Efficiently Producing Quantum Dots

generica1 writes "The Edmonton Journal is reporting on the University of Alberta's National Institute for Nanotechnology's recent invention of a new method to produce quantum dots — what are currently the world's smallest quantum dots, possibly allowing for startling increases in the efficiency of semiconductor-based equipment. 'Roughly speaking, we predict there could be a 1,000-time reduction in power consumption with electronic computers built in this new way,' said Robert Wolkow, a physicist at the University of Alberta and leader of the team behind the breakthrough. Read the article for a description of the wave-like phenomenon employed by Wolkow's team to accomplish a vastly lower power consumption during the transfer of electrons."

1,000 times less...

[scorpivs]

Does this mean we get solar power 1,000 times cheaper? 1,000 times sooner? Panels, 1,000 times smaller, yet generating equal output? I remember, in the 1970's (you know, before the turn of the century) "they" told us nuclear energy plants would provide electricity for "virtually free..." If it isn't one thing, it's another. I'm still waiting.

Re:1,000 times less...

[plasmacutter]

Nuclear plants can still do this, just get sane environmentalists working with engineers to provide supreme safety redundancy and get the "if its not zero impact it shouldn't be allowed" enviro-nazis out of it.

Re:Read the original article, not this BS

[digitally404]

As someone who works in the field of nanotechnology, I assure you that this development is definitely a milestone.

Some of the major developments in quantum computing and photonics relies on cheap and efficient development of quantum dots.

Re:Read the original article, not this BS

[WebCowboy]

It's a silicon atom. How many particles in that? I guess the author was talking about subatomic particles, right?

Yes. Specifically electrons. The semiconductor is the container part of the quantum dot--silicon atoms are not the particles being contained. The U of A team has achieved the ability to make a quantum dot that is so small it can possibly trap one single atom in a potential well. If you put electrons in their own little "jail cells" one at a time you can control their behavior one at a time without bringing temperatures down to near absolute zero (which is what technology required to this point, as we could only manage to direct or trap dozens to thousands of electrons at a time, and at room temperature they whiz around and bounce off each other--it'd be like dropping a pebble in a pot of boiling water and trying to perceive a ripple).

The summary link isn't totally crap, it does describe in layman's terms what was achieved--they constructed a semiconductor consisting of a tiny potential well locking a single electron PARTICLE within it. This allows for the potential to construct an array of such dots that you could control at room temperature--they can give the trapped electrons a "bump" on one end and the wave of energy could propagate to the other--it would be enough energy to make the electrons "bounce around" in their wells but not enough to make them escape.

Of course, this description is yet more technically inaccurate "crap", because we are talking about quantum mechanics and the quantum dot isn't exactly a physical "vessel" and electrons don't really "bounce" and so on...but that is the gist of what they are talking about. Physically we aren't talking about waves in a pool vs. a fire hose, but it's an analogy for cryin' out loud. Doesn't make it "crap".