Electron billiards in nanoscale circuits
The scientists created a 70-nanometer narrow channel, about as wide as the wavelength of electrons in the semiconductor.
The key is that only one electron at a time will fit through the channel, making possible extremely high-precision measurements of the electric current.
As described in the current publication, this method was applied to photogenerated electrons for the first time ever.
In the experimental set-up it is not the sun, but rather a laser beam that kicks the electrons into their excited state. These electrons are then analyzed using a quantum point contact.
In the process, the scientists were able to demonstrate for the first time that photogenerated electrons can flow several micrometers before colliding with crystalline atoms. They also established that the geometric form of a circuit has a strong influence on electron paths. Electrons can even “run around corners” when they rebound from circuit boundaries, not unlike billiard balls.
The insights and analytic opportunities made possible by this novel technique are relevant to a whole range of applications. These include, most notably, the further development of electronic components such as photodetectors, high electron mobility transistors (HEMT), and components that utilize the magnetic spin of electrons to process information.
Apart from Professor Holleitner's team, scientists working with Professor Joerg Kotthaus (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen) and Professor Peter Haenggi (Universitaet Augsburg) participated in the research.
The studies were funded by the Cluster of Excellence Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF via nanoQUIT, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG Grant no. Ho 3324/4), the Center for NanoScience (CeNS), and LMUexcellent.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.tum.deAll latest news from the category: Physics and Astronomy
This area deals with the fundamental laws and building blocks of nature and how they interact, the properties and the behavior of matter, and research into space and time and their structures.
innovations-report provides in-depth reports and articles on subjects such as astrophysics, laser technologies, nuclear, quantum, particle and solid-state physics, nanotechnologies, planetary research and findings (Mars, Venus) and developments related to the Hubble Telescope.
Newest articles
Superradiant atoms could push the boundaries of how precisely time can be measured
Superradiant atoms can help us measure time more precisely than ever. In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen present a new method for measuring the time interval,…
Ion thermoelectric conversion devices for near room temperature
The electrode sheet of the thermoelectric device consists of ionic hydrogel, which is sandwiched between the electrodes to form, and the Prussian blue on the electrode undergoes a redox reaction…
Zap Energy achieves 37-million-degree temperatures in a compact device
New publication reports record electron temperatures for a small-scale, sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion device. In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only a few fusion technologies have demonstrated…