Nov 05, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Agriculture faces unprecedented challenges as climate change threatens global food production and conventional farming methods reach their limits. Up to 90% of agricultural chemicals miss their targets, polluting the environment while failing to protect crops. Traditional pesticides harm beneficial organisms, fertilizers contaminate waterways, and food...
Researchers reveal how a single atom controls light emission direction with STMs
Nov 05, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers from Madrid explain a phenomenon that allows the direction of light emission to be controlled at the atomic scale. The paper, published in Science Advances ("Directional picoantenna behavior of tunnel junctions formed by an atomic-scale surface defect"), provides a detailed explanation of how a...
New flame aerosol system excels at creating nanoparticles
Nov 05, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Since prehistoric times, humans have used fire to transform raw materials into valuable goods. Examples include using flames to turn clay into pottery, and silica into glass. The practice continues today with industry employing a highly sophisticated version of the technique – flame aerosol synthesis...
Nano-optical sensor technology for buulding safety monitoring
Nov 05, 2024 (Nanowerk News) As buildings age, the demand for effective monitoring of their structural integrity has grown significantly. A breakthrough in nano-optical sensor technology now enables precise, real-time measurement of structural deformation and stability. This innovation promises to reshape the field of structural diagnostics, offering a cost-effective, time-efficient...
Researchers confirm key heat flow principle, advancing next-gen computer chip design
Nov 05, 2024 (Nanowerk News) In a leap toward more powerful and efficient computer chips, researchers at the University of Virginia have confirmed a key principle governing heat flow in thin metal films — a critical component in the race to design faster, smaller and more efficient devices. This work,...
High-quality nanomechanical resonators with built-in piezoelectricity
Nov 05, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and at the University of Magdeburg in Germany have developed a novel type of nanomechanical resonator that combines two important features: high mechanical quality and piezoelectricity. This development could open doors to new possibilities in quantum sensing...