Quantum synthesis for new electrical and optical applications, the materials showed performance over high temperature ranges and a great ability to store electricity.
A team of electrical engineers and scientists from UCR has demonstrated a research signal that could lead to major advances in electrical, optical and computer technology.
A research group of the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, led by the famous Professor Alexander Balandin, demonstrated in the laboratory the unique and useful functions of the newly created materials, which they called quantum composites.
These compounds contain small crystals of “charge density” embedded in a polymer matrix (large particles with a repetitive structure). Upon heating or exposure to light, the charge density continues to reverse which leads to an unusual electrical response of the mixture.
Compared to other materials that reveal quantum phenomena, the quantum composites developed by Balandin’s team showed performance at high temperatures and have a large capacity to store electricity, giving them a good potential for utility.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside describe the unique properties in an article titled “Quantum Composites with Charge-Density-Wave Fillers” published in the journal Advanced Materials. The paper’s lead authors were Zahra Barani and Tekwam Geremew, UCR graduate students in the college’s electrical and computer engineering department, who then designed and tested its components. Another graduate student at UCR, Maedeh Taheri, is a co-author of the electrical measurements. Balandin and Fariborz Kargar, Adjunct Adjunct Professor and Project Scientist, are corresponding authors.
The term quantum refers to materials and devices where electrons behave more like waves than particles. The wave nature of electrons can provide unusual properties that are used in the new generation of computers, electronics and optical technology.
Materials that reveal quantum phenomena are needed to build quantum computers that exceed the power limits of most current chip-based computers that use binary numbers for calculations. Such materials are also required for hypersensitive sensors used for various electronic and optical applications.
But the large-scale prototypes have major drawbacks, Balandin said.
“The problem with these things is that quantum phenomena are fragile and are only observed at very high temperatures,” he said. “Distortion and Impurity Disruption of Electron Wave Activity.”
Remarkably, the supercharger in the computer developed by Balandin’s laboratory showed an efficiency of up to 50ºC above room temperature. This transition state is close to the temperature of computers and other electronic devices, which heat up when running. This temperature tolerance opens the possibility of applications of quantum composites in electronics and energy storage.
The researchers also discovered that the quantum components have an unusually high dielectric – a metric that reflects a material’s ability to store electricity. The dielectric constant of electrical insulating composites has increased by more than two orders of magnitude, allowing for small and powerful capacitors used for energy storage.
“Energy storage can be found in battery applications,” Balandin said. “Capacitors can be used to provide surge power and provide power to computer memory during unexpected outages. Capacitors can charge and discharge faster than batteries. To expand the use of capacitors for energy storage, the power per volume will increase. Our statistical composition can help achieve this goal.“
Another possible application for quantum composites is reflective coatings. Dielectric changes are always triggered by heating, exposure to light or electrical appliances that can be used to change the light of glass and windows covered with such materials.
“We hope that our ability to preserve the quantum condensate system that controls the wave density, even in complex and even more than room temperature, can be a game changer for many applications. It’s a different way of thinking about adjusting the features of the things we use in everyday life,” added Balandin.
Source: University of California, Riverside
