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The 2023Nobel prizein chemical science has been award to three scientists for the discovery and development of quantum dots — super - midget semiconductors that can be used in light-emitting diode spark and TV screens , as well as to help doctors in the remotion of cancer tissue .

Moungi Bawendi , prof of chemistry at MIT , Louis Brus , professor emeritus at Columbia University , andAlexei Ekimov , a physicist at Nanocrystals Technology Inc. in New York , will share the 11 million Swedish Swedish krona ( around $ 1 million ) prize for their part as " innovator in the geographic expedition of the nanoworld , " the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm said at a newsworthiness league Wednesday ( Oct. 4 ) .

An artist�s illustration of Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov.

An artist’s illustration of Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov.

" For a long time , nobody believe you could ever really make such small particles , " Johan Åqvist , the chair of the Nobel citizens committee for chemistry , said at a intelligence group discussion announcing the 2023 laureate . " But this class ’s laureates succeed . "

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Quantum dots are crystal of lead sulfide or Cd selenide consisting of just a few thousand atoms , and are as little as one-10,000th the breadth of a human fuzz .

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The tiny size of it of these molecule means they sit somewhere between the quantum realm and the macro existence , giving them a weird jumble of semi - quantum properties . For instance , if you change a quantum dit ’s sizing by swapping out atoms , it will dead change color .

This flakey quantum behavior intend the dot are stark for project engineering , making LCD sieve more vibrant and medical procedures more accurate .

Bawendi was " sound asleep " when he got the call that he had won the prize and felt " very surprised , sleepy , shocked , unexpected and very honored , " he pronounce over the phone at the news conference .

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3d rendered image of quantum entanglement.

Conceptual artwork of a pair of entangled quantum particles or events (left and right) interacting at a distance.

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An illustration of a hand that transforms into a strand of DNA