Chinese researchers and Huawei Technologies have developed a novel 2D parallel computing chip. This advancement utilizes atom-thin materials and could offer a new path for computing power beyond the limits of traditional silicon.

Chinese researchers, in collaboration with Huawei Technologies, have built the world’s first parallel processor using a two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor. As silicon devices approach their physical size limits, Moore’s Law – the observation that computing power doubles roughly every two years, while the cost of computers is cut in half – is hitting a wall. But two-dimensional materials such as molybdenum disulfide are naturally atom-thin, allowing electrons to move stably and efficiently and...