Spooky Interference at a Distance
January 7, 2016 | University of TwenteEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Nanotechnologists at the University of Twente research institute MESA+ have discovered a new fundamental property of electrical currents in very small metal circuits. They show how electrons can spread out over the circuit like waves and cause interference effects at places where no electrical current is driven. The geometry of the circuit plays a key role in this so called nonlocal effect. The interference is a direct consequence of the quantum mechanical wave character of electrons and the specific geometry of the circuit. For designers of quantum computers it is an effect to take account of. The results are published in the British journal Scientific Reports.
Interference is a common phenomenon in nature and occurs when one or more propagating waves interact coherently. Interference of sound, light or water waves is well known, but also the carriers of electrical current – electrons – can interfere. It shows that electrons need to be considered as waves as well, at least in nanoscale circuits at extremely low temperatures: a canonical example of the quantum mechanical wave-particle duality.
Gold ring
The researchers from the University of Twente have demonstrated electron interference in a gold ring with a diameter of only 500 nanometers (a nanometer is a million times smaller than a millimeter). One side of the ring was connected to a miniature wire through which an electrical current can be driven. On the other side, the ring was connected to a wire with a voltmeter attached to it. When a current was applied, and a varying magnetic field was sent through the ring, the researchers detected electron interference at the other side of the ring, even though no net current flowed through the ring.
This shows that the electron waves can “leak” into the ring, and change the electrical properties elsewhere in the circuit, even when classically one does not expect anything to happen. Although the gold ring is diffusive (meaning that the electron mean free path is much smaller than the ring), the effect was surprisingly pronounced.
Page 1 of 2
Suggested Items
PCB Market Size to Grow by $29.06B from 2024-2028
05/17/2024 | PRNewswireThe global printed circuit board (PCB) market size is estimated to grow by USD 29.06 bn from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 6.6% during the forecast period.
Taiflex Announces Grand Opening of Thailand Factory
05/17/2024 | TAIFLEX Scientific Co. LtdTaiflex Scientific Co., Ltd., a global leader in advanced flexible printed circuit (FPC) materials, held the grand opening ceremony of its Thailand factory at the Amata City Chonburi Industrial Estate in Chonburi, Thailand.
Listen Up: Popular Podcast Series Returns With Discussion of Electroless Copper
05/16/2024 | I-Connect007In the latest episode of the podcast series, On the Line With: Designing for Reality, Nolan Johnson returns to Sunstone Circuits in Mulino, OR, to continue down the manufacturing process with Matt Stevenson.
IDENTCO Highlights Automation Capabilities and PCB Labeling at PCB East
05/13/2024 | IDENTCOIDENTCO – a manufacturer of high-performance labeling solutions for the power equipment, electronics, transportation, and general industrial sector – will highlight its automation capabilities and PCB labeling solutions at PCB East, June 4-7 in Boxborough, MA, Booth #301.
Podcast Review: On the Line with… Designing for Reality
05/09/2024 | Duane Benson, Positive Edge LLCAs a technologist, if I were forced to come up with just one recurring theme that I might call a professional “nemesis,” it would be the difference between theory and reality. A lot of technology we have at our disposal works well in theory but falls short when reality hits. That’s not the only reason I chose to listen to and review On the Line with… Designing for Reality, featuring a series of conversations with ASC Sunstone’s Matt Stevenson, but it certainly helped that the title caught my eye.