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Smallest transistor switches current with a single atom in solid electrolyte:
At Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), physicist Professor Thomas Schimmel and his team have developed a single-atom transistor, the world's smallest. This quantum electronics component switches electrical current by controlled repositioning of a single atom, now also in the solid state in a gel electrolyte. The single-atom transistor works at room temperature and consumes very little energy, which opens up entirely new perspectives for information technology. The transistor is presented in Advanced Materials.
[...] In Advanced Materials, the KIT researchers present the transistor that reaches the limits of miniaturization. The scientists produced two minute metallic contacts. Between them, there is a gap as wide as a single metal atom. "By an electric control pulse, we position a single silver atom into this gap and close the circuit," Professor Thomas Schimmel explains. "When the silver atom is removed again, the circuit is interrupted." The world's smallest transistor switches current through the controlled reversible movement of a single atom. Contrary to conventional quantum electronics components, the single-atom transistor does not only work at extremely low temperatures near absolute zero, i.e. -273°C, but already at room temperature. This is a big advantage for future applications.
The advance heralds a means of dramatically reducing the amount of electricity required to power electronic devices.
Full journal article is paywalled; free abstract: Fangqing Xie, Andreas Peukert, Thorsten Bender, Christian Obermair, Florian Wertz, Philipp Schmieder, Thomas Schimmel. Quasi-Solid-State Single-Atom Transistors. Advanced Materials, 2018; 30 (31): 1801225 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201801225
(Score: 4, Interesting) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday August 17 2018, @01:12PM (2 children)
Yes, my point was its guts do not function like a proper BJT or FET, which have no moving parts save electrons. Granted, it's not exactly possible to wear out a single atom but a moving part is still a moving part.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by ledow on Friday August 17 2018, @07:15PM (1 child)
Surely the biggest difference is whether the switching current becomes part of the final signal (amplification), even in a side-effect... not moving parts (you telling me the semiconductor etc. atoms never move?).
Relays can't amplify. Transistors can (even if they don't use that effect)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 17 2018, @07:38PM
> Surely the biggest difference is whether the switching current becomes part of the final signal
I follow your reasoning, but for FETs where there isn't any input current (to speak of) it starts to fall apart?
Then there are primitive cases, for example the ignition I saw on a pioneer hit-or-miss engine at a show a few weeks ago. The owner showed me that it had a single coil (not a transformer, just one wire, wrapped around an iron core). The points were *inside* the cylinder. When points close, the battery current goes through the coil and when opened/interrupted the inductive spike made a nice spark. Only draws current when the governor engages the ignition cam. The original owners (typically farmers) could run the engine every day for a month or more, on a 1.5 V cell (not a battery, only one cell). This seems to meet your criteria above...