Quantum mechanics is not confined to the world of particle accelerators and nuclear physics. It also lets us understand the properties of materials. With this knowledge we can turn those properties to our advantage and build the transistors that control millions of devices from computers to wristwatches
IF you are sitting at home reading this you are probably surrounded by thousands of transistors. They are in the TV in the corner, the hi-fi, perhaps even the washing machine or your wristwatch. Each of these is likely to contain a hundred transistors or more. If you own a home computer, it…
