> The [crystalline ternary tetradymite] film — measuring just 100 nanometers wide, or about one-thousandth of the thickness of a human hair — was created throug

> The [crystalline ternary tetradymite] film — measuring just 100 nanometers wide, or about one-thousandth of the thickness of a human hair — was created through a process called molecular beam epitaxy, which involves precisely controlling beams of molecules to build a material atom-by-atom. This process allows materials to be constructed with minimal flaws or defects, enabling greater electron mobility, a measure of how easily electrons move through a material under an electric field. > When the scientists applied an electric current to the film, they recorded electrons moving at record-breaking speeds of 10,000 centimeters squared per volt-second (cm^2/V-s). By comparison, electrons typically move at about 1,400 cm^2/V-s in standard silicon semiconductors, and considerably slower in traditional copper wiring. MBE: Molecular-Beam Epitaxy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular-beam_epitaxy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular-beam_epitaxy