A Superatomic Semiconductor Sets a Speed Record | Columbia Quantum Initiative
quantum.columbia.edu
  • Columbia University chemists have developed Re6Se8Cl2, a superatomic semiconductor exhibiting ballistic flow, potentially surpassing conventional semiconductors in speed and efficiency.
  • This material forms acoustic exciton-polarons that move scatter-free across the material, promising faster and more efficient energy and information transfer.
  • Unlike silicon, exciton-polarons in Re6Se8Cl2 pair with phonons, enabling steady, rapid movement without scattering, which could lead to faster processing speeds at room temperature.
  • Re6Se8Cl2 is unlikely for commercial use due to the rarity and cost of Rhenium, but the discovery opens possibilities for other materials with similar properties for future technological applications.
  • TWeaK@lemm.eeEnglish
    9·
    1 year ago
    • This material forms acoustic exciton-polarons

    They’re just making terminology up as they please at this point. However it apparently makes for good SEO for this study.

    Also, electron drift velocity is but one measure of speed, and quite slow relative to the ones that typically matter in practical applications.

      • TWeaK@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        Yes but they’re talking about acoustic exciton polarons. Which I’m not sure makes great sense, it’s kind of stretching the terminology a little excessively, although maybe it only sounds that way because it’s new. The acoustic part is from the phonon, which is what makes it a polaron, and it is an exciton polaron because it’s an electron-hole pair rather than just an electron. But it also implies the prior existence of an “optical exciton polaron”, a term which hasn’t yet been coined. However, they’re the one discovering the new quasi-particle, so they get to name it. In any case, searching for “acoustic exciton polarons” brings up many articles about this specific paper and little else.

    • ijeff@lemdro.idOPEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      They appear to be attempting to give it a distinct name here.

      Rather than scattering when they come into contact with phonons, excitons in Re6Se8Cl2 actually bind with phonons to create new quasiparticles called acoustic exciton-polarons. Although polarons are found in many materials, those in Re6Se8Cl2 have a special property: they are capable of ballistic, or scatter-free, flow. This ballistic behavior could mean faster and more efficient devices one day.

      • TWeaK@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        It definitely is a distinct name, searching for it pretty much only brings up articles about their study.