New Quantum Materials Offer Novel Route to 3D Electronic Devices
November 7, 2017 | Academy of FinlandEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Researchers have shown how the principles of general relativity open the door to novel electronic applications such as a three-dimensional electron lens and electronic invisibility devices. In a new study funded by the Academy of Finland, Aalto University researchers Alex Westström and Teemu Ojanen propose a method to go beyond special relativity and simulate Einstein’s theory of general relativity in inhomogeneous Weyl semimetals. The theory of Weyl metamaterials combines ideas from solid-state physics, particle physics and cosmology and points a way to fabricate metallic designer materials where charge carriers move like particles in curved space-time.
a) By local manipulation of material parameters, it is possible to tune the properties of charge carriers in Weyl semimetals; b) With suitable local manipulation of material parameters, one can tailor the carrier motion and design novel electronic devices such as the electron lens, which focuses the incoming carriers.
The researchers propose Weyl metamaterials, a generalisation of Weyl semimetals, that enable new types of electronic devices through geometry engineering.
“The systems we introduced offer a route to make the charge carriers move as if they were living in a curved geometry, providing a tabletop laboratory for simulating curved-space quantum physics and certain cosmological phenomena,” Alex Westström explains.
Weyl semimetals are an example of recently discovered quantum materials that have received a lot of attention. Charge carriers in these materials behave as if they were massless particles moving at the speed of light.
“We discovered that Weyl metamaterials may serve as a platform for exotic electronic devices such as the 3D electron lens, where the trajectories of charge carriers are focused much like beams of light in an optical lens,” Teemu Ojanen says.
The electric conduction in Weyl semimetals reflects the physics of Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Nevertheless, special relativity also assumes an absence of gravity, which Einstein formulated as a geometry of space-time.
The theory of Weyl metamaterials also paves the way for fundamentally new electronics applications, for instance, the development of electronic invisibility devices. The key idea behind the potential applications is an artificially created curved geometry, which bends the motion of charge carriers in a controlled way.
“In optics, it’s been known for centuries that light always chooses the quickest trajectory. In curved geometry, the quickest path doesn’t look like a straight line for those watching from outside. The functionality of optical invisibility devices, where the beams of light bypass a hidden object, is in fact based on the application of curved-space geometry. It would be a breakthrough in fundamental research to achieve a similar functionality in electronic systems,” Ojanen adds.
Suggested Items
AIM Solder Signs Shinil Fl Ltd. as New Distributor for Korea
05/08/2024 | AIM SolderAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce a new distribution partnership with Shinil Fl Ltd., a prominent supplier of technological solutions in the SMT and semiconductor sectors.
KYZEN’s Adam Klett to Keynote at SMTA Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference
05/07/2024 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally friendly cleaning chemistries, announced today that KYZEN’s Director of Science, Adam Klett, PhD will present as a keynote speaker at the SMTA Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference. The event is scheduled to take place May 14-16, 2024 at the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Altus Equips SSTL with Advanced Cleaning Technology for Electronics
05/07/2024 | Altus GroupAltus Group, a leading supplier of capital equipment for the electronics manufacturing industry, has announced the successful installation of an advanced PCBA cleaning system at Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL).
GPV's Handover of Refurbished Factory Building
05/07/2024 | GPVOn 6 May 2024, Bjorn Fiskers, MD at GPV Electronics TH in Thailand and his team were handed the keys to our refurbished factory building, adding another 7,000 sqm to our current 15,000 sqm electronics factory. Our electronics factory in Thailand will comprise of a total of 22,000 sqm.
Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Dip 5% in Q1 2024
05/07/2024 | SEMIWorldwide silicon wafer shipments decreased 5.4% quarter-over-quarter to 2,834 million square inches in the first quarter of 2024, a 13.2% drop from the 3,265 million square inches recorded during the same quarter last year, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.