A new age in computing or at least the scale of computing and a whole host of other technologies could be coming very quickly based on the research published in today’s issue of the science journal, Nature.
Dr. Bob Wolkow working with his team at the University of Alberta through the National Institute of Nanotechnology in Canada appears to have achieved a major break through in technology by taking it down to the molecular level.
In many respects the technology is simple and the same as all other transistors. Current flows through the transistor, in this case very tiny transistor, and it’s commanded to switch on and off. Transistors have an in, out and control aspect. Normally it takes about a million electrons to turn change the transistor. With this process, it takes one electron.
As a comparison, look at Marconi’s original wireless radio system. When he first started sending signals across the Atlantic to England, he used a 400 ft antenna and required and entire power station generating many megawatts of power. Today, I can put a radio in my pocket and with small batteries about the size of my finger or smaller. This is that kind of leap or perhaps even bigger.
The real wonder of this is it’s 1 billionth of a meter wide. That’s smaller than red blood cells or any other cells for that matter. It takes one electron to change current. And keep in mind this is the first time it’s been done. The work will be checked and rechecked with scientists all over the world and surely will be improved upon. The efficiency of this process has jumped magnitudes and should continue to get better.
The possibilities for this are endless and while the Wolkow advises that practical use of this development is still decades away, the future for nanotechnology certainly looks hopeful.
John Stith is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business.
