3-D print experts discover how to make tomorrow's technology using ink-jet printed graphene:
The University of Nottingham has cracked the conundrum of how to use inks to 3-D-print novel electronic devices with useful properties, such as an ability to convert light into electricity.
The study shows that it is possible to jet inks, containing tiny flakes of 2-D materials such as graphene, to build up and mesh together the different layers of these complex, customised structures.
Using quantum mechanical modelling, the researchers also pinpointed how electrons move through the 2-D material layers, to completely understand how the ground-breaking devices can be modified in future.
Paper co-author, Professor Mark Fromhold, Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy said, "By linking together fundamental concepts in quantum physics with state-of-the art-engineering, we have shown how complex devices for controlling electricity and light can be made by printing layers of material that are just a few atoms thick but centimetres across.
"According to the laws of quantum mechanics, in which the electrons act as waves rather than particles, we found electrons in 2-D materials travel along complex trajectories between multiple flakes. It appears as if the electrons hop from one flake to another like a frog hopping between overlapping lily pads on the surface of a pond."
The study, 'Inter-Flake Quantum Transport of Electrons and Holes in Inkjet-Printed Graphene Devices', has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Functional Materials.
[...] The next steps for the research are to better control the deposition of the flakes by using polymers to influence the way they arrange and align and trying different inks with a range of flake sizes. The researchers also hope to develop more sophisticated computer simulations of the materials and the way they work together, developing ways of mass-manufacturing they devices they prototype.
Journal Reference:
Feiran Wang, Jonathan H. Gosling, Gustavo F. Trindade, et al. Inter‐Flake Quantum Transport of Electrons and Holes in Inkjet‐Printed Graphene Devices [open], Advanced Functional Materials (DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202007478)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by pvanhoof on Thursday November 05 2020, @09:29AM (2 children)
A graphene flake's size is about 0.5- 5 microns. The smallest molecule in nature is the diatomic hydrogen molecule (H2) which is 0.74 ångström in length with 0.1 nm being ~ 1 ångström. An atom is approximately 0.2 nanometers in diameter. 1 micrometer = 1000 nanometers.
Quantum mechanics play out at the sub atomic level. Protons, neutrons, etc. About the size of 1/1000th of the atom.
What baffles me is that they start talking about quantum mechanical modelling while spraying ink containing entire goddamn flakes of graphene on a surface.
That's like spraying entire countries worth of mass in an ink droplet the size of five planets to then model the effects of ants on bees.
(Score: 5, Informative) by maxwell demon on Thursday November 05 2020, @01:08PM (1 child)
This is a misunderstanding. While the subatomic level of course is dominated by quantum effects, those are definitely not restricted to subatomic objects. Indeed, the largest object put into a quantum superposition so far is large enough to be seen with the naked eye. [nature.com] Also superconductivity and superfluidity are quantum effects; a superconductor would be pretty useless if it had to be of subatomic size. In reality, superconducting coils can be pretty large [nature.com] (and yes, there's an electronic quantum state extending over the complete superconducting coil when the coil is in superconducting state).
Also, to understand e.g. a transistor (including those transistors large enough to be seen with the naked eye), you also have to use quantum mechanics. You also need to consider quantum effects if you want to understand thermodynamic properties of materials at very low temperatures, even if you have a megaton of that material.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Thursday November 05 2020, @01:11PM
Oops, the second link should have been to this. [cerncourier.com]
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.