University of Manchester scientists have created a new material which could replace or compete with Teflon in thousands of everyday applications.
Continue reading… “Graphene Gets a Teflon Makeover”
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New Propulsion Method Developed for Metallic Micro And Nano-Objects
Nanotechnology, compared to an uncommonly blue match
A new propulsion method for metallic micro- and nano-objects has been developed by researchers from the Institute of Molecular Sciences
The process is based on the novel concept of bipolar electrochemistry: under the influence of an electric field, one end of a metallic object grows while the other end dissolves.
Continue reading… “New Propulsion Method Developed for Metallic Micro And Nano-Objects”
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Unusual Electrons Go With the Flow
This view provides a look into the heart of a scanning tunneling microscope in the specially designed Princeton Nanoscale Microscopy Laboratory, where highly accurate measurements at the atomic scale are possible because sounds and vibrations, through a multitude of technologies, are kept to a minimum.
On a quest to discover new states of matter, a team of Princeton University scientists has found that electrons on the surface of specific materials act like miniature superheroes, relentlessly dodging the cliff-like obstacles of imperfect microsurfaces, sometimes moving straight through barriers.
Continue reading… “Unusual Electrons Go With the Flow”
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Electrons on the Brink: Fractal Patterns May Be Key to Semiconductor Magnetism
On the brink of the metal-insulator transition, the electrons in a manganese-doped gallium arsenide semiconductor are distributed across the surface of the material in complex, fractal-like patterns.
Just as the heartbeats of today’s electronic devices depend on the ability to switch the flow of electricity in semiconductors on and off with lightning speed, the viability of the “spintronic” devices of the future — technologies that manipulate both the flow and magnetic “spin” of electrons — will require similarly precise control over semiconductor magnetism.
Continue reading… “Electrons on the Brink: Fractal Patterns May Be Key to Semiconductor Magnetism”
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Diamonds Become Stronger When Squeezed Rapidly Under Extreme Conditions
Time-integrated photograph of an OMEGA laser shot (43633) to measure high-pressure diamond strength.
Most people know that diamond is one of the hardest solids on Earth, so strong that it can easily cut through glass and steel.
Continue reading… “Diamonds Become Stronger When Squeezed Rapidly Under Extreme Conditions”
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New on-Off ‘Switch’ Triggers and Reverses Paralysis in Animals With a Beam of Light
This tiny worm became temporarily paralyzed when scientists fed it a light-sensitive material, or “photoswitch,” and then exposed it to ultraviolet light.
In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off “switch” that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet light. The animals stay paralyzed even when the light is turned off. When exposed to ordinary light, the animals become unparalyzed and wake up.
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Exotic Electric Properties of Graphene Confirmed
Graphene layers are found in graphite flakes like those from pencil lead.
First, it was the soccer-ball-shaped molecules dubbed buckyballs. Then it was the cylindrically shaped nanotubes. Now, the hottest new material in physics and nanotechnology is graphene: a remarkably flat molecule made of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal rings much like molecular chicken wire.
Continue reading… “Exotic Electric Properties of Graphene Confirmed”
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Light And Sound Vibrations Trapped Together In Nanocrystal For First Time
Top: Scanning electron micrograph of the optomechanical crystal. Bottom: closer view of the device’s nanobeam.
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a nanoscale crystal device that, for the first time, allows scientists to confine both light and sound vibrations in the same tiny space. Continue reading… “Light And Sound Vibrations Trapped Together In Nanocrystal For First Time”
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Mantis Shrimp Eyes Could Show Way To Better DVD And CD players
A mantis shrimp takes a peep from it’s burrow in the Sulu sea.
The remarkable eyes of a marine crustacean could inspire the next generation of DVD and CD players, according to a new study from the University of Bristol published today in Nature Photonics.
Continue reading… “Mantis Shrimp Eyes Could Show Way To Better DVD And CD players”
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World’s Smallest Semiconductor Laser Heralds New Era In Optical Science
The schematic on the left illustrates light being compressed and sustained in the 5 nanometer gap
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have reached a new milestone in laser physics by creating the world’s smallest semiconductor laser, capable of generating visible light in a space smaller than a single protein molecule.
Continue reading… “World’s Smallest Semiconductor Laser Heralds New Era In Optical Science”
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Jewel Beetle Shimmer Could Offer Blueprint For Materials That Reflect Light
Caption: The structure of jewel beetle cells results in striking colors as light hits them from angles.
“Jewel beetles” are widely known for their glossy external skeletons that appear to change colors as the angle of view changes. Now they may be known for something else–providing a blueprint for materials that reflect light rather than absorbing it to produce colors.
Continue reading… “Jewel Beetle Shimmer Could Offer Blueprint For Materials That Reflect Light”
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Blackest Black Ever: Ultra-thin Material Absorbs Almost 100% Of Light
How much light is reflected and how much is absorbed depends on two factors
It appears to be a paradox: ultra-thin material that absorbs all the incident light. Nonetheless, it does exist.
Continue reading… “Blackest Black Ever: Ultra-thin Material Absorbs Almost 100% Of Light”
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