Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Researchers test the limits of toughness in nanocomposites

By slipping springy polystyrene molecules between layers of tough yet brittle composites, researchers made materials stronger and more flexible, in the process demonstrating the theoretical limits of how far this toughening technique could go.

Nov 17th, 2015

3-D mapping a new drug-delivery tool

Scientists have developed a new method that can 'see' inside dispersed cubosomes (dispersed cubic liquid crystalline phases) with unprecedented detail. The breakthrough can help to improve their design significantly for better drug or nutrient delivery.

Nov 17th, 2015

Refrigerating liquids with a laser for the first time

Scientists used an infrared laser to cool water by about 36 degrees Fahrenheit - a major breakthrough in the field.

Nov 17th, 2015

A new symmetry underlies the search for new materials

A new type of symmetry operation has the potential to quicken the search for new advanced materials that range from tougher steels to new types of electronic, magnetic, and thermal materials. With further developments, this technique could also impact the fields of computational materials design.

Nov 17th, 2015

'Tuning in' to a fast and optimized internet

A new filter with the widest tuning span ever demonstrated on a silicon chip could help provide the low-cost flexibility needed for the next generation of high-speed optical networks.

Nov 16th, 2015

Valley current control shows way to ultra-low-power devices

Researchers have demonstrated an electrically-controllable valley current device that may pave the way to ultra-low-power 'valleytronics' devices.

Nov 16th, 2015

A new technique to trap light at the surface of graphene using only pulses of laser light

Scientists have also been able to steer this trapped light across the surface of the graphene, without the need for any nanoscale devices. This dual breakthrough opens up a host of opportunities for advances in pivotal electronic products, such as sensors and miniaturised integrated circuits.

Nov 16th, 2015

Quantum computer coding in silicon now possible

Strongest possible proof obtained that using entanglement to write executable software code for quantum computers is indeed possible.

Nov 16th, 2015

New nanoscopic tools to study ligand-binding of receptors

A new high resolution method allows for the first time precise identification and quantification of interactions of a receptor with two ligands simultaneously.

Nov 16th, 2015

Ultra-short X-ray pulses could shed new light on the fastest events in physics

Researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, that it is possible to generate ultra-short x-ray pulses using existing technology - and it could open up a huge range of scientific applications.

Nov 16th, 2015

Light-driven nanosubmarines built from 244 atoms

Each of the single-molecule, 244-atom submersibles has a motor powered by ultraviolet light. With each full revolution, the motor's tail-like propeller moves the sub forward 18 nanometers.

Nov 16th, 2015

New measurements in 2-D materials hold great promise for nanotechnology applications

Materials such as epitaxial graphene and MoS2, are films made of a few layers, with each layer only one atom thick. The films are characterized by strong in-plane bonds and weak interactions between the layers. Researchers used sub-angstrom-resolution indentations to measure the forces between the atomic layers.

Nov 13th, 2015