A team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Schimmel, physicist and expert in physics and nanotechnology at the Institute of Applied Physics of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), developed what is probably the world’s smallest transistor. This works with a technical approach that does not use semiconductors for current control. This enables a very low electrical voltage and extremely low power consumption.
Unlike conventional quantum electronic devices, the transistor operates at room temperature and is made entirely of metal, reducing dependence on raw materials and semiconductors. The world’s smallest transistor switches current by moving a single atom in a controlled manner. With this quantum electronic element, switching energies are possible that are a factor of 10,000 lower than those of conventional silicon technologies.
