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Researchers have created a new technology that could reduce energy consumption in mobile devices and computers, thereby increasing their standby time, according to a new study. 

The newly developed technology could be the first step toward wearable computers with self-contained power sources that doesn't die after a few hours of heavy use. 

The technology taps into the power of a single electron to control energy consumption inside transistors, which rare at the core of most modern electronic systems. 

Researchers found that by adding a specific atomic thin film layer to a transistor, the layer acted as a filter for the energy that passed through it at room temperature. The signal that resulted from the device was six to seven times steeper than that of traditional devices, the press release said. 

"The whole semiconductor industry is looking for steep devices because they are key to having small, powerful, mobile devices with many functions that operate quickly without spending a lot of battery power," Dr. Jiyoung Kim, professor of materials science and engineering in the Jonsson School and an author of the paper, said in the press release. "Our device is one solution to make this happen."

The technology has been described in an article published in the journal Nature Communication.