LEDs are the devices which glow when the current is passed through them in a single direction only. The LEDs find many applications in our everyday life for lighting purposes. They are used as blinking light sources for displays. However, one of the major research challenge for the engineers and scientists has been the miniaturization of these devices, as this will enable to create point sources. Furthermore, this technology could also be used for the creation of the components of nano-computer.
This ultimate challenge of the miniaturization has been overcome by a team of researchers at Institut de Physique et de Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS, CNRS/Université de Strasbourg), in collaboration with the researchers at UPMC and CEA. They have managed to develop an LED that is composed of a single molecule. The device consists of a single polythiophene wire which is placed between the gold surface and a scanning tunneling microscope. The light is emitted when the current is passed through certain dimension only. This experimental involves the interactions of photons and electrons at nano-technology scale.
We welcome this innovative invention as it will be a milestone in the development of quantum physics and will bring us closer to the birth of molecular nano-computer! Do you think the French have a role to play in future technologies?