Holey wire wins Australasian Science Prize

10 November 2006

Tiny wires could unleash a new world of super-fast quantum computers.

UNSW research with the potential to revolutionise the storage and processing of information has earned Associate Professor Alex Hamilton the Australasian Science Prize for 2006.

Alex Hamilton and his team at the Quantum Electronic Devices (QED) Group have found ways to manipulate the magnetic spin of holes in semiconductors, which are 100 times narrower than a human hair.

Known as a “hole quantum wire”, the breakthrough exploits the gaps between electrons and can carry a current without need for electrons.

The remarkable properties of these tiny wires could unleash a new world of super-fast, low-powered transistors and powerful quantum computers.

The other members of the QED group are: Dr Warrick Clarke, Dr Romain Danneau, Mr Lap-Hang Ho, Mr Oleh Klochan, Dr Adam Micolich, Prof Michelle Simmons, Mr Tom Sobey and Dr Carlin Yasin.

The award comes on the back of recent good news for the group. Dr Micolich and Associate Professor Hamilton were recently awarded a discovery grant of $1.3 million from the Australian Research Council to extend their research on GaAs nanostructure devices.

Further, Associate Professor Hamilton has been awarded a 5-year ARC Professorial Fellowship, and Dr Micolich was awarded a "Young Tall Poppy" Award from the Australian Institute of Policy & Science.

Meanwhile, the research continues with PhD student Lap-hang Ho conducting a unique series of experiments on coupled hole devices, and Oleh Klochan continuing experiments on a new generation of hole quantum wires.

A story on the team’s research is published in the current issue of Australasian Science