April 1, 2014

Electrical Transmission at the Atomic Level



Heidelberg physicists develop new approach to building signal processing components from individual atoms

In a study on the transport of atoms in ultracold gases, a team of physicists led by Dr. Sandro Wimberger has developed a new approach to how signals might be transmitted at the atomic level. This could be especially important for realising logic structures with strictly defined functions on the basis of individual atoms, which in turn could find application in transistors or diodes. The research work in the innovative field of atomtronics is being done at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Heidelberg University. The researchers are attempting to gain a fundamental understanding of quantum mechanical effects as compared to conventional electronics.