Control and Enhancement of Quantum Coherence in Nanostructured Materials

The problem of controlling and enhancing the properties of quantum coherent phenomena in nanostructured materials is attracting a large research effort, involving international research collaborations with cross-topic character. In particular, the understanding and control of superconductivity at the nanoscale and in complex configurations is a central issue in condensed matter physics, but after several decades of work the role of competition/cooperation of charge, spin and lattice orders in these systems is still not well established. Recently, a renewed excitement followed results showing important effects of complex geometries in the quantum coherence mechanism that govern magnetism, ferroelectricity and superconductivity in hybrid systems and other novel nanostructures, that can drive electron–hole superfluidity in layered heterostructures. The goal of this special issue is to collect state of the art results (from experiments, theory and simulations) around this problem and to provide a view on how the control and enhancement of quantum coherence in nanostructured materials can be converted into new technological applications and quantum devices.