Scientists have discovered a new molecule that might transform how we build computers—making them smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient.
The research, led by physicist Kun Wang at the University of Miami, could help us move beyond the limitations of silicon, the material used in today’s computer chips.
Since the 1980s, computers have become smaller and more powerful, fitting into our pockets as smartphones.
This progress has been made possible largely by squeezing more transistors onto silicon chips.
But now, after decades of shrinking technology, silicon is reaching its physical limits. Experts say we’re running out of room to keep making chips smaller using traditional methods.
That’s why Wang and other researchers are turning to something completely different: organic molecules.
These tiny molecules could be used to carry electrical signals inside future computer chips. If successful, molecular electronics could allow computers to keep getting smaller without sacrificing speed or power.
Until now, no organic molecule had been found that could conduct electricity efficiently over a long enough distance. But Wang’s team has changed that.
Working with graduate students and researchers from Georgia Tech and the University of Rochester, they’ve discovered what may be the most electrically conductive organic molecule ever created.
Their work was recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
What makes this molecule special is that it allows electricity to pass through it with almost no energy loss—even across distances of tens of nanometers, which is incredibly long for a molecule.
In everyday terms, electrons move through it “like a bullet,” Wang explained, without slowing down or losing energy.
This molecule is made from common elements like carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. It’s stable in air and under everyday conditions, making it practical for use in real devices. The team spent more than two years testing and confirming the molecule’s unique properties using a special type of microscope called a scanning tunneling microscope.
This breakthrough could lead to smaller and cheaper computers, and even new kinds of technology. Because electrons in the molecule behave in a highly efficient way, it might also be useful in the world of quantum computing. Wang believes the molecule could even function as a qubit, the basic unit of a quantum computer.
What’s more, the molecule is inexpensive to make and could be easily integrated into existing technology. This discovery doesn’t just offer a new option—it offers entirely new possibilities for how future computers might be built.
Source: University of Miami.
