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understanding the observed phenomena for precise structural control and exploring
and designing noval physical properties in the quantum regime.
Further research efforts may also prove fruitful in the directions of optical adsorp-
tion, nano friction, catalysis, and reflectivity, all of which with clear relevance for
sustainable energy applications. For example, it is expected that the QSE would
have an strong modulation to the friction coefficient on Pb(111) and other ultrthin
films, similar to the experimental observations showing that the electron friction can
play a key role in the systems of N
2
on the Pb substrate [
79
,
80
].
It is also expected that future research in this area will shift toward synthesis of
more complex metallic systems such as the quantum stabilization of “nano alloys”
that are immiscible in bulk form [
81
,
82
], as well as applications in other areas
of chemistry, physics, and engineering. Intriguing possibilities include pushing the
robustness of the superconducting state to even smaller length scales so as to obtain
unprecedented insights into the emergence of collective quantum phenomena in
structures containing the fewest number of atom [
3
]. As another example, concep-
tual advances in plasmonics could involve the tailoring of resonant frequencies and
Landau damping in metallic nanoparticles with precisely controlled morphology
(Özer et al., unpublished). Finally, molecular adsorption, decomposition, and chem-
ical reactions on quantum mechanically confined metals and nano-alloy catalysts
may lead to catalysis via quantum design. The authors hope that this review will con-
tribute to the necessary cross-fertilization between the various research disciplines
so that the enabling concept of quantum growth may find its way from traditional
surface science to the broader science and engineering domain.
Acknowledgments
During the course of this line of research we have benefited from many of our
collaborators and colleagues in the field. In particular, we thank C. K. Shih, Q. Niu, J. H. Cho,
A. R. Smith, J. R. Thompson, B. Wu, and E. J. Moon for their valuable contributions to the main
findings and advances presented in this review. YJ acknowledges financial support from NSF of
China (Grant No. 10574113, 10974182), HHW and ZYZ acknowledge financial support from NSF
under contract No. DMR 06-06485 and DMR 0906025 and the US-DOE Office of Basic Energy
Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering.
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