https://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/moving-electrons-on-graphene-0911
From the press release,
When moving through a conductive material in an electric field, electrons tend to follow the path of least resistance — which runs in the direction of that field.
But now physicists at MIT and the University of Manchester have found an unexpectedly different behavior under very specialized conditions — one that might lead to new types of transistors and electronic circuits that could prove highly energy-efficient.
They’ve found that when a sheet of graphene — a two-dimensional array of pure carbon — is placed atop another two-dimensional material, electrons instead move sideways, perpendicular to the electric field. This happens even without the influence of a magnetic field — the only other known way of inducing such a sideways flow.
and,
The MIT and Manchester researchers have demonstrated a simple transistor based on the new material, Levitov says.
[...]
In their experiments, Levitov, Geim, and their colleagues overlaid the graphene on a layer of boron nitride — a two-dimensional material that forms a hexagonal lattice structure, as graphene does. Together, the two materials form a superlattice that behaves as a semiconductor.
(Score: 1) by hopp on Tuesday September 16 2014, @03:34AM
This is an amazing experiment which if replicated could reduce power consumption many fold from our lowest current state. It seems as if there is a corduroy effect driving electrons perpendicular to their normal course.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 16 2014, @05:24AM
Is it just me or is there a renaissance in materials science going on now?
Seems like every other day we get a report of some really cool new effect or new manufacturing process that is a 10x or better cost improvement on some previously esoteric material.
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Tuesday September 16 2014, @03:50AM
With those materials, your wearable computer could double as body armor.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by q.kontinuum on Tuesday September 16 2014, @06:28AM
I love my computer... Singing: "Amore mio..."
Registered IRC nick on chat.soylentnews.org: qkontinuum
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 17 2014, @12:27PM
Armore mio?