This paper summarizes the recent state of the art of the following topics presented at the FQMT'04 conference: Quantum , mesoscopic and (partly) classical thermodynamics; Quantum limits to the second law of thermodynamics; Quantum measurement; Quantum decoherence and dephasing; Mesoscopic and nano-electro-mechanical systems; Classical molecular motors, ratchet systems and rectified motion; Quan...

Despite numerous molecular simulation studies on diffusion of small molecules through nanoporous films and on surfaces, most simulations have been limited to equilibrium conditions and relatively short time and length scales. Currently, there is a lack of a suitable computational framework which links molecular scale information with diffusion over larger scales. Here we employ a recently deriv...

The mesoscopic reaction-diffusion master equation (RDME) is a popular modeling framework frequently applied to stochastic reaction-diffusion kinetics in systems biology. The RDME is derived from assumptions about the underlying physical properties of the system, and it may produce unphysical results for models where those assumptions fail. In that case, other more comprehensive models are bette...

Biochemical reaction systems in mesoscopic volume, under sustained environmental chemical gradient(s), can have multiple stochastic attractors. Two distinct mechanisms are known for their origins: (a) Stochastic single-molecule events, such as gene expression, with slow gene on-off dynamics; and (b) nonlinear networks with feedbacks. These two mechanisms yield different volume dependence for th...

Here we review various themes of current research within mesoscopic magnetic systems.

We study the problem of the self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) into finite mesoscopic structures with a programmed local morphology and complex overall shape. Our proposed building blocks are NPs that are directionally functionalized with DNA. The combination of directionality and selectivity of interactions allows one to avoid unwanted metastable configurations, which have been shown to lead...

We show that the heat transport between two bodies, mediated by electromagnetic fluctuations, can be controlled with an intermediate quantum circuit--leading to the device concept of a mesoscopic photon heat transistor (MPHT). Our theoretical analysis is based on a novel Meir-Wingreen-Landauer-type of conductance formula, which gives the photonic heat current through an arbitrary circuit elemen...

Graphene-based Josephson Junctions: Phase Diffusion, Effects of Magnetic Field, and Mesoscopic Properties.

We study spin-dependent transport through ferromagnet/normal-metal/ferromagnet double tunnel junctions in the mesoscopic Coulomb-blockade regime. We calculate the conductance in the absence or presence of spin-orbit interaction and for arbitrary orientation of the lead magnetizations. The tunneling magnetoresistance ~TMR!, defined at the Coulomb-blockade conductance peaks, is calculated and its...

In the classical Josephson effect the phase difference across the junction is well defined, and the supercurrent is reduced only weakly by phase diffusion. For mesoscopic junctions with small capacitance the phase undergoes large quantum fluctuations, and the current is also decreased by Coulomb blockade effects. We discuss the behavior of the current-voltage characteristics in a large range of...