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Efficiently Producing Quantum Dots
generica1 writes "The Edmonton Journal is reporting on the University of Alberta's National Institute for Nanotechnology's recent invention of a new method to produce quantum dots — what are currently the world's smallest quantum dots, possibly allowing for startling increases in the efficiency of semiconductor-based equipment. 'Roughly speaking, we predict there could be a 1,000-time reduction in power consumption with electronic computers built in this new way,' said Robert Wolkow, a physicist at the University of Alberta and leader of the team behind the breakthrough. Read the article for a description of the wave-like phenomenon employed by Wolkow's team to accomplish a vastly lower power consumption during the transfer of electrons."
"Previously developed quantum dots range in size from two to 10 nanometres -- a nanometre is one-billionth of a metre -- and contain groupings of 1,000 or more atoms."
"The quantum dot developed by Wolkow's team is much smaller; less than a nanometre in diameter and containing only one or two particles."
I guess your guess is wrong, because atoms are clearly not subatomic particles.
Nuclear plants can still do this, just get sane environmentalists working with engineers to provide supreme safety redundancy and get the "if its not zero impact it shouldn't be allowed" enviro-nazis out of it.
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They also claim that Physical Review Letters, is considered the world's premier physics journal. By whom? It was 12th in the ranking in 2007.
By most of the physicist I know. Publishing in higher ranked journals like Nature Physics etc. usually is good news, but good research in physics is typically awarded by a PRL paper. Actually, the existence of a one main authorship in PRL is a criterion of quality of a PhD study in my lab. Cheers, K
As someone who works in the field of nanotechnology, I assure you that this development is definitely a milestone.
Some of the major developments in quantum computing and photonics relies on cheap and efficient development of quantum dots.