Research groups working on mechanical systems ranging in size from nanometer-scale oscillators to centimeter-scale optical cavities to kilometer-scale gravity wave detectors are all independently approaching a regime in which either the mechanical system or its interaction with the environment must be described quantum mechanically. This remarkable convergence is all the more striking because many of the scientific issues related to the quantum regime of mechanical systems are independent of the system's size. As a result researchers from backgrounds as diverse as astrophysical gravity waves, mesoscopic condensed matter physics, and quantum optics are converging on a common set of goals related to quantum effects in mechanical systems. This conference will address the quantum aspects of mechanical systems of all sizes. A primary goal will be to increase the level of communication and collaboration between researchers from different backgrounds through tutorials and informal discussions as well as invited presentations.

Specific topics to be addressed will include (but are not limited to): quantum back-action effects and quantum-limited measurements of mechanical devices, quantum coherence in mechanical systems, the interaction of mechanical structures with quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, the use of mechanical systems in quantum information processing, and the creation of non-classical states using mechanical devices.