Single-electron devices and their applications

The goal of this paper is to review in brief the basic physics of single-election devices, as well as their-current and prospective applications. These devices based on the controllable transfer of single electrons between small conducting "islands", have already enabled several important...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the IEEE 1999-04, Vol.87 (4), p.606-632
Main Author: Likharev, K.K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Byproducts
Conduction
Conductors
Devices
Digital circuits
Electronics
Instrumentation
Instruments
Islands
Memory
Metrology
Physics
Silicon
Silicon transistors
Single electron devices
Solid state circuits
Tunneling
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Summary:The goal of this paper is to review in brief the basic physics of single-election devices, as well as their-current and prospective applications. These devices based on the controllable transfer of single electrons between small conducting "islands", have already enabled several important scientific experiments. Several other applications of analog single-election devices in unique scientific instrumentation and metrology seem quite feasible. On the other hand, the prospect of silicon transistors being replaced by single-electron devices in integrated digital circuits faces tough challenges and remains uncertain. Nevertheless, even if this replacement does not happen, single electronics will continue to play an important role by shedding light on the fundamental size limitations of new electronic devices. Moreover, recent research in this field has generated some by-product ideas which may revolutionize random-access-memory and digital-data-storage technologies.
ISSN:0018-9219
1558-2256
DOI:10.1109/5.752518