May 13, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Laser powder bed fusion, a 3D-printing technique, offers potential in the manufacturing industry, particularly when fabricating nickel-titanium shape memory alloys with complex geometries. Although this manufacturing technique is attractive for applications in the biomedical and aerospace fields, it has rarely showcased the superelasticity required for...
Going gentle on mechanical quantum systems
May 13, 2022 (Nanowerk News) When thinking about quantum mechanical systems, single photons and well-isolated ions and atoms may spring to mind, or electrons spreading through a crystal. More exotic in the context of quantum mechanics are genuinely mechanical quantum systems; that is, massive objects in which mechanical motion such...
On-chip photodetection: Two-dimensional material heterojunctions hetero-integration
May 13, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) use photons as information carriers and are expected to solve the bottleneck problems of microelectronic chips in terms of speed, power consumption and integration density with their advantages of ultra-high transmission speed, low delay, and anti-electromagnetic crosstalk. It is of key...
An optoelectronic thermometer based on microscale infrared-to-visible conversion devices
May 13, 2022 (Nanowerk News) High-accuracy spatially and temporally resolved temperature sensing is critical and has broad applications in diverse fields, such as industrial manufacturing, environmental, and healthcare monitoring. Optical-based sensors offer attractive solutions for temperature monitoring in biomedical diagnostics, owing to their advantages of remote detection, minimal intrusion, immunity...
Development of high-durability single-atomic catalyst using industrial humidifier
May 13, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are an eco-friendly means of transportation that will replace internal combustion locomotives. FCEVs offer several advantages such as short charging time and long mileage. However, the excessive cost of platinum used as a fuel cell catalyst leads to limited supply...
Astronomers reveal first image of the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way
May 12, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy. This result provides overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole and yields valuable clues about the nature of such giants, which are...
New imaging method makes microrobots visible in the body
May 12, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Microrobots have the potential to revolutionize medicine. Researchers at the Max Planck ETH Centre for Learning Systems have now developed an imaging technique that for the first time recognises cell-sized microrobots individually and at high resolution in a living organism. How can a blood clot...
Towards more efficient, non-toxic, and flexible thin-film solar cells
May 12, 2022 (Nanowerk News) While efficiency is a primary concern for solar cells, researchers have also focused on developing solar cells that are lightweight, low-cost, and flexible. However, the fabrication process itself has posed a serious environmental concern: the use of toxic materials and generation of industrial waste. For...
Fractal drive – a lack of bulk gives photons an edge
May 12, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Researchers from the University of Rostock have developed a novel type of micro-structured material that enhances the speed of light signals while keeping them protected from scattering. Their discovery is published in Science ("Fractal photonic topological insulators"). Fractal topological insulator: The synthetic photonic material composed...
Bacteria with recording function capture gut health status
May 12, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Our gut is home to countless bacteria, which help us to digest food. But what exactly do the microorganisms do inside the body? Which enzymes do they produce, and when? And how do the bacteria metabolise health-promoting foods that help us avoid disease? To obtain...