A landmark development led by researchers from the University of Glasgow could help create a new generation of diamond-based transistors for use in high-power electronics.

Their new diamond transistor overcomes the limitations of previous developments in the technology to create a device much closer to being of practical use across a range of industries that rely on high power systems.

The team have found a new way to use diamond as the basis of a transistor that remains switched off by default—a development crucial for ensuring safety in devices that carry a large amount of electrical current when switched on.