Nanoelectronics Research Progress

The Nanoelectronics program strives to solve the fundamental questions of this new field, to discover and design new platforms for electronics and, ultimately, to create circuits thousands of times smaller than those found on current microchips.

Current microchips rely on billions of electrons to operate an electronic device. As a result computers and peripherals guzzle electrons in a highly inefficient manner.

Many Nanoelectronics members hope to transform the electronics industry by exploiting the smallest unit of electric charge, the electron. They are working on nanoelectronic devices that rely on the control of individual electrons to do calculations and process information.

Spintronics, a relatively new focus for the program, uses the spin of electrons as a tool for computation. Currently, researchers manipulate electrons’ spin by applying high frequency electric or magnetic fields to a material. Program members recently discovered a new way to manipulate electron spin in semiconductors, which are the foundation of most electronic devices – a method that does not require traditional high-frequency fields.

Another frontier of information processing involves working with photons, or particles of light. CIFAR researchers are leading the way in developing “photonic band gap materials,” crystalline structures capable of trapping, guiding and controlling light. These materials are not only a promising means to achieve faster, more efficient computation; they are also helping researchers to better understand the quantum behaviour of single photons.

Other researchers in the program look to nature for nanoelectronics solutions. They have found that DNA – large molecules of genetic material – can be a practical template for organizing particles into patterns and designs for nanoscale electronics. DNA self-assembles in a specific way, which has allowed one CIFAR researcher to attach gold atoms and other materials to DNA molecules, creating tiny, precise structures suitable for nanoelectronic applications.

More than 600 nanotechnology-based consumer products are currently on store shelves – from sunscreens and anti-stain coatings to medical devices and electronics – regulation is becoming a crucial topic. In addition to their research, many Nanoelectronics program members participate in national and international panels to assess the safety of nanomaterials and make recommendations for how to manage them.