Single-Electron Tunneling and Mesoscopic Devices

An investigation of research on mesoscopic phenomena - devices that exhibit quantum effects. The text presents theoretical aspects and experimental results of single-electron tunnelling in tunnel junctions, junction arrays and electron gas systems.

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The trend in electronics to reduce device dimensions well below the sub-micron scale inevitably leads to mesoscopic devices - devices that exhibit quantum effects. These effects have to be taken into account and may even be exploited when developing more and more miniaturized electronic circuits. This book introduces recent results of active research on such phenomena, with an emphasis on single-electron tunnelling (SET). Besides a presentation of theoretical aspects and experimental results of single-electron tunnelling in tunnel junctions, junction arrays and one-and-two-dimensional electron gas systems, a collection of other quantum effects in mesoscopic devices and phenomena in semi-/superconducting junctions are treated in detail. The purpose of this volume is to provide an up-to-date reference book on the status of a field that is just emerging and promises a future of new physics, electronics and technology.