Mesoscopics, Superconductivity, and Fundamental Properties of Space–Time

We show that investigations of mesoscopic metal particles can give evidence of the reality of additional coordinates of free space–time which were introduced in addition to x, y, z, and t in quantum field theory to realize supersymmetry. We formulate conditions under which all degrees of freedom of the metal particle which are active in thermodynamics and low-frequency dynamics correspond to “motion” of the particle along these additional coordinates. Just these degrees of freedom are responsible for mesoscopic superconductivity under the condition that the superconducting transition temperature is much smaller than the single-electron energy level spacing. Superconductivity is defined as a spontaneous breaking of the gauge invariance and is realized in thermodynamic equilibrium states with a nonintegral average number of electrons in the particle. Superconducting order parameter can be characterized by pair or (and) single-electron phases. An experimental check of the proposed description would, at the same time, be an experimental check of the concept of superspace.