Introduction

The key technologies for the XXI century have been recently identified: energy, transport, nanotechnology, information/communication technology, health care, and environment. For all of them nanosciences are extremely important since electrical, magnetic and optical properties of various condensed matter systems, essential for these technologies, can be controlled practically at will and new functionalities can be created by designing an implementing the proper nanoscale confinement for charges, spins and photons, respectively. The modern nano-revolution is aimed at controlling and mastering the nanoscale confinement for developing new properties and creating novel functionalities.