Australian scientists have developed a new transistor in a computer chip that is 10 times smaller than those currently in use.
The invention marks the start of a new age of super-fast, super-powerful computing, has been described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
At the heart of the electronic device lies a "quantum dot", measuring four-billionths of a metre - so small that it contains only seven atoms, compared to the millions that usually make up a laptop chip.
"We're basically controlling nature at the atomic scale," The Age quoted study co-author, Michelle Simmons, director of the University of New South Wales centre of excellence for quantum computer technology, as saying.
She added: "This is one of the key milestones in building a quantum computer."
According to Prof. Simmons, devices made at this scale would allow more complex computations at much greater speeds.
Their use would also improve database searching and eventually lead to "100 percent secure communication".
Prof. Simmons said: "It has many implications for national security and for the financial system and transferring information of any kind."
Explaining the reason for using silicon, she said: "All our computers contain silicon chips.
"Building transistors at the atomic-scale means that anything electrical like computers and mobile phones will get smaller and faster while their functionality increases dramatically."
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