The quantum waltz of electrons hints at the next generation of chips

EPFL researchers have successfully measured some of the quantum properties of electrons in two-dimensional semiconductors. This work in the field of spintronics could one day lead to chips that are not only smaller but that also generate less heat. A group of spintronics researchers at EPFL is using new materials to reveal more of the many capabilities of electrons. The field of spintronics seeks to tap the quantum properties of "spin," the term often used to describe one of the fundamental properties of elementary particles - in this case, electrons. This is among the most cutting-edge areas of research in electronics today. Researchers working in the Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES), which is run by Professor Andras Kis, were able to quantify these quantum properties for a category of two-dimensional semiconductors called transition metal dichalcogenides, or TMDCs. Their research projects, which were published recently in ACS Nano and today , confirm that materials like graphene (C), molybdenite (MoS₂) and tungsten diselenide (WSe₂) offer, either alone or by combining some of their characteristics, new perspectives for the field of electronics - perspectives that could ultimately lead to smaller chips that generate less heat.