New Breakthrough in Quantum Materials Could Revolutionize Electronics
A recent discovery by scientists could potentially pave the way for a significant advancement in electronic devices. Researchers have found a novel technique for manipulating electronic states in quantum materials, which has the potential to make our smartphones and laptops up to 1,000 times faster.
Quantum materials, characterized by their peculiar behaviors governed by quantum mechanics, offer a glimpse into a realm of physics where traditional laws do not apply. In a collaborative effort across various US institutions, scientists successfully controlled the temperature of a layered quantum material known as 1T-TaS₂. This manipulation allowed the material to rapidly transition between two distinct electronic phases: insulation and conduction – a crucial function in the operation of transistors in computer chips.
While the journey from the laboratory to consumer electronics is a long one, this breakthrough technology holds the promise of enhancing the clock speeds of processors in our electronic devices, ultimately leading to faster operation.
Physicist Gregory Fiete from Northeastern University highlighted the significance of this advancement, stating, “Everyone who has ever used a computer encounters a point where they wish something would load faster. There’s nothing faster than light, and we’re using light to control material properties at essentially the fastest possible speed that’s allowed by physics.”
Every electronic device relies on a combination of conductive and insulating materials, which are interconnected. If this technology can be further developed, it could lead to a more efficient, faster, and compact single material that can be controlled by light to switch between these two states.
The researchers term their innovative technique “thermal quenching.” While 1T-TaS₂ has shown potential in transitioning between a conductor and an insulator in the past, the breakthrough lies in achieving these changes at practical temperatures, rather than cryogenic ones, and for extended periods.
The success of this approach hinged on the precise heating and cooling methods employed by the researchers, as well as the timing of temperature alterations – swift enough to be effective yet not so rapid as to cause quantum state collapse.
Fiete emphasized the ultimate goal of achieving optimal control over material properties, stating, “One of the grand challenges is, how do you control material properties at will? What we’re shooting for is the highest level of control over material properties. We want it to do something very fast, with a very certain outcome, because that’s the sort of thing that can be then exploited in a device.”
While silicon semiconductor components have served us well for decades, we are nearing the physical limits of what these chips can deliver. Consequently, manufacturers are exploring alternative options to propel the next wave of technological advancements.
While the utilization of techniques with 1T-TaS₂ is not yet ready for integration into consumer devices, it sets the stage for potential advancements in electronic components and novel approaches to electronics that could unlock significant performance enhancements in the future.
Fiete highlighted the need for a new paradigm to achieve remarkable enhancements in information storage and operational speed, stating, “We’re at a point where in order to get amazing enhancements in information storage or the speed of operation, we need a new paradigm. Quantum computing is one route for handling this, and another is to innovate in materials. That’s what this work is really about.”
The research findings have been published in Nature Physics.
