Peratech has developed a pressure-sensitive switch that uses quantum tunneling to achieve more sensitive and more power-efficient touch-screen technology, making it easier to drag and drop on-screen items on portable touch-screen devices, or to perform two tasks at the same time, such as simultaneously dragging and zooming an image, for example.

Quantum tunneling occurs when electrons jump between two conductors that are brought close together, but remain separated by an insulating barrier. In Peratech’s switches, a polymer is embedded with conductive metallic nanoparticles, each about 10 nanometers in size.

Devices that use the technology should hit the market as early as April.