This week, our team participated in La Semana de la Ciencia, Europe’s largest annual science outreach event, celebrated from November 5-15, 2024. Hosted by institutions across the continent, this two-week event showcases scientific innovation to engage and inspire the public and students alike. Universities, research centers, museums, and more offer a wide array of activities, from seminars and open labs to guided tours and workshops. The Universidad de Granada alone has scheduled 365 activities and 157 itineraries, engaging groups of 15-25 students from early childhood to high school in a rich variety of scientific disciplines.
Our talk and activities focused on the frontier in electronics: silicon technology and the future with two-dimensional (2D) materials. The electronic components we use every day—from our phones to our computers—are primarily based on silicon technology. Over the past 50 years, the size of transistors (key components in these circuits) has drastically decreased, with today’s most powerful processors featuring transistors measured at the nanometer scale. However, further reducing their size is becoming increasingly challenging and costly, pushing researchers to seek new materials for even smaller, more efficient devices.
Enter 2D materials: ultra-thin materials, sometimes just one atom thick, that exhibit remarkable properties such as exceptional electrical and thermal conductivity, flexibility, and sensitivity. These unique attributes hold great promise for sustainable, high-impact applications in a variety of fields, potentially revolutionizing the way we approach electronics in society.
During our presentation, we showcased a selection of devices, simulations, designs, and projects currently being developed by the University of Granada’s Nanoelectronics Group in CITIC UGR in collaboration with the #+QCHIP Chair.
It was an honor to engage with the next generation of innovators and share the power of scientific discovery!
