Communications of the ACM
Size Matters: Canadian Research Could Shrink Gadget Size
McGill University scientists say that quantum dots are capable of creating large voltages and will enable engineers to develop nanoscale power supplies to make faster and smaller electronic devices.
Credit: Glenn Lowson / National Post
McGill University researchers have found that quantum dots are capable of creating large voltages that can keep compact electronic devices running. "Nano particles are so small and we need to understand their properties if we want to control nano devices," says McGill's Pooja Tyagi.
The researchers learned how to create positive and negative charges and how to control the size of the vibrations the charges release by shining a light at the nano particles. They say their findings will enable engineers to develop nanoscale power supplies that would make faster and smaller electronic devices. Tyagi says the dots are inexpensive to synthesize and use circuitry that is about one-tenth the size of current devices.
Queen's University professor Roel Vertegaal says the findings will "open up new avenues of interacting with computers beyond everything we're familiar with."
From Montreal Gazette
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