The New Water-based switch converts Water conductive within one trillionth of a second!
Transistors are essential components in electronic devices since they can regulate the flow of electricity through a circuit by acting as a switch. The switching speed or switching frequency of a transistor determines how rapidly it can switch between its conductive and non-conductive states.
To increase the switching speed of transistors in modern computers, a variety of techniques, including the use of advanced semiconductor materials, are used. They are, however, still limited in terms of speed. Ruhr University Bochum researchers have created a revolutionary concept for switches with unprecedented speed.
Terahertz-frequency ultrafast water-based switches
To make the switch, the researchers sprayed a thin sheet of a few microns thick sodium iodide dissolved water from a custom-made nozzle. The water jet was then activated by a short but powerful laser pulse at 400 nanometers (nm). This knocks electrons out of the dissolved salts, increasing water conductivity. Because of the high speed of the laser pulse, the water becomes conductive and behaves similarly to a metal.
All of this occurs in less than one trillionth of a second, resulting in potential computer speeds in the terahertz (THz) range, creating this water-based switch more efficient than the fastest semiconductor switching speed presently known. In the terahertz range, a speed of 10-12 seconds was observed. A second laser is used to determine the state of the water.
Terahertz devices could enable much faster computing in the future, and water-based technology could provide an environmentally friendly alternative to rare-earth metals. However, for the time being, this is only a concept. Many challenges remain before this technology can contribute substantially to electronic systems.
