Researchers bring theorized mechanism of conduction to life

Using recent innovations in 2-D materials, Stanford scientists realize a mechanism of conduction that could someday lead to new forms of energy conversion and higher-resolution scanning machines, such as those used in airports and quality control for manufacturing. Humans have harnessed large portions of the electromagnetic spectrum for diverse technologies, from X-rays to radios, but a chunk of that spectrum has remained largely out of reach. This is known as the terahertz gap, located between radio waves and infrared radiation, two parts of the spectrum we use in everyday technologies including cell phones, TV remotes and toasters. Physics Professor David Goldhaber-Gordon is co-author of new research that offers insights into electronic conduction that could lead to higher-resolution scanning machines. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero) A theory developed by the late Stanford professor and Nobel laureate Felix Bloch suggested that a specially structured material that allowed electrons to oscillate in a particular way might be able to conduct these sought-after terahertz signals. Now, decades after Bloch's theory, Stanford physicists may have developed materials that enable these theorized oscillations, someday allowing for improvements in technologies from solar cells to airport scanners. The group published their findings in the Sept.