First deformable nanoscale electronic device made, expected to change the way quantum scientific research is conducted

Generally speaking, nanoelectronic components within devices such as smartphones are robust, static devices that cannot deform once they are designed and manufactured. But American physicists report that they have developed a new nanodevice that can "transform" into many different shapes and sizes even if it exists in solid form. This achievement is expected to fundamentally change the properties of electronic devices and the way atomic-scale quantum materials are studied. The relevant paper was published in the latest issue of Science Advances.

The golden part of the device can be "deformed".
Image source: University of California, Irvine  

Gold has become a common component in electronic components due to its good conductivity. In new research, a team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine, accidentally discovered that tiny gold nanowires can slide with very low friction on special crystals called van der Waals materials. Taking advantage of these smooth interfaces, the research team created a new type of electronic device using single-atom-thick graphene, in which the graphene is attached to gold wires that can quickly change configurations.

The findings show that devices once considered fixed and static can become flexible and dynamic. Researchers can now create nanoscale electronic devices that don't stick together, with movable parts that allow the device to be modified in size and shape and reconfigured into whatever "look" a person wants after it's built.

The research team said the significance of this study is that it demonstrates new properties of these materials, which can be used to achieve very different device architectures, such as resetting parts of the circuit. This research will usher in a new era of quantum scientific research and fundamentally change the way research is conducted in this field.