Quantum exploit revolutionises pressure-touch phones

New mobile devices may soon be fitted with a new technology which detects pressure sensitive touch, exploited by a quantum physics "trick".

Quantum tunnelling composite (QTC) are metals and non-conducting elastic polymers which when pressure is applied, the conductive elements move closer together and allow electricity to flow through the insulating area.

Essentially, this will allow phones and mobile devices to have this technology fitted which enables users to scroll down a page, an e-book or similar, faster or slower depending on the pressure applied.

The BBC explains the technology further:

"The composite works by using spiky conducting nanoparticles, similar to tiny medieval maces, dispersed evenly in a polymer. None of these spiky balls actually touch, but the closer they get to each other, the more likely they are to undergo a quantum physics phenomenon known as tunnelling.

Tunnelling is one of several effects in quantum mechanics that defies explanation in terms of the "classical" physics that preceded it. Simply put, quantum mechanics says that there is a tiny probability that a particle shot at a wall will pass through it in an effect known as tunnelling."

The cost of QTC is low making it a viable technology to have in newer devices. Samsung are already including the technology into newer phones, primarily the center function buttons for email scrolling features and suchlike.

So soon, your new phone could have a simple enough looking navigation set of buttons which in fact exploit a phenomenon not fully understood by quantum physicists.