We present a quantum master equation analysis of the dynamics of magnetic adatoms on a metallic surface probed by a spin polarized STM. As a specific example, we investigate the behaviour and exceptional long lifetimes of single holmium atoms on platinum.

We present a low-temperature experimental test of the fluctuation theorem for electron transport through a double quantum dot. The rare entropy-consuming system trajectories where single charges flow against the source-drain bias appear with a frequency that agrees with the theoretical predictions. 

This is a recent work on  nanoscale high-Tc cuprate islands, motivated by the recent observation of a fully gapped state in nanosized YBCO islands. We investigate subdominant order parameters induced by the surface of the nanoparticle.