Scientists in Japan have developed a new method for creating a mechanical electric switch, which utilises platinum and quantum technology to generate a nano-scale version of the traditional switch.

Researchers at the Japanese National Institute for Materials Science devised a method which involves the rapid creation and destruction of a tiny metal bridge between wires across a gap measuring just one nanometre - or one millionth of a millimetre.

In the prototype switches the scientists have developed, a one nanometre thick layer of silver is placed on a silver sulphide-coated silver wire, with a platinum wire placed over the silver layer.

A negative voltage is then applied, which forces the atoms in the silver layer into the silver-sulphide coating, creating a one nanometre separation between the silver sulphide and platinum wires.

When a positive charge is applied, the silver atoms are positioned such that the gap is bridged and the switch is on.

The developers say the switch, which has been named the 'quantized conductance atomic switch', could prove useful in creating powerful memory storage and might be more reliable due to its lack of moving parts.

Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, associate director at the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan, explained to TRNMag: "Our switch works by simply applying. . . voltage, same as semi conductor devices."

Now the team behind the switches are working on plans to make the technology more practical and more reliable.