The Mesoscopic Theory Center       at Michigan State University

Mesoscopic Science At the start of this 21st Century the science of mesoscopic systems is emerging as one of the key research frontiers . Mesoscopic science applies to systems  which are intermediate between the microworld of high energy and elementary particles and the macroworld of our everyday life. The theoretical and experimental understanding of mesoscopic systems impacts diverse aspects of our lives such as energy, technology, medicine and biology. The atomic nucleus is a typical mesoscopic system on a femto-meter scale. At the next level of scale in mesoscopic science we find complex atoms and molecules, atomic clusters, small metallic grains, quantum dots and quantum wires. The applied frontiers of mesoscopic physics include the nanoscience related to small solid-state devices, soft condensed matter and quantum optics. Proposals for quantum computers are based on mesoscopic properties of specific design. The main physical problem in such systems is the emergence of complexity and coherent collective effects from the interactions of elementary constituents. Nuclear physics provides many examples of these diverse mesoscopic  phenomena including phase transitions, superfluidity and superconductivity and quantum chaos, and how these phenomena change between self-sustaining stable systems and those that are open to decay. The rare isotopes studied theoretically and experimentally at the NSCL provide unique new examples of such mesoscopic systems. In the October 2004 we held a  workshop on "Nuclei and Mesoscopic Physics". The MTC was established in the fall of 2006 in order to create a platform for collaborations between nuclear and condensed matter physicists, chemists, mathematicians and scientists in related areas. The MTC will host lectures and seminars by  experts in the subfields of mesoscopic science, courses for students, workshops on specialized topics and summer schools. Our Logo symbolizes the wide varity of mesoscopic systems and the interrelated theoretical models used for their understanding.

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