Over the last decade the interest in nanoscale materials and their
applications in novel electronic devices have been increasing
tremendously. This is caused by the unique properties of nanoscale
materials and the outstanding performance of nanoscale devices. The
fascinating and often unrivalled properties of nanoscale materials and
devices opened new and sometimes unexpected fields of applications.
Today, the widespread applications range from the detection of
explosives, drugs and fissionable materials to bio- and
infrared-sensors, spintronic devices, data storage media, magnetic read
heads for computer hard disks, single-electron devices, microwave
electronic devices, and many more.
This book contains a collection of papers giving insight into the
fundamentals and applications of nanoscale devices. The papers have been
presented at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Nanoscale Devices -
Fundamentals and Applications (NDFA-2004, ARW 980607) held in Kishinev
(Chisinau), Moldova, on September 18-22, 2004. The main focus of the
contributions is on the synthesis and characterization of nanoscale
magnetic materials, the fundamental physics and materials aspects of
solid-state nanostructures, the development of novel device concepts and
design principles for nanoscale devices, as well as on applications in
electronics with special emphasis on defence against the threat of
terrorism.