Apr 10, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) The field of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has long held the promise of single-molecule detection, but achieving this level of sensitivity in a reliable and reproducible manner has proven challenging. SERS relies on the dramatic electromagnetic enhancement that occurs in specific regions known as "hot...
The building block for magnetoelectric spin-orbit logic
Apr 10, 2024 (Nanowerk News) In a recent article published in Nature Communications ("Voltage-based magnetization switching and reading in magnetoelectric spin-orbit nanodevices"), an international team, led by researchers from the Nanodevices group at CIC nanoGUNE, suceeded in voltage-based magnetization switching and reading of magnetoelectric spin-orbit nanodevices. This study constitutes a...
New method of measuring qubits promises ease of scalability in a microscopic package
Apr 10, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Chasing ever-higher qubit counts in near-term quantum computers constantly demands new feats of engineering. Among the troublesome hurdles of this scaling-up race is refining how qubits are measured. Devices called parametric amplifiers are traditionally used to do these measurements. But as the name suggests, the...
New technique lets scientists create resistance-free electron channels
Apr 09, 2024 (Nanowerk News) An international research team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has taken the first atomic-resolution images and demonstrated electrical control of a chiral interface state – an exotic quantum phenomenon that could help researchers advance quantum computing and energy-efficient electronics. Key Takeaways Scientists...
Innovative plasma polymer nanoparticles for bioactivating inert materials
Apr 09, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) The development of effective methods for functionalizing materials has been a long-standing challenge in the biomedical field. Many porous scaffolds commonly used as biomaterials, such as hydrogels, electrospun polymers, and 3D-printed metals, are inherently inert and lack the essential biological cues required to promote desired...
Improving sodium ion batteries with mechanically robust nanocellular graphene
Apr 09, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Ever since its discovery in 2004, graphene has been revolutionizing the field of materials science and beyond. Graphene comprises two-dimensional sheets of carbon atoms, bonded into a thin hexagonal shape with a thickness of one atom layer. This gives it remarkable physical and chemical properties....
Breakthrough achieves electrically controlled polaritons at room temperature
Apr 09, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A research team consisting of Professor Kyoung-Duck Park and Hyeongwoo Lee, an integrated PhD student, from the Department of Physics at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has pioneered an innovative technique in ultra-high-resolution spectroscopy. Their breakthrough marks the world's first instance of electrically...
Researchers 3D print key components for a point-of-care mass spectrometer
Apr 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Mass spectrometry, a technique that can precisely identify the chemical components of a sample, could be used to monitor the health of people who suffer from chronic illnesses. For instance, a mass spectrometer can measure hormone levels in the blood of someone with hypothyroidism. But...
This 3D printer can figure out how to print with an unknown material
Apr 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) While 3D printing has exploded in popularity, many of the plastic materials these printers use to create objects cannot be easily recycled. While new sustainable materials are emerging for use in 3D printing, they remain difficult to adopt because 3D printer settings need to be...
Brain-inspired computing may boil down to information transfer
Apr 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) The biological brain, especially the human brain, is a desirable computing system that consumes little energy and runs at high efficiency. To build a computing system just as good, many neuromorphic scientists focus on designing hardware components intended to mimic the elusive learning mechanism of...