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Nature 404, 948-949 (27 April 2000) | doi:10.1038/35010260

Open Innovation Challenges

Quantum engineering: Superconducting nanowires

Gerd Schön

The continuing miniaturization of electronic devices has reached system sizes of ten nanometres, where quantum mechanical effects become important. A fundamental question is how the collective properties of these devices, such as superconductivity, are affected when the system's dimensions are reduced.