Quantum Physics, Every Time You Use Your Cell Phone

The BBC reported today that the UK company Peratech has developed a material that will soon be used to provide pressure sensitive touch screens for hand-held devices.  There are already several ways to make screens pressure sensitive, such as mechanical switches, but the new material is better suited for ultrathin devices because pressure sensitive switches can be made “70 micrometers thick – about the thickness of a human hair.”

Samsung, and Japanese touch-screen maker Nissha have both licensed Peratech’s “Quantum Tunnelling Composite” (QTC) that uses “spiky” metal nano-particles embedded evenly throughout a polymer.  The particles don’t actually touch but “the closer they get to each other, the more likely they are to undergo a quantum physics phenomenon known as tunnelling.” When the material is compressed, the nano-particles draw closer together resulting in a smooth increase in the current through the material.  QTC is more efficient than existing switches because when uncompressed, it is an “almost perfect insulator” and when compressed, it “conducts as well as a metal.”

Samsung has already incorporated QTC into the navigation feature of some smartphones and more hand-held products incorporating QTC technology should start appearing soon. The technology will allow for scrolling through lists more quickly as increased pressure is applied, or it can be used in gaming to control speed or acceleration. Pressure sensitivity could also lead to next generation“3D” touch screens; “instead of several ‘2D’ pages of applications, they could be grouped by type on a single page – using the press of a finger to dive into each type and select the desired app.” More: [BBC]