Sep 12, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Photonic crystals are materials with repeating internal structures that interact with light in unique ways. We can find natural examples in opals and the vibrant coloured shells of some insects. Even though these crystals are made of transparent materials, they exhibit a "photonic bandgap" that...
Precision nanoengineering of membranes achieves selective rare earth separation
Sep 12, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) As high-tech industries continue to expand, the demand for rare earth elements – essential for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles – has skyrocketed, making the efficient extraction of these critical materials more urgent than ever. These 17 metallic elements, with names like neodymium, europium,...
Smart supramolecular assemblies
Sep 12, 2024 (Nanowerk News) If you’ve ever opened a box from IKEA and wished the pieces inside could somehow spontaneously merge to form a table or chair, then a simple virus could have a thing to two to teach you. Self-assembly of complex molecules is essential for a wide...
Wave scattering simulation unlocks potential metamaterials
Sep 12, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A new software package developed by researchers at Macquarie University can accurately model the way waves - sound, water or light - are scattered when they meet complex configurations of particles. This will vastly improve the ability to rapidly design metamaterials – exciting artificial materials...
Unique nanodisk pushing photonic research forward
Sep 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Photonic applications harness the power of light-matter interactions to generate various intriguing phenomena. This has enabled major advances in communications, medicine, and spectroscopy, among others, and is also used in laser and quantum technologies. Now, researchers at the Department of Physics at Chalmers University of...
Overcoming magnetic disorder: towards low-energy topological electronics
Sep 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Overcoming magnetic disorder is key to exploiting the unique properties of QAH insulators. The Monash-led team demonstrated that the breakdown in topological protection is caused by magnetic disorder, explaining previous observations that topological protection could be restored by application of stabilising magnetic fields. “The study...
BNNT nanofibers can effectively block neutrons in space radiation
Sep 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) With the success of the Nuri launch last year and the recent launch of the newly established Korea Aerospace Administration, interest in space has increased, and both the public and private sectors are actively investing in space-related industries such as space travel. However, exposure to...
Solving a memristor mystery to develop efficient, long-lasting memory devices
Sep 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Phase separation, when molecules part like oil and water, works alongside oxygen diffusion to help memristors – electrical components that store information using electrical resistance – retain information even after the power is shut off, according to a University of Michigan led study published in...
Ultra-low-profile z-tip-tilt nanopositioning stage provides frictionless motion
Sep 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) PI, a global leader in motion control and nanopositioning systems, offers an ultra-low-profile Z-Tip-Tilt stage designed for demanding alignment applications in optics, semiconductors, precision assembly, and photonics. Based on air bearings and linear motors, the stage is wear-free, maintenance-free, and cleanroom compatible. Z-Tip-Tilt Nanopositioning Stage...
Astronomers track bubbles on star’s surface in most detailed video yet (w/video)
Sep 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) For the first time, astronomers have captured images of a star other than the Sun in enough detail to track the motion of bubbling gas on its surface. The images of the star, R Doradus, were obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a...