Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

New ways to construct contactless magnetic gears (w/video)

A theory which extends the possibilities and applications for smooth magnetic couplings could have several potential applications in nanotechnology, microfluidics and robotics.

Feb 18th, 2016

Ultrafast microscope used to make slow-motion electron movie

Researchers have demonstrated the use of the world's first ultrafast optical microscope, allowing them to probe and visualize matter at the atomic level with mind-bending speed.

Feb 17th, 2016

Match-head nanowire structures boost photovoltaic efficiency

'Match-head' nanowires act as built-in light concentrators, enhancing solar cell efficiency.

Feb 17th, 2016

Quantum magnets forced to ''chillax'

In what may provide a potential path to connecting data in a quantum computer, researchers have shown that excited atoms in silicon can be forced into a relaxed state on-demand using a device that serves as a microwave 'tuning fork'.

Feb 17th, 2016

New technique for turning sunlight into hydrogen

Researchers have pioneered a new type of multilayered photoelectrode that boosts the ability of solar water-splitting to produce hydrogen. According to the research team, this special photoelectrode, inspired by the way plants convert sunlight into energy is capable of absorbing visible light from the sun, and then using it to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

Feb 17th, 2016

Novel synthesis method opens up new possibilities for utilising Li-ion batteries

Doped lithium titanate nanoparticles could be incorporated into Li-ion batteries used in, for example, electric or hybrid automotive applications.

Feb 17th, 2016

Material deformation at atomic scale resembles avalanches

The rearrangement of particles in materials during deformation, such as when a spoon is bent, doesn't occur independently, but rather resembles highly collective avalanches that span the entire material.

Feb 17th, 2016

Graphene becomes superconductive

Researchers have developed a method to grow high-quality graphene on a silicon carbide crystal by controlling the number of graphene sheets.

Feb 16th, 2016

Advance could aid development of nanoscale biosensors

Imagine a hand-held environmental sensor that can instantly test water for lead, E. coli, and pesticides all at the same time, or a biosensor that can perform a complete blood workup from just a single drop. That's the promise of nanoscale plasmonic interferometry, a technique that combines nanotechnology with plasmonics - the interaction between electrons in a metal and light.

Feb 16th, 2016

Testing the response time of electrons (w/video)

The first visible attosecond pulses allow researchers to determine the delay with which electrons in atoms respond to the electromagnetic forces of light.

Feb 16th, 2016

A new spin on quantum computing: Scientists train electrons with microwaves

In what may provide a potential path to processing information in a quantum computer, researchers have switched an intrinsic property of electrons from an excited state to a relaxed state on demand using a device that served as a microwave 'tuning fork'.