Researchers Build 'The World's Fastest Petahertz Quantum Transistor'. They Predict Lightwave Electronics (arizona.edu) 13
"What if ultrafast pulses of light could operate computers at speeds a million times faster than today's best processors?" asks the University of Arizona.
"A team of scientists, including researchers from the University of Arizona, are working to make that possible." In a groundbreaking international effort, researchers from the Department of Physics in the College of Science and the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences demonstrated a way to manipulate electrons in graphene using pulses of light that last less than a trillionth of a second. By leveraging a quantum effect known as tunneling, they recorded electrons bypassing a physical barrier almost instantaneously, a feat that redefines the potential limits of computer processing power. A study published in Nature Communications highlights how the technique could lead to processing speeds in the petahertz range — over 1,000 times faster than modern computer chips. Sending data at those speeds would revolutionize computing as we know it, said Mohammed Hassan, an associate professor of physics and optical sciences. Hassan has long pursued light-based computer technology and previously led efforts to develop the world's fastest electron microscope...
[T]he researchers used a laser that switches off and on at a rate of 638 attoseconds to create what Hassan called "the world's fastest petahertz quantum transistor... For reference, a single attosecond is one-quintillionth of a second," Hassan said. "That means that this achievement represents a big leap forward in the development of ultrafast computer technologies by realizing a petahertz-speed transistor." While some scientific advancements occur under strict conditions, including temperature and pressure, this new transistor performed in ambient conditions — opening the way to commercialization and use in everyday electronics. Hassan is working with Tech Launch Arizona, the office that works with investigators to commercialize inventions stemming from U of A research in order to patent and market innovations.
While the original invention used a specialized laser, the researchers are furthering development of a transistor compatible with commercially available equipment. "I hope we can collaborate with industry partners to realize this petahertz-speed transistor on a microchip," Hassan said.
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader goslackware for sharing the news.
"A team of scientists, including researchers from the University of Arizona, are working to make that possible." In a groundbreaking international effort, researchers from the Department of Physics in the College of Science and the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences demonstrated a way to manipulate electrons in graphene using pulses of light that last less than a trillionth of a second. By leveraging a quantum effect known as tunneling, they recorded electrons bypassing a physical barrier almost instantaneously, a feat that redefines the potential limits of computer processing power. A study published in Nature Communications highlights how the technique could lead to processing speeds in the petahertz range — over 1,000 times faster than modern computer chips. Sending data at those speeds would revolutionize computing as we know it, said Mohammed Hassan, an associate professor of physics and optical sciences. Hassan has long pursued light-based computer technology and previously led efforts to develop the world's fastest electron microscope...
[T]he researchers used a laser that switches off and on at a rate of 638 attoseconds to create what Hassan called "the world's fastest petahertz quantum transistor... For reference, a single attosecond is one-quintillionth of a second," Hassan said. "That means that this achievement represents a big leap forward in the development of ultrafast computer technologies by realizing a petahertz-speed transistor." While some scientific advancements occur under strict conditions, including temperature and pressure, this new transistor performed in ambient conditions — opening the way to commercialization and use in everyday electronics. Hassan is working with Tech Launch Arizona, the office that works with investigators to commercialize inventions stemming from U of A research in order to patent and market innovations.
While the original invention used a specialized laser, the researchers are furthering development of a transistor compatible with commercially available equipment. "I hope we can collaborate with industry partners to realize this petahertz-speed transistor on a microchip," Hassan said.
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader goslackware for sharing the news.
The real question is (Score:2)
Is what is the switching energy of said transistor. If it is the same as a regular radiator then you'll be really hot microchips
Nanoseconds and feet (Score:1)
1GHz is a 1 nsec clock...about 1 ft.
1THz is a 1 psec clock... about 1 mft, or 12 milli-inches... or 0.3 mm for the metric weanies in the crowd. A little smaller since electrical signals go about 2/3 c.
Not sure how you'd make it work on anything other than a really really tiny circuit.
1PHz is 300 nm. That's maybe a few dozen transistors at current process capability.
Re: (Score:2)
Very ironic, someone using prefixes for convenient calculation between different types of base units taking about "metric weanies."
The distance a signal travels in a clock cycle only limits you if you insist on having a global clock that is synchronized to less than one cycle. Asynchronous circuits aren't super common in CPUs yet but they do exist, they're reasonably widespread in signal processing chips, and ubiquitous in inter-IC communications.
Re: Nanoseconds and feet (Score:1)
Photons...sure. Electrons have much much smaller wavelengths.
1000 is not 1 million (Score:1)
> processing speeds in the petahertz range — over 1,000 times faster than modern computer chips
I'm not aware of any computer chips that operate in the terahertz range.
In the first line, it mentions a factor of 1 million, which makes sense, since current chips operate in the gigahertz range.
Re: (Score:2)
Optical transceivers are getting close.
Processing power? (Score:2)
Optical switching of transistors to generate fast electronic pulses can be useful on it's own, but you can't build an IC like that. For an IC you need either optical transistors or electronic transistors.
This does nothing for processing power, but it might improve communication speed. A possible alternative to PIN photodiodes.
ULTRAFAST light (Score:1)
> What if ultrafast pulses of light ...
What if universities worked to put out accurate press releases instead of trying to hype stuff to get more funding?
There is no "ultrafast" light. Light moves at... the speed of light. C. It doesn't go slower. It doesn't go faster.
Also tunneling takes time, so it's not like it's "magic timewarp tunnel" in Star Trek DS9 or a tunnel to 1941 for the USS NImitzs ("The FInal Countdown"). It is a process which increases time of operations.
If you can't put out a scient
Re: ULTRAFAST light (Score:2)
A reminder that C is defined as "the speed of light in vacuum". Does this mean that the speed of light in some material that is not vacuum can be less than C? Yes, it does! Speed of light in water is about 75 percent of C, if I remember correctly.
Re: (Score:2)
If you're going to be pedantic, you need to actually pedantically read first.
There is no "ultrafast" light
Which is why they were talking about ultrafast PULSES of light, not light moving ultrafast.
Also tunneling takes time,
It does, but it's not obvious what tunneling time even is when position is a distribution.
Needs a lot of work (Score:2)
That's amazingly fast. Too fast. If you start switching at those speeds, you can no longer use metal traces or doped silicon to carry the signals. The circuitry will bear more resemblance to optics.
There's a lot of surrounding technology that will have to catch up.