The next generation of microchips could be used for anything from navigating the moon’s surface to helping farmers determine whether the fruit is ready for harvest.
Lithium niobate is a lab-grown crystal discovered in the late 1940s that has come back in vogue as scientists search for alternatives to the silicon chips used in cars, phones and computers.
The material can detect colour waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, which is what makes it so unique, according to RMIT University’s Prof. Arnan Mitchell.
“The science, technology and industrial community are starting to move away from the sort of mass manufacture of silicon,” Mitchell told AAP….