One thing I've always wondered about when it comes to new process design at smaller scale: how much actual quantum mechanics is actually needed to get the job done? And ... if the answer is, as I suspect, a lot, what kind of numerical methods and processes are used to design and simulate these tiny quantum mechanical machines? [EDIT] I mean, when taking a basic QM course, there is a lot of contorsions to try and find…
Depends on what you mean by get the job done. (Rather which job) If you are doing research into designing advanced transistors with new geometry or new materials (which is what I did my graduate research in), you would be using something like DFT (Density functional theory) for equilibrium analysis and NEGF, Huckel theory etc. for simulating current. These methods only realistically work on ~500-1000 atom systems, be…
In particular, I had never heard of DFT ... really intesting and first time I am exposed to what feels like real "hands-on" QM (as opposed to the very stripped down systems one learns about in introductory QM textbooks).