Sep 19, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Astronomers study stars by looking at the different colours of light they emit – colours they capture and analyze using spectroscopy. Now a team led by Université de Montréal’s Étienne Artigau has developed a technique that uses a star’s spectrum to chart variations in its...
AI model can reveal the structures of crystalline materials
Sep 19, 2024 (Nanowerk News) For more than 100 years, scientists have been using X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of crystalline materials such as metals, rocks, and ceramics. This technique works best when the crystal is intact, but in many cases, scientists have only a powdered version of the...
Mysteries of the bizarre ‘pseudogap’ in quantum physics finally untangled
Sep 19, 2024 (Nanowerk News) By cleverly applying a computational technique, scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding the ‘pseudogap,’ a long-standing puzzle in quantum physics with close ties to superconductivity. The discovery, presented in Science ("Origin and fate of the pseudogap in the doped Hubbard model"), will help scientists...
Magnetic soft robots enable precision delivery with programmable multi-drug control
Sep 19, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Precision in drug delivery has long posed a significant challenge to the medical field. Relying on the body’s circulatory system to transport medications often results in inefficient drug distribution, with only a fraction of the intended dose reaching the target area. This inefficiency forces higher...
Majorana fermion produced by quantum interference in a nanoscale circuit
Sep 19, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Scientists have long known that electrons are indivisible fundamental particles. Yet surprising new research shows that a weird feature of quantum mechanics can be used to produce objects that behave like half of an electron. These ‘split-electrons’ might hold the key to unlocking the power...
Organic matter on Mars was formed from atmospheric formaldehyde
Sep 19, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Although Mars is currently a cold, dry planet, geological evidence suggests that liquid water existed there around 3 to 4 billion years ago. Where there is water, there is usually life. In their quest to answer the burning question about life on Mars, researchers at...
DNA origami with cargo function
Sep 18, 2024 (Nanowerk News) In the world of nanotechnology, the development of dynamic systems that respond to molecular signals is becoming increasingly important. The DNA origami technique, whereby DNA is programmed so as to produce functional nanostructures, plays a key role in these endeavors. Teams led by LMU chemist...
Magnifying deep space through the ‘carousel lens’
Sep 18, 2024 (Nanowerk News) In a rare and extraordinary discovery, researchers have identified a unique configuration of galaxies that form the most exquisitely aligned gravitational lens found to date. The Carousel Lens is a massive cluster-scale gravitational lens system that will enable researchers to delve deeper into the mysteries...