Quantum Point Contacts

JUL 01, 1996

The quantization of ballistic electron transport through a constriction demonstrates that “conduction is transmission.”

Henk van Houten

Carlo Beenakker

Punctuated equilibrium, the notion that evolution in nature is stepwise rather than continuous, sometimes applies to evolution in science as well. The seed of a scientific breakthrough may slumber for a decade or even longer without generating much interest. The seed may be a theoretical concept without clear predictions to test experimentally, or an intriguing but confusing experiment without a lucid interpretation. When the seed finally germinates, an entire field of science can reach maturity in a few years.

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More about the authors

Henk van Houten, Leiden University, the Netherlands.

Carlo Beenakker, Leiden University.