This book presents written versions of selected invited lectures from the spring meeting of the Arbeitskreis Festkörperphysik of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft which was held from 27 to 31 March 2006 in Dresden, Germany. Many topical talks given at the numerous symposia are included. Most of these were organized collaboratively by several of the divisions of the Arbeitskreis. The book presents, to some extent, the status of the field of solid-state physics in 2006 not only in Germany but also internationally.

Quantum Dots.- Single Photons from Single Quantum Dots New Light for Quantum Information Processing.- Quantum-Dot Spin Qubit and Hyperfine Interaction.- Counting Statistics of Single Electron Transport in a Semiconductor Quantum Dot.- Size-Tunable Exchange Interaction in InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots.- Quantum Dots in Planar Cavities Single and Entangled Photon Sources.- Molecules and Nanoparticles.- Periodic Structure Formation in Polymer Films with Embedded Gold Nanoparticles.- Proteins and Patients Magnetic Nanoparticles as Analytic Markers.- Novel Quantum Transport Effects in Single-Molecule Transistors.- Nanowires and 1D Systems.- Growth Evolution and Characterization of PLD Zn(Mg)O Nanowire Arrays.- Spin-Transfer Torques in Single-Crystalline Nanopillars.- Andreev Reflection in Nb-InAs Structures: Phase Coherence, Ballistic Transport and Edge Channels.- Selective Edge Excitation Inter-Edge Magnetoplasmon Mode and Inter-Edge Spin Diode.- Decoherence of Fermions Subject to a Quantum Bath.- Correlation Effects on Electronic Transport through Dots and Wires.- Optoelectronics.- Ultrafast Dynamics of Optically-Induced Charge and Spin Currents in Semiconductors.- From a Fundamental Understanding of Phase Change Materials to Optimization Rules for Nonvolatile Optical and Electronic Storage.- GaInAs/AlAsSb Quantum Cascade Lasers: A New Approach towards 3-to-5 ?m Semiconductor Lasers.- Thin Films and Materials.- Hydrostatic Pressure Effects in the Magnetocaloric Compounds R5(SixGe1?x )4.- Magnetoelectric Correlations in Multiferroic Manganites Revealed by Nonlinear Optics.- Domain Wall Formation in Ferromagnetic Layers: An Ab Initio Study.- Domain Wall Spin Structures in 3d Metal Ferromagnetic Nanostructures.- Six Emerging Directions in Sculptured-Thin-FilmResearch.- Ion Beam Assisted Growth of Sculptured Thin Films: Structure Alignment and Optical Fingerprints.- Organic Thin Film Devices for Displays and Lighting.