Mar 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Inspired by nature, nanotechnology researchers have identified ‘spontaneous curvature’ as the key factor determining how ultra-thin, artificial materials can transform into useful tubes, twists and helices. Greater understanding of this process - which mimics how some seed pods open in nature - could unlock an...
Researchers use liquid crystals to control polarization inside laser-written waveguides
Mar 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers have developed a new way to control and manipulate optical signals by embedding a liquid crystal layer into waveguides created with direct laser writing. The new devices enable electro-optical control of polarization, which could open new possibilities for chip-based devices and complex photonic circuits...
3D-printed skin closes wounds and contains hair follicle precursors
Mar 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Fat tissue holds the key to 3D printing layered living skin and potentially hair follicles, according to researchers who recently harnessed fat cells and supporting structures from clinically procured human tissue to precisely correct injuries in rats. The advancement could have implications for reconstructive facial...
Micro mirage: the infrared information carrier
Mar 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Credit cards embedded chips, national mints printed watermarks, and high-profile locations installed retina scanners all for the same reason—to protect information. As attackers grow smarter, so must defense. Sheng Shen, along with collaborators at Penn State University, have developed a pixel-by-pixel approach to visible camouflage...
Network of quantum sensors boosts precision
Mar 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Quantum sensor technology promises even more precise measurements of physical quantities. A team led by Christian Roos at the University of Innsbruck has now compared the signals of up to 91 quantum sensors with each other and thus successfully eliminated the noise caused by interactions...
Revolutionizing programmable metasurfaces with wireless power transfer
Mar 04, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Programmable metasurfaces have shown great potential for advanced electromagnetic wave manipulation in wireless communications, sensing, and other applications. However, a major limitation has persisted – the need for cumbersome wired DC power connections to supply control circuitry embedded in these metasurfaces. This has hampered adoption,...
Novel nanosheet method revolutionizes brain imaging for multi-scale and long-term studies
Mar 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) The human brain has billions of neurons. Working together, they enable higher-order brain functions such as cognition and complex behaviors. To study these higher-order brain functions, it is important to understand how neural activity is coordinated across various brain regions. Although techniques such as functional...
Nanothin printing of electronics hardware could slash costs
Mar 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Engineering researchers have developed a 2D printing process using liquid metals that they say could create new ways of creating more advanced and energy efficient computing hardware that is manufactured at the nanoscale. The process comes amid increasing worldwide demand for memory devices, which require...