Novel Semiconductor Quantum Devices Shaping Our Century [Guest Editorial]

The three articles in this special section report on novel and new semiconductor quantum devices. The responsible management of energy resources is an important concern. Effective measures for better management of energy resources are urgently needed as the world’s population increases and prosperity reaches more people. Novel semiconductor quantum devices hold the promise of enabling more-efficient energy conversion, the production of cheap and energy-saving integrated photonics, and reliable global connectivity and communication. Researchers across the world are racing to develop technologies that could potentially be worth billions of dollars and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs at all levels in society. However, even as the world economy grows, our planet is in peril, as the media constantly reminds us. One material class, the IIIAs/ P/N semiconductors, may hold the key to both efficiently managing resources and saving our planet.