Альберто Де ла Торре використовував контрольований нагрів та охолодження, щоб змусити квантовий матеріал переключитися з провідного стану в ізолюючий/Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Researchers from Northeastern University in the United States have found a way to speed up electronics by a thousand times by replacement of silicon chips on quantum materials.
It is noted, that the new technology, through controlled heating and cooling, allows the quantum material to switch between the state of a conductor and an insulating material almost instantly. According to the researchers, such materials can replace silicon and lead to the emergence of electronic devices that are much faster and smaller.
«Processors currently operate in gigahertz. The speed of change that this will provide will allow you to move to terahertz», — explains the lead author of the study, professor of physics Alberto de la Torre.
Today, most electronic gadgets, including computers, phones, and other electronic devices, are being used in the workplace, works on silicon chips. However, the constant drive to speed up electronics and reduce the size of electronic devices is pushing silicon to its limits.
In search of an alternative to silicon, american researchers have created a quantum material called 1T-TaS₂ to solve this problem. This material can instantly switch between an ideal conductor and an insulator. At the same time, the states can also be instantly reversed. This became possible when developers shone light on this special kind of quantum material.
Irradiation of the quantum material at close to room temperature made it possible to ensure its conducting state. Previously, this was possible only at extremely low temperatures.
«Anyone who has ever used a computer has experienced the moment when they wish something would load faster. There is nothing faster than light, and we use light to control the properties of materials at essentially the fastest possible speed allowed by physics», — says physics professor Gregory Fite.
This research marks a major breakthrough in materials science and the future of electronics. This progress is much like how transistors revolutionized computing by enabling smaller, more powerful devices.
The results of the study are published in the journal Nature Physics
Source: Interesting Engineering