This thesis will be divided into two parts. In the first part, theory and results of a novel system in which a superconducting single-electron transistor (S-SET) coupled to a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) serving as a tunable electromagnetic environment for the S-SET will be discussed, including effects of dissipation, resonant tunneling with ...

A novel model system is developed to study the effects of the environment on transport properties of a superconducting single-electron transistor (S-SET). The impedance of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) 50 nm below the sample surface serving as the environment can be tuned in situ. A quantum dot is readily formed in the 2DEG. Josephson tunneling ...

This dissertation explores the potential applications of nanotechnology in the oilfield including poly(vinyl alcohol) stabilized carbon black nanoparticles for oil exploration and temperature-responsive carbon black nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery. Also, it describes the rational design of graphene nanoribbons via intercalating reactive metals ...

The folding mechanisms of membrane proteins are notoriously hard to determine, due to the multiple events involved in the folding process. In recent years, the development of single molecule techniques has opened the door to studying individual folding events experimentally. However, even in these single molecule experiments the structural details ...