an introduction to nano computers

Submitted by:ANOOP KEEZHILLATHanoopkeezhillath@live.in

INTRODUCTION

The computer has already gone through a dynamic revolution. Thirty years ago, computers were the size of a room and incredibly slow. Few people probably would have imagined supercomputers that can do over a trillion calculations per second. Today, the average person's desktop computer is more powerful than the fastest computers were 30 years ago. The only way this can continue is if a new type of computer is developed. This computer is known as a “NANOCOMPUTER”. It may one day replace the modern computer due to many economic and scientific constraints that will one day halt the modern computer’s advancement.

Nanotechnology is exciting emerging science & technological field.

It is all about building things atom by atom & molecule by molecule.

Goal of this technology is to make tiny devices called ‘Nanomachines’.

Manufacturing products made from an atom, the property of those products depends on how those atoms are arranged.

The general definition of a nanocomputer is a computer which either uses nanoscale elements in its design, or is of a total size measured in nanometers.

According to Moore’s Law, the number of transistors that will fit on a silicon chip doubles every eighteen months. Presently, microprocessors have more than

forty million transistors; by 2010 they could have up to five billion.

By the year 2030, the trend line of Moore’s law states that there should be a one nanometer feature size.

Electronic

Mechanical

Chemical

Quantum

Electronic nanocomputers would operate in a manner similar to the way present-day microcomputers work.

Due to our fifty years of experience with electronic computing devices, advances in nanocomputing technology are likely to come in this direction. 

Although electronic nanocomputers will not use the traditional concept of transistors for its components, they will still operate by storing information in the positions of electrons. 

There are several methods of nanoelectronic data storage currently being researched.  Among the most promising are single electron transistors and quantum dots.

All of these devices function based upon the principles of quantum mechanics.

They are nanometer scaled “boxes” for selectively holding or releasing electrons.

The number of electrons can be changed by adjusting electric fields in the area of the dot.

Dots range from 30nm to 1 micron in size and hold anywhere from 0 to 100s of electrons.

Logic gates can be created using dot cells.

When the gate voltage is set to zero, very little tunneling occurs.

The charge transfer is continuous. This voltage controlled current behavior makes the

SET act like a field effect transistor, just on a smaller scale.

Chemical and biochemical computers would store and process information in terms of chemical structures and interactions.

Biochemical Nanocomputers already exist in nature that are large uncontrolled by human.

Chemical nanocomputer would proceed to a path similar to genetic – An analogy.

In general terms chemical computer is one that process info in terms of making and breaking chemical bonds & store resulting info in terms of chemical structure.

A nanocomputer that uses DNA (deoxyribonucleic acids) to store information and perform complex calculations.

In 1994, University of Southern California computer scientist named Leonard Adelman suggested that DNA could be used to solve complex mathematical problems.

Speed is not up to the mark.

Due to the combination of four molecules A,T,C,G several possible combinations are found very quickly but it takes days to find the perfect one.

The most important , is that it requires “ HUMAN ASSISTANCE “ .

Mechanical nanocomputers would use tiny moving components called nanogears to encode information.

Other than being scaled down in size greatly, the mechanical nanocomputer would operate similar to the mechanical calculators used during the 1940s to 1970s.

Eric Drexler and Ralph Merkle are the leading nanotech pioneers involved with mechanical nanocomputers.

They believe that through a process known as mechanosynthesis, or mechanical positioning, that these tiny machines would be able to be assembled.

The fabrication of such nano mechanical devices requires some hand made parts .

It becomes a tedious job to move few atoms from one place to another, and it is really a difficult task to manufacture a reliable system using this technique.

A Quantum Nanocomputer would work by storing data in the form of atomic quantum states or spin.

Single-electron memory (SEM) and quantum dots. The energy state of an electron within an atom, theoretically represent one, two, four, eight, or even 16 bits of data. The main problem with this technology is instability.

Instantaneous electron energy states are difficult to predict and even more difficult to control..

Applications of Quantum Computers

Disadvantages of Quantum Computers

1. Quantum Encryption

2.Statistical analysis

  3.Factoring large numbers

  4.Solving problems in theoretical physics

The technology needed to build a quantum computer is currently beyond our reach.

This is due to the fact that the coherent state, fundamental to a quantum computers operation, is destroyed as soon as it is measurably affected by its environment.

Attempts at combatting this problem have had little success, but the hunt for a practical solution continues.

1. NANOSPACE

2. CANCEL CANCER

3. BIO-NANOTECHNOLOGY

4. NANOMETROLOGY

5. EARTH STRAIN MEASUREMENT

6. AIRBORNE GRAVITY MEASUREMENT

“ The best way to predict the future is to invent it. "