Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have developed a system that uses atomically thin semiconductors to transmit data in a highly efficient and energy-saving manner. This breakthrough could potentially power next-generation computers and smartphones, making them consume far less power than current devices.
This new high-efficiency technology is achieved by mixing excitons (electrons and holes) with light in an atom-thin semiconductor. Mixing light with light in an atom-thin semiconductor is about 100,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper. This new energy-efficient semiconductor technology reduces the power required for operation without generating any heat, meaning no energy is wasted.
A research team at the Australian National University (ANU) has demonstrated for the first time that information carriers (particles that can transmit data in computers) can be efficiently transmitted within these atomically thin semiconductors at room temperature. This is a necessary step in creating future computers and smartphones.
Researchers say that computers already consume about 10% of all available electricity globally, at extremely high monetary and environmental costs. This figure is projected to double every decade due to increasing demand for computers. The research team hopes this technology will pave the way for sustainable development in the future of computing by reducing wasteful energy consumption.
Researchers believe this study contributes to the global development of low-energy semiconductor technologies for computing and information processing. Future research could focus on developing high-efficiency sensors and lasers based on this semiconductor technology.
