Single-atom transistor: Difference between revisions

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A '''single-atom transistor''' is a device that allows tocan open and close an electrical circuit by the controlled and reversible repositioning of one single atom. The Single-Atom Transistor was invented and first demonstrated in 2004 by Prof. Thomas Schimmel and his team of scientists at the [[Karlsruhe Institute of Technology]] (former University of Karlsruhe).<ref>F.-Q. Xie, L. Nittler, Ch. Obermair, Th. Schimmel, Phys. Rev. Lett.93, 128303 (2004)</ref> By means of a small electrical voltage applied to a control electrode, the so-called Gate electrode, a single atom is reversibly moved in and out of a tiny junction, in this way closing and opening an electrical contact.

Therefore, the Single-Atom Transistor works as an atomic switch or atomic relay, where the switchable atom opens and closes the gap between two tiny electrodes called Source and Drain.<ref>F.-Q. Xie, Ch. Obermair and Th. Schimmel, Solid State Communications 132, 437 (2004)</ref><ref>F.-Q. Xie, R. Maul, A. Augenstein, Ch. Obermair, E.B. Starikov, G. Schön, Th. Schimmel, W. Wenzel, Nano Lett. 8 (12),4493 (2008)</ref><ref>Ch. Obermair, F.-Q. Xie, Th. Schimmel, Europhysics News 41/4, 25-28 (2010)</ref> The Single-Atom Transistor opens perspectives for the development of future atomic-scale logics and quantum electronics.