Amazing!! Scientists paint quantum electronics
Post# of 22465
Posted On: 10/10/2015 1:05:40 AM
Amazing!!
Scientists paint quantum electronics with beams of light
A team of scientists from the University of Chicago and Penn State University has accidentally discovered a new way of using light to draw and erase quantum-mechanical circuits in a unique class of materials called topological insulators.
In contrast to using advanced nanofabrication facilities based on chemical processing of materials, this flexible technique allows for rewritable “optical fabrication” of devices. This finding is likely to spawn new developments in emerging technologies such as low-power electronics based on the spin of electrons or ultrafast quantum computers.
The researchers found that the surface of strontium titanate, the substrate material on which they had grown their samples, becomes electrically polarized when exposed to ultraviolet light, and their room lights happened to emit at just the right wavelength. The electric field from the polarized strontium titanate was leaking into the topological insulator layer, changing its electronic properties.
Awschalom and his colleagues found that by intentionally focusing beams of light on their samples, they could draw electronic structures that persisted long after the light was removed.
“It’s like having a sort of quantum Etch A Sketch in our lab,” he said. They also found that bright red light counteracted the effect of the ultraviolet light, allowing them to both write and erase. “Instead of spending weeks in the cleanroom and potentially contaminating our materials,” said Awschalom, “now we can sketch and measure devices for our experiments in real time. When we’re done, we just erase it and make something else. We can do this in less than a second.”
http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=41577.php
.....wonder what the years ahead have in store for us ; )
QDX tm
Looking Forward
Scientists paint quantum electronics with beams of light
A team of scientists from the University of Chicago and Penn State University has accidentally discovered a new way of using light to draw and erase quantum-mechanical circuits in a unique class of materials called topological insulators.
In contrast to using advanced nanofabrication facilities based on chemical processing of materials, this flexible technique allows for rewritable “optical fabrication” of devices. This finding is likely to spawn new developments in emerging technologies such as low-power electronics based on the spin of electrons or ultrafast quantum computers.
The researchers found that the surface of strontium titanate, the substrate material on which they had grown their samples, becomes electrically polarized when exposed to ultraviolet light, and their room lights happened to emit at just the right wavelength. The electric field from the polarized strontium titanate was leaking into the topological insulator layer, changing its electronic properties.
Awschalom and his colleagues found that by intentionally focusing beams of light on their samples, they could draw electronic structures that persisted long after the light was removed.
“It’s like having a sort of quantum Etch A Sketch in our lab,” he said. They also found that bright red light counteracted the effect of the ultraviolet light, allowing them to both write and erase. “Instead of spending weeks in the cleanroom and potentially contaminating our materials,” said Awschalom, “now we can sketch and measure devices for our experiments in real time. When we’re done, we just erase it and make something else. We can do this in less than a second.”
http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=41577.php
.....wonder what the years ahead have in store for us ; )
QDX tm
Looking Forward
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