> Got a quick question here -- what is "mesoscopic physics"? What sort of
> scale are we dealing with here?
>
Mesoscopic physics is the physics between quantum physics and macroscopic
structures. An example of this would be a Bose-Einstein condensate that
consists of hundreds of atoms. A quick search of the web resulted in a
first good looking it of:
http://www.mesopc.physics.neu.edu/about_meso.html
where the following definition is given:
Recently, a new field, mesoscopic physics, has emerged. Researchers are
trying to understand the physical properties of systems that are not as
small as a single atom, but small enough that properties can be dramatically
different from those in a larger chunk of material.
"Physicists now work with electronic circuits that are as small as 10 nm (50
atoms across). These nanostructure devices are expected to be an important
part of the next generation of electronics technology. Devices of this size
scale are so small that one cannot see them using even the most powerful
light microscope-an electron microscope must be used instead. After building
one of these microscopic circuits, a researcher can investigate its behavior
in the laboratory using the latest experimental techniques. The behavior of
objects this size is very unusual and remains a challenge to be fully
understood."
One of the hopes of this research is to fill in the "missing link" between
solid state physics and quantum electrodynamics.
Dan M.
