KINETICS OF FLUCTUATIONS IN NANO-DEVICES

技术总结该奖项支持有关非平衡涨落对纳米设备的影响的理论研究和教育。最近的技术进步使纳米结构器件的可控制造成为可能。人们利用机械、电学、磁学、光学等原理制备和研究了各种新型纳米器件。这些设备已经发现了广泛的应用，并引发了一些基本问题。纳米器件在外加电流、光脉冲或磁场的作用下远离平衡。因此，他们的行为受到强烈的非均衡波动的支配。这项研究的主要目的是阐明纳米器件中非平衡环境对动态双稳态或量子隧道的影响。PI将结合开发新的理论方法及其在工程纳米设备中的应用。与加州大学欧文分校和明尼苏达大学的实验小组的合作将为理论预测提供测试基础。参与研究的研究生、本科生和博士后将学习现代计算和理论技术。与实验者的合作将拓宽学生的智力。研究成果将通过科学出版物、会议记录以及在国内和国际会议上的陈述来传播。技术总结该奖项支持有关纳米设备的基础理论研究和教育，这些设备的运行远离稳定的平衡状态。纳米技术的进步导致了各种机械、电、磁、光和其他类型的纳米器件的制备和研究。这些巧妙的机器的操作通常基于与宏观设备根本不同的原理。在许多情况下，它们是如此之小，以至于它们的机械、磁性自由度的热波动以及可能的量子力学波动都不能被忽视。这需要开发设备操作的概率描述。特别是，罕见但巨大的波动可能会完全改变设备的操作。PI将开发一种新的理论框架来描述纳米机器的行为，并将其应用于实际的纳米设备。参与研究的研究生、本科生和博士后将学习现代计算和理论技术。与实验者的合作将拓宽学生的智力。研究成果将通过科学出版物、会议记录以及在国内和国际会议上的陈述来传播。

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical research and education on the effect of nonequilibrium fluctuations on nanodevices. Recent advances in technology enable the controlled fabrication of nanostructured devices. A variety of novel nanodevices utilizing mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical and other principals have been fabricated and studied. These devices have found a broad spectrum of applications and have stimulated fundamental questions. The nanodevices are driven far from equilibrium by applied currents, optical pulses or magnetic fields. As a result, their behavior is governed by strong nonequilibrium fluctuations. The main objective of this research is to elucidate the consequences of the nonequilibrium environment in nanodevices for dynamical bistability or quantum tunneling. The PI will combine developing novel theoretical methods and their application to engineered nanodevices. Collaboration with experimental groups from University of California at Irvine and University of Minnesota will provide testing grounds for theoretical predictions.Graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs involved in the research will learn modern computational and theoretical techniques. Collaboration with experimentalists will broaden students intellectually. Research results will be disseminated through scientific publications, conference proceedings, and presentations at national and international conferences. TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports fundamental theoretical research and education on nanodevices that operate far from the steady state of equilibrium. Advances in nanotechnology have led to the fabrication and study of a variety of mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical and other kinds of nanodevices. Operation of these ingenious machines is often based on principles fundamentally different from macroscopic devices. In many instances they are so small that thermal and possibly quantum mechanical fluctuations of their mechanical, magnetic degrees of freedom cannot be ignored. This requires development of a probabilistic description of device operation. In particular rare but large fluctuations may completely change the operation of a device. The PI will develop a new theoretical framework to describe the behavior of nanomachines and apply it to practical nanodevices. Graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs involved in the research will learn modern computational and theoretical techniques. Collaboration with experimentalists will broaden students intellectually. Research results will be disseminated through scientific publications, conference proceedings, and presentations at national and international conferences.