In a landmark experiment, researchers have achieved the fastest-ever detection of a single electron, capturing its presence within 6 trillionths of a second in a gallium arsenide semiconductor.
By injecting two electrons from separate sites and monitoring their near-instantaneous electric repulsion as they approached, scientists at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory used one electron’s deflection to pinpoint the other. This exceptional temporal resolution is roughly 100 times quicker than previous methods, moving us closer to building devices that manipulate single electrons at the speed of quantum interactions.
Conventional electronics rely on vast flows of many electrons, but controlling single-electron events in real time could make devices much faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient—while also directly tapping the quantum nature of electrons. The approach depends on exquisitely controlled electron pumps and sensors, hinting at the possibility of future quantum technologies as compact as a microchip. T
he achievement provides an essential building block for advances in quantum communication and computing, and could even allow improvement in the fundamental definitions of electric current by employing quantum standards.
What makes this finding unique is its ability to probe the fleeting, ultrafast interactions that underlie all electrical currents—a regime where quantum behavior dominates. Researchers now hope to use this capability to unlock deeper insights into the quantum world, accelerating progress toward devices and measurements unimaginable just a decade ago.
RESEARCH PAPER
Masaya Kataoka et al, "Single-electron detection on a picosecond timescale", Physical Review Letters (2025)
— in New York, NY, United States.
#science #scrolllink🔬 In a landmark experiment, researchers have achieved the fastest-ever detection of a single electron, capturing its presence within 6 trillionths of a second in a gallium arsenide semiconductor.
By injecting two electrons from separate sites and monitoring their near-instantaneous electric repulsion as they approached, scientists at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory used one electron’s deflection to pinpoint the other. This exceptional temporal resolution is roughly 100 times quicker than previous methods, moving us closer to building devices that manipulate single electrons at the speed of quantum interactions.
Conventional electronics rely on vast flows of many electrons, but controlling single-electron events in real time could make devices much faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient—while also directly tapping the quantum nature of electrons. The approach depends on exquisitely controlled electron pumps and sensors, hinting at the possibility of future quantum technologies as compact as a microchip. T
he achievement provides an essential building block for advances in quantum communication and computing, and could even allow improvement in the fundamental definitions of electric current by employing quantum standards.
What makes this finding unique is its ability to probe the fleeting, ultrafast interactions that underlie all electrical currents—a regime where quantum behavior dominates. Researchers now hope to use this capability to unlock deeper insights into the quantum world, accelerating progress toward devices and measurements unimaginable just a decade ago.
📄 RESEARCH PAPER
📌 Masaya Kataoka et al, "Single-electron detection on a picosecond timescale", Physical Review Letters (2025)
— in New York, NY, United States.
#science #scrolllink
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