Theoretical studies of transport at the nanoscale

Abstract

This dissertation is about electronic transport in nanoscale conductors. Nanotechnology and nanophysics are contemporary and emerging areas and that is because of the ineteresting features that emerge as one explores smaller and smaller length scales. These are subfields of condensed matter physics with a focus on electrical transport phenomena occurring at nanoscale dimensions, and, hence quantum mechanics plays an important role. Nanoscience deals with the study of systems whose size in atleast one of the dimensions is less than 100 nm(1 nm= 10−9 m): for example a carbon nanotube device has its radius of the order of 5 nm while length of the order of 0.5 µm. Depending on the temperature, interaction etc., nano dimensions can incorporate different effects. Especially, quantum effects become inevitable in these systems. Depending on the operational length scales different effects become dominant. Figure (1.1) is a concise image showing the relevant length scales with examples of micro-, meso-, and macrosystems.