Mesoscopic Physics Meets Quantum Engineering

Quantum mechanics was constructed to describe objects on atomic and subatomic scales. However, in recent decades, some regulations of quantum mechanics were revisited and extended to macroscopically distinct states, making it possible to study mesoscopic systems. We consider basic systems in mesoscopic physics, such as superconducting quantum circuits and low-dimensional structures based on a two-dimensional electronic gas. The progress of recent years allows us to study such a fundamental system as a two-level quantum system, or qubit, as an object for manipulations and applications. We will give an introduction to quantum computation and quantum information, which is a new discipline, based on quantum physics, solid-state theory, and theory of computing. We will get to know this important field and we will see how it is inseparably linked to such basic notions of physics as superposition, entanglement, and quantum dynamics. Then we will consider superconducting and mesoscopic systems, as well as a series of phenomena, where the spectra quantization, interference, and charge discreteness are important.This book draws from the content of lectures to 5th year students of the Department of Physics and Technology in Kharkov National University. It is written for graduate and post-graduate students, who are acquainted with quantum mechanics and statistical physics.