Electronics of the future hinge on the discovery of unique materials. Sometimes, however, the naturally occurring topology of atoms makes it difficult for new physical effects to be created. To address this, scientists from the University of Zurich have now successfully designed superconductors one atom at a time, creating new states of matter.
What will the computer of the future look like? How will it work? The search for answers to these questions is a major driver of basic physical research. There are several possible scenarios, ranging from the further development of classical electronics to neuromorphic computing and quantum computers.
The common element in all these approaches is that they are based on novel physical effects, some of which have so far only been predicted in theory. Researchers go to great lengths and use state-of-the-art equipment in their quest for new quantum materials that will enable them to create such effects. But what if there are no suitable materials that occur naturally?
In a recent study published in Nature Physics, the research group of UZH Professor Titus Neupert, working closely together with physicists at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle (Germany), presented a possible solution. The researchers made the required materials themselves – one atom at a time.
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