US Patent 7459673 - Atomtronic switch with neutral atoms

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459673.html

Most engineers and scientists are familiar with the basic concepts of electronics and photonics which respectively attempt to create amplifying and switching circuits using electron transport and photon transport. Atomtronics is a more obscure way to create circuitry providing effects similar to superconductors and which may provide a path to quantum computing. Some early work in this area was done by Don Eigler of IBM and researchers at Hitachi and Stanford in atomic chain networks. This patent from Japan Science and Technology Agency teaches an atomtronic switch formed using neutral atoms. Claim 1 reads:

1. An atomic device using a neutral particle which is a neutral atom or a neutral molecule, comprising:

a first pair of electrodes provided at positions on a substrate with a trapping position disposed therebetween, and along a first axis passing through the trapping position, the trapping position being defined at a predetermined position on the substrate, and

a second pair of electrodes provided at positions on the substrate with the trapping position disposed therebetween, and along a second axis provided at a predetermined angle to the first axis and passing through the trapping position,

wherein the atomic device switches between a first state and a second state alternately to trap a neutral particle at the trapping position, one of the electrodes of the first pair of electrodes being set at a positive potential with respect to a reference potential and the other electrode being set at a negative potential in the first state, one of the electrodes of the second pair of electrodes being set at a positive potential with respect to the reference potential and the other electrode being set at a negative potential in the second state.