ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ballistic deflection transistor

Okay kiddo, have you ever played baseball and hit a ball with a bat? When the ball hits the bat, it doesn't just stop completely. Instead, it bounces off and goes in a different direction. This is kind of like what happens in a ballistic deflection transistor.

A transistor is a tiny electronic device that controls how electricity flows through circuits. Think of it like a traffic cop directing cars on a road. A ballistic deflection transistor is a special kind of transistor. It works by sending an electric current through a material that is really good at bouncing electrons around. When the current hits this material, it causes the electrons to bounce around like a baseball bouncing off a bat.

The bouncing electrons create a little bit of electricity, kind of like how the ball creates a little bit of energy when it bounces off the bat. This extra energy can then be used to control the flow of electricity through the transistor.

So, to summarize, a ballistic deflection transistor is a special kind of transistor that uses bouncing electrons to control the flow of electricity. Just like hitting a baseball with a bat, it causes a bounce that changes the direction and energy of the electrons.