Bohm Effect and the Byers-Yang and Bloch Theorem 200

D Derivation of Matrix Elements in the Diffusion Regime 201

E Careful Treatment of Dephasing in 2D Conductors at Low Temperatures 201

F Anomalies in the Density of States (DOS) 202

G Quasiclassical Theory of Spectral Correlations 204

H Details of the Four-Terminal Formulation 207

I Universality of the Conductance Fluctuations in Terms of the Universal Correlation of Transmission Eigenvalues 208

J The Conductance of Ballistic "Point Contacts" 209.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-230) and index.

ISBN:

0195101677

OCLC:

33863602