Quantum physicist Mickael Perrin usesGraphene Ribbon ConstructionNanoscale power plants that convert waste heat from electrical equipment into electricity. .When Mikael Perrin began his scientific career 12 years ago, he had no idea that he was working in a field that would arouse widespread public interest just a few years later: quantum electronics.

He recalled: "At that time, physicists were just starting to talk about quantum technology and the potential of quantum computers. Today, there are dozens of startups in this field, and governments and companies are investing billions of dollars to further develop this technology. We are now seeing the first applications in computer science, cryptography, communications and sensors."

Perrin's research opens up another area of ​​application: using quantum effects to generate electricity with almost zero energy loss. To achieve this, the 36-year-old scientist combined two usually separate disciplines in physics: thermodynamics and quantum mechanics.


Mikal Perrin. Image source: SNF

Last year, the quality of Perrin's research and its potential for future applications brought him two distinctions: not only did he receive one of the European Research Council's start-up funds, a coveted option for young researchers, but he also received an Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNS) F. He now leads a nine-person research group at Empa and is also an assistant professor of quantum electronics at ETH Zurich.

After finishing high school in Amsterdam, he started studying for a degree in applied physics at Delft University of Technology in 2005. From the beginning, Perrin was more interested in practical applications than theory.

It was while studying with Herrevander Zant, a pioneer in the field of quantum electronics, that Perrin first experienced the charm of micro- and nano-scale device engineering. He soon realized the endless possibilities offered by molecular electronics, as circuits have completely different properties depending on the molecules and materials chosen and can function as transistors, diodes or sensors.

Nanoengineering Challenges

During his PhD, Perrin spent a lot of time in the clean rooms of TU Delft's nanolab - always covered in a white hood to prevent hair or dust particles from contaminating the tiny electronics. Clean rooms provide the technical basis for building machines that are a few nanometers in size (about 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair).

"Generally speaking, the smaller the structure you want to build, the larger and more expensive the machine you need," explains Perrin. "For example, lithography machines are used to draw complex microcircuit patterns on microchips. Nanofabrication and experimental physics require a lot of creativity and patience, because something almost always goes wrong. However, it is the strange and unexpected results that are often the most exciting."

A year after graduating from his Ph.D., Perrin got a position in Michel Calame's laboratory. Since then, the French-Swiss citizen has lived in Dübendorf with his partner and two daughters.

At Empa, the young researcher is free to continue experimenting with nanomaterials. One material soon caught his attention in particular: graphene nanoribbons, a material made of carbon atoms as thin as individual atoms. The nanoribbons were fabricated with the highest precision by Roman Fasel's research group at Empa. Perrin was able to demonstrate that these nanoribbons had unique properties that could be used in a range of quantum technologies.

At the same time, he began to pay close attention to converting heat energy into electricity. In 2018, it was demonstrated that quantum effects can be used to efficiently convert thermal energy into electricity.

So far, the problem is that these ideal physical properties only occur at extremely low temperatures - close toAbsolute zero (0 Kelvin; -273°C). This has little to do with potential future applications such as smartphones or tiny sensors. Palin came up with the idea of ​​using graphene nanoribbons to circumvent this problem. Compared with other materials, the special physical properties of graphene nanoribbons mean that temperature has a much smaller impact on quantum effects, making it easier to produce ideal thermoelectric effects.

His research group at Empa soon showed that the quantum effects of graphene nanoribbons remain essentially unchanged even at 250 Kelvin (minus 23 degrees Celsius). In the future, the system is expected to work at room temperature.

Future challenges and ambitions

There are many challenges that need to be overcome to make our smartphones use less power. Extreme miniaturization means a constant need for special components to ensure that the built-in systems actually work.

Palin, along with colleagues from China, the UK and Switzerland, recently discovered that carbon nanotubes with a diameter of just one nanometer can be integrated into these systems as electrodes. However, Palin estimates that it will be at least 15 years before these delicate and highly complex materials can be manufactured at scale and integrated into devices.

"My goal is to develop the basic basis for applying this technology. Only then can we assess its potential for practical applications."

Compiled source: ScitechDaily