Nanoscale electronic circuit suggests new possibilities for computers
By Ben Coxworth
17:33 December 8, 2011
Scientists have created one of the smallest electronic circuits ever, and it has led to a discovery that could result in faster, more efficient computers
The researchers were surprised to discover that each of the wires could be either positively or negatively affected by the other. In other words, the current in one wire could produce a current in the other that either flowed in the same direction, or in the opposite direction. According to the team, this discovery could lead to a reassessment of the current understandings regarding the behavior of electronic circuits at the nanoscale.
A team of scientists from Montreal's McGill University have successfully formed a circuit between two wires which were separated by a gap of only 15 nanometers - that's about the width of 150 atoms. It is reportedly "the first time that anyone has studied how the wires in an electronic circuit interact with one another when packed so tightly together." Along with being one of the smallest electronic circuits ever created, it has also led to a discovery that may have big implications for the world of computing.
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