Physicists from the University of Würzburg have made a breakthrough discovery that could pave the way for faster computer chips. They have developed a nanometer-sized light antenna with electrically modulated surface properties, which could lead to ultra-fast active plasmonics and significantly faster computer chips. Today’s computers are limited by their physical speed, operating at a maximum usable frequency of a few gigahertz. However, using light instead of electricity in computer chips could increase speeds by up to 1000 times.
The research team, led by Dr. Thorsten Feichtner, has achieved electrically controlled modulation of the light antenna’s surface properties, a significant step forward in the development of fast light-based switches. The team used sophisticated nanofabrication techniques and measurement methods to detect the small but significant effects on the surface of the resonator.
This breakthrough could lead to new applications, including smaller resonators promising optical modulators with high efficiency, which could be used technologically. The research was published in the journal Science Advances and involved collaboration between the University of Würzburg and the Southern Denmark University (SDU) in Odense.
Electrically Modulated Light Antenna: A Breakthrough towards Faster Computer Chips
The quest for faster computer chips has led physicists from the University of Würzburg to develop a nanometre-sized light antenna with electrically modulated surface properties. This breakthrough could pave the way for significantly faster computer chips, potentially up to 1000 times faster than current semiconductor components.
Currently, modern computers rely on several chips to divide up computing tasks because individual chip speeds cannot be increased further. However, by using light (photons) instead of electricity (electrons), computer chips could operate at much higher frequencies. Plasmonic resonators, also known as “antennas for light,” are a promising way to achieve this leap in speed. These nanometre-sized metal structures interact with light and electrons, depending on their geometry.
The challenge lies in effectively modulating plasmonic resonators, similar to transistors in conventional electronics. A research team from the University of Würzburg, in collaboration with the Southern Denmark University (SDU), has taken a significant step forward in this area by achieving electrically controlled modulation of light antennas.
Charged Optical Antennas: A New Approach
Instead of trying to change the entire resonator, the team focused on changing its surface properties. This was achieved by electrically contacting a single resonator, a nanorod made of gold, using sophisticated nanofabrication techniques based on helium ion beams and gold nanocrystals.
The effect utilized is comparable to the principle of the Faraday cage, where additional electrons on the surface influence the optical properties of the resonators. The researchers employed advanced measurement techniques with a lock-in amplifier to detect the small but significant effects on the surface of the resonator.
Surprising Quantum Effects
Until now, optical antennas could be described classically, with electrons stopping at the edge of the nanoparticle. However, the measurements taken by the Würzburg scientists revealed changes in the resonance that can no longer be explained in classical terms. The electrons “smear” across the boundary between metal and air, resulting in a soft, graduated transition.
To explain these quantum effects, theorists at SDU Odense developed a semi-classical model that incorporates quantum properties into a surface parameter. This allows calculations to be carried out using classical methods, creating a unified framework that advances our understanding of surface effects.
New Field of Research with Great Potential
The new model can reproduce the experiments, but exactly which of the many quantum effects are involved at the metal surface is not yet clear. However, this study enables the specific design of new antennas and the exclusion or amplification of individual quantum effects.
In the long term, the researchers envision even more applications: smaller resonators promise optical modulators with high efficiency, which could be used technologically. Additionally, the influence of surface electrons in catalytic processes can also be investigated with the system presented, providing new insights into energy conversion and energy storage technologies.
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