A new transistor that is comprised of a single electron – an island only 1.5 nanometers in diameter – and operates with the addition of only one or two electrons, has been created by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, in the United States. The transistor provides a building block for new, more powerful computer memories, advanced electronic materials, and the basic components of quantum computers. The device, named SketchSET, could also be used as an artificial atom for developing new classes of artificial electronic materials, such as exotic superconductors with properties not found in natural materials, according to lead researcher Jeremy Levy, a professor of physics and astronomy. The SketchSET is the first single-electron transistor made entirely of oxide-based materials. The number of electrons on the island, which can only be zero, one, or two, changes the conductive properties of the device. The team’s work was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
