A groundbreaking superatomic semiconductor, Re6Se8Cl2, has been developed by Columbia University researchers, demonstrating superior speed and efficiency over traditional silicon. This innovative material introduces new quasiparticles, marking a significant advancement in semiconductor technology.
Columbia University chemists have uncovered ballistic flow in a quantum material, potentially addressing current semiconductor limitations.
Silicon-based semiconductors are crucial in powering various electronic devices, including computers and cellphones. However, these materials face inherent limitations due to atomic vibrations that generate quantum particles called phonons, leading to particle scattering. This scattering, happening over nanometers and femtoseconds, results in energy loss as heat and limits information transfer speed.
In search of better alternatives, a team led by PhD student Jack Tulyag and chemistry professor Milan Delor at Columbia University, reported in Science the discovery of the most efficient and fastest semiconductor to date: Re6Se8Cl2, a superatomic material.
Unique to Re6Se8Cl2, excitons bind with phonons to form new quasiparticles named acoustic exciton-polarons. These polarons exhibit ballistic flow, potentially enabling faster and more efficient devices.
Testing revealed that these acoustic exciton-polarons in Re6Se8Cl2 move at double the speed of electrons in silicon and could traverse over 25 micrometers. Controlled by light rather than electrical current, these quasiparticles could potentially enable processing speeds at femtosecond scales, vastly outperforming current gigahertz electronics, all at room temperature.
Delor highlights Re6Se8Cl2 as the most efficient semiconductor in energy transport known so far.
The superatomic semiconductor Re6Se8Cl2 was developed in Xavier Roy’s lab. Superatoms, clusters behaving as large atoms with unique properties, are synthesized in Roy’s lab, part of Columbia’s NSF-funded Material Research Science and Engineering Center on Precision Assembled Quantum Materials. Delor’s focus is on manipulating energy transport through these novel materials.
Initially, Re6Se8Cl2 was tested for microscope resolution capabilities, but unexpectedly demonstrated unprecedentedly fast movement. The material contrasts with silicon, where electrons move quickly but scatter too much. In Re6Se8Cl2, slow-moving excitons pair with acoustic phonons, resulting in quasiparticles that, though heavy and slow, move steadily and ultimately faster than electrons in silicon.
Tulyag and his team, in collaboration with theoretical chemist Petra Shih, developed a quantum mechanical model and an advanced microscope to study these polarons.
Delor likens this to the tortoise and the hare fable: silicon electrons (hare) move quickly but inefficiently, whereas Re6Se8Cl2 excitons (tortoise) move slowly but steadily, achieving greater overall speed.
Re6Se8Cl2’s potential in commercial products is limited due to the scarcity and cost of Rhenium. However, the new insights and imaging techniques developed by Tulyag and Delor’s team pave the way for exploring other superatomic materials that could surpass Re6Se8Cl2 in speed.
Delor remains optimistic about discovering materials capable of similar room-temperature ballistic exciton transport, suggesting a wide range of superatomic and 2D semiconductor materials suitable for acoustic polaron formation.
The study, published in Science on 26 October 2023, was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about superatomic semiconductor
What is Re6Se8Cl2 and why is it significant?
Re6Se8Cl2 is a superatomic semiconductor developed by researchers at Columbia University. It is significant because it outperforms traditional silicon semiconductors in terms of speed and efficiency, thanks to its ability to form unique quasiparticles. This advancement opens new possibilities in semiconductor technology.
How does Re6Se8Cl2 differ from traditional semiconductors?
Re6Se8Cl2 differs from traditional semiconductors like silicon by forming quasiparticles called acoustic exciton-polarons. These quasiparticles exhibit ballistic flow, which means they move without scattering, allowing for faster and more efficient energy and information transfer in electronic devices.
What are the potential applications of Re6Se8Cl2?
The potential applications of Re6Se8Cl2 include more efficient and faster electronic devices, such as computers and smartphones. Its unique properties could lead to significant advancements in semiconductor technology, impacting various electronic applications.
Can Re6Se8Cl2 replace silicon in electronic devices?
While Re6Se8Cl2 has shown superior performance compared to silicon, it is unlikely to replace silicon in commercial products soon due to the rarity and cost of Rhenium, a key component. However, its development is a crucial step in exploring new materials for future semiconductor technologies.
Who led the research on Re6Se8Cl2?
The research on Re6Se8Cl2 was led by a team of chemists at Columbia University, including PhD student Jack Tulyag and chemistry professor Milan Delor. Their work has been instrumental in discovering and understanding the properties and potential of this new superatomic semiconductor.
More about superatomic semiconductor
- Columbia University Chemistry Department
- Science Journal Publication
- NSF-funded Material Research Science and Engineering Center
- Superatomic Semiconductors: An Overview
- The Future of Electronics: Beyond Silicon
- Quantum Materials Research at Columbia University
4 comments
Loved reading about this, exciting times for semiconductor tech. But, isn’t it a bit early to say if it’ll really outperform silicon in the long run? Let’s wait and see.
the article’s great but feels a bit too technical? maybe could use some simpler explanations for us non-scientists. Still, props to Columbia for the breakthrough!
Wow, Re6Se8Cl2 sounds like a game changer but the cost of Rhenium might be a problem, no? Also, how soon can we actually see this in our gadgets?
really interesting stuff! i had no idea we were so close to finding alternatives to silicon. this could be huge for the tech industry…