Single Atom Transistor Recipe Sets The Stage For Quantum Computers
Some extremely smart researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), along with colleagues at the University of Maryland, developed a step-by-step process for producing atomic-scale devices. Atomic-scale devices are at the heart of quantum computing. Put very simply, the word “quantum” comes from Latin and means “amount.” In physics, it represents the smallest possible unit of energy or matter.
The researchers demonstrated that they could precisely control the flow of electrons across an incredibly small physical gap—an electrical barrier known as a transistor. The real challenge is controlling energy (electrons) at extremely small scales, down to the size of a single atom. What the team developed is a repeatable recipe for creating atoms whose behavior can be controlled by electrons.
In very simple terms, here is the process:
First, the team used a known technique in which a silicon chip is coated with a layer of hydrogen atoms. These hydrogen atoms naturally bind to the silicon surface.
Next, they used an extremely fine-tipped scanning microscope to selectively remove hydrogen atoms from specific areas of the silicon.
What remained was a hydrogen barrier with only precise openings where the hydrogen had been removed, as shown in the image above.
The researchers then introduced phosphine gas to the silicon surface. The gas bonded to the exposed silicon areas, passing through only where hydrogen atoms had been removed.
As a final step, the silicon was heated, triggering a chemical reaction. This reaction formed a foundation of highly stable, single-atom devices that behave like a quantum bit—or qubit.
This process can be overwhelming to understand at first, so the video below helps explain it visually. The truly exciting part is that the researchers defined a repeatable process to create a programmable quantum unit. In everyday terms, this opens the door to computers that could be hundreds of times more powerful than today’s machines, all in devices no larger than something like an Apple Watch.
Source: SciTechDaily.com
