The future of ultrafast materials and devices

Engineer Aaron Lindenberg is an expert in the ways atoms and electrons move through materials. He uses X-ray “flash photography” to make movies of atoms moving at ultrafast speeds to predict the fundamental limits of electronics in future consumer devices, solar cells, and AI chips. He estimates we are “many orders of magnitude away” from the physical limits of both speed and energy efficiency in our electronics. Today’s computers are at least a thousand times slower than they could be, Lindenberg tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected]. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Aaron Lindenberg Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Aaron Lindenberg, a professor of Material Science & Photon Science at Stanford University. (00:03:26) Path into Materials Science How a biology problem inspired Lindenberg’s interest in atomic-scale dynamics. (00:05:34) What Materials Scientists Study Understanding how atoms, electrons, and ions create useful material properties. (00:06:44) Seeing Atoms in Motion How X-ray scattering and diffraction reveal atomic structure and dynamics. (00:08:59) Femtosecond Timescales Why ultra-fast measurements are needed to capture atomic motion. (00:10:25) Making Atomic Movies How researchers use snapshots to study materials as they change. (00:13:08) Speed Limits in Materials What determines how fast a material can switch between states. (00:15:32) Faster and More Efficient Devices W

Show: The Future of Everything

Hosts: Stanford Engineering