Quantum physicists from Dresden and Würzburg have developed a robust and ultra-sensitive quantum semiconductor device. The device uses a topological skin effect to protect its functionality from external disturbances, allowing for highly precise measurements. The device is made from aluminium-gallium-arsenide and its design could revolutionise the semiconductor industry. The research, led by Professor Jeroen van den Brink from the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research in Dresden, was published in Nature Physics. The device is part of the work of the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, which studies topological quantum materials.
Topological Phenomenon in a Semiconductor Device
Semiconductor devices are small components that control electron flow in modern electronic devices, including cell phones, laptops, car sensors, and medical equipment. However, material impurities or temperature changes can disrupt the electron flow, leading to instability. The team from the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat—Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter have developed a semiconductor device from AlGaAs that is safeguarded by a topological quantum phenomenon. This research was recently detailed in the esteemed journal Nature Physics.
The Role of the Topological Skin Effect
The topological skin effect ensures that the currents between the different contacts on the quantum semiconductor are unaffected by impurities or other external perturbations. This makes topological devices increasingly appealing for the semiconductor industry as they eliminate the need for extremely high levels of material purity that currently drive up the costs of electronics manufacturing. Topological quantum materials, known for their exceptional robustness, are ideally suited for power-intensive applications. The quantum semiconductor developed by the team is both stable and highly accurate, making it a promising option in sensor engineering.
Extremely Robust and Ultra-Precise Quantum Device
The topological skin effect enables the creation of new types of high-performance electronic quantum devices that could also be incredibly small. The topological quantum device developed by the team measures about 0.1 millimeters in diameter and can be scaled down even further. This is the first time that a tiny, semiconductor-based topological quantum device that’s both highly robust and ultra-sensitive has been developed. The current–voltage relationship in the device is protected by the topological skin effect because the electrons are confined to the edge, ensuring the current flow remains stable even in the event of impurities in the semiconductor material.
Innovative Experimentation and Collaboration
The breakthrough was achieved by creatively arranging materials and contacts on an AlGaAs semiconductor device, inducing the topological effect under ultra-cold conditions and a strong magnetic field. The device was a joint effort involving theoretical physicists from Universität Würzburg and both theoretical and experimental researchers in Dresden. After being produced in France, the device was tested in Dresden. The team is now dedicated to further exploring this phenomenon, aiming to leverage it for future technological innovations.
Publication and Research Cluster
The research was published in Nature Physics under the title “Non-Hermitian topology in a multi-terminal quantum Hall device”. The authors include Ochkan, K., Chaturvedi, R., Könye, V., and others. The research was conducted under the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat – Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter, jointly run by Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg and Technische Universität (TU) Dresden since 2019. The cluster, which includes over 300 scientists from more than thirty countries and four continents, studies topological quantum materials that reveal surprising phenomena under extreme conditions such as ultra-low temperatures, high pressure, or strong magnetic fields.
“Thanks to the topological skin effect, all of the currents between the different contacts on the quantum semiconductor are unaffected by impurities or other external perturbations. This makes topological devices increasingly appealing for the semiconductor industry. They eliminate the need for the extremely high levels of material purity that currently drive up the costs of electronics manufacturing,” explains Professor Jeroen van den Brink, director of the Institute for Theoretical Solid State Physics at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research in Dresden (IFW) and a principal investigator of ct.qmat.
“Our quantum semiconductor is both stable and yet highly accurate—a rare combination. This positions our topological device as a thrilling new option in sensor engineering.”
“Our topological quantum device measures about 0.1 millimeters in diameter, and can be scaled down even further with ease,” reveals van den Brink.
“In our quantum device, the current–voltage relationship is protected by the topological skin effect because the electrons are confined to the edge. Even in the event of impurities in the semiconductor material, the current flow remains stable,” explains van den Brink. He continues: “Moreover, the contacts can detect even the slightest fluctuations in current or voltage. This makes the topological quantum device exceptionally well suited for making high-precision sensors and amplifiers with minuscule diameters.”
“We really coaxed the topological skin effect out of the device,” van den Brink explains.
Quick Summary
Quantum physicists have developed a highly robust and sensitive semiconductor device, utilising a quantum phenomenon known as the topological skin effect, which protects the device from external disruptions and allows for extremely precise measurements. This breakthrough, which could revolutionise sensor engineering and electronics manufacturing by reducing the need for high levels of material purity, was achieved by arranging contacts on an aluminium-gallium-arsenide material and has been published in Nature Physics.
- Quantum physicists from Dresden and Würzburg have developed a topological quantum device, a significant breakthrough in the field of quantum physics.
- The device, made from aluminium-gallium-arsenide (AlGaAs), utilises a quantum phenomenon known as the topological skin effect to ensure robustness and sensitivity.
- This effect protects the device from external disturbances, allowing for highly precise measurements.
- The research, published in Nature Physics, could have significant implications for the semiconductor industry, potentially reducing the need for extremely high levels of material purity in electronics manufacturing.
- The device is also incredibly small, measuring about 0.1 millimeters in diameter, and can be scaled down further.
- The research was conducted by the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat—Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter, involving theoretical physicists from Universität Würzburg and both theoretical and experimental researchers in Dresden.
- Professor Jeroen van den Brink, director of the Institute for Theoretical Solid State Physics at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research in Dresden (IFW) and a principal investigator of ct.qmat, played a key role in the research.
