https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-physics en-us The latest science news on nanophysics, nanotechnology, nanotech and nanoscience. Graphene is well-known for its high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and flexibility. Stacking two layers of graphene with atomic layer thickness produces bilayer graphene, which possesses excellent electrical, mechanical, and optical properties. As such, bilayer graphene has attracted significant attention and is being utilized in a host of next-generation devices, including quantum computers. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-high-speed-electrical-readout-method-graphene.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 20 Oct 2023 09:17:55 EDT news617012271 Researchers have shown how the principles of rogue waves—huge 30-meter waves that arise unexpectedly in the ocean—can be applied on a nano scale, with dozens of applications from medicine to manufacturing. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-rogue-scientists-giant-mechanics-nanometric.html Nanophysics Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:00:00 EDT news616863596 Particle accelerators are crucial tools in a wide variety of areas in industry, research and the medical sector. The space these machines require ranges from a few square meters to large research centers. Using lasers to accelerate electrons within a photonic nanostructure constitutes a microscopic alternative with the potential of generating significantly lower costs and making devices considerably less bulky. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-physics-milestone-miniature-particle.html Nanophysics Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:26:07 EDT news616850762 Ordinary pencil lead holds extraordinary properties when shaved down to layers as thin as an atom. A single, atom-thin sheet of graphite, known as graphene, is just a tiny fraction of the width of a human hair. Under a microscope, the material resembles a chicken-wire of carbon atoms linked in a hexagonal lattice. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-five-layer-graphene-sandwich-rare-electronic.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:00:02 EDT news616836772 Wave energy technology is a proven source of power generation, but there is power inherent in every molecule of liquid on Earth, even when the liquid is at rest. At the molecular scale, atoms and ions are always moving. If this nanoscale movement can be harvested, it could be a big source of energy. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-harnessing-molecular-power-electricity-generation.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616752318 New research from Flinders University and UNSW Sydney, published in the ACS Nano journal, explores switchable polarization in a new class of silicon compatible metal oxides and paves the way for the development of advanced devices including high-density data storage, ultra low energy electronics, flexible energy harvesting and wearable devices. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-approach-advanced-electronics-storage-ferroelectricity.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 16 Oct 2023 10:50:02 EDT news616672201 A joint research team led by Prof. Dai Qing and Prof. Li Chi from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has demonstrated the coherent ultrafast photoemission from a single quantized energy level of a carbon nanotube. The study was published in Science Advances on Oct. 12. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-team-coherent-ultrafast-photoemission-carbon.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:36:03 EDT news616667761 In a surprising new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have found that the electron beam radiation that they previously thought degraded crystals can actually repair cracks in these nanostructures. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-discovery-electron-nanostructures.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:01:11 EDT news616327269 As you watch Morpho butterflies wobble in flight, shimmering in vivid blue color, you're witnessing an uncommon form of structural color that researchers are only beginning to use in lighting technologies such as optical diffusers. Furthermore, imparting a self-cleaning capability to such diffusers would minimize soiling and staining and maximize practical utility. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-morpho-butterfly-nanostructure-technology-bright.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 12 Oct 2023 09:46:02 EDT news616322760 Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors are special materials that have long fascinated researchers with their unique properties. For one, they are flat, one-atom-thick two-dimensional (2D) materials similar to that of graphene. They are compounds that contain different combinations of the transition metal group (e.g., molybdenum, tungsten) and chalcogen elements (e.g., sulfur, selenium, tellurium). https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-flipping-layers-heterostructures-properties.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Oct 2023 09:46:03 EDT news616236361 Two-photon polymerization is a potential method for nanofabrication to integrate nanomaterials based on femtosecond laser-based methods. Challenges in the field of 3D nanoprinting include slow layer-by-layer printing and limited material options as a result of laser-matter interactions. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-free-space-nanoprinting-optical-limits-4d.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:20:02 EDT news615809799 A research group at the Institute for Molecular Science has successfully observed the left and right handedness of material structures at the nanoscale, by illuminating chiral gold nanostructures with circularly polarized light and detecting the optical force acting on a probe near the nanostructures. This result demonstrated that it is possible to analyze the chiral structure of matter at the nanoscale using light. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-chiro-optical-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 06 Oct 2023 09:26:03 EDT news615803162 Every motor we use needs a magnet. University of Manitoba researcher Rachel Nickel is studying how rust could make those magnets cheaper and easier to produce. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-nanoscale-rust-future-magnets.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 05 Oct 2023 10:52:02 EDT news615721921 Quantum dots are tiny crystals that scientists can tune to different colors, giving an extra-vivid pop to next-generation TV screens or illuminating tumors inside bodies so surgeons can hunt them down. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-quantum-dots-tiny-rainbow-crystals.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 04 Oct 2023 12:45:56 EDT news615642349 Friction, an everyday phenomenon, has perplexed scientists for centuries. Though extensively researched, our understanding remains fragmented, primarily due to the multifaceted interactions that span across varying scales. Achieving an accurate grasp of the precise contact conditions between objects has been a longstanding challenge, a feat recently made possible through advancements in scanning probe microscopy. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-hot-unraveling-mystery-dynamic-friction.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 03 Oct 2023 10:08:28 EDT news615546505 Case Western Reserve University physicists are developing ultra-thin optical coatings that could dramatically extend the life of solar panels, as well as improve areas like data storage, or protection against counterfeiting. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-methods-ultra-vibrant-optical-coatingsapplications-solar.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:19:30 EDT news615115161 Stirring can allow the dispersion of substances evenly in liquid. Einstein's tea leaf paradox is a concept that shows how tea leaves can concentrate in a doughnut shape through a secondary flow effect during stirring. In a new study published in Science Advances, Zehui Zhang and colleagues in physics and engineering in China, demonstrated the Einstein's tea leaf paradox (abbreviated as ETLP) induced concentration in nanofluids. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-einstein-tea-leaf-paradox-nanofluids.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:55:55 EDT news615113749 The friction on a graphene surface can be dynamically tuned using external electric fields, according to researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign led by Professor Rosa Espinosa-Marzal of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The work is detailed in the paper, "Dynamically tuning friction at the graphene interface using the field effect," published September 19, 2023, in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-dynamically-tune-friction-graphene.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:29:03 EDT news615054541 Hyperspectral imaging uses the full spectrum of light to give detailed insights on nature and its behavior. These insights open a realm for manifold applications, including autonomous driving, environmental monitoring, health care, space exploration or even agriculture and food processing. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-ultra-broadband-photodetection-device-based-bilayer.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 27 Sep 2023 10:36:00 EDT news615029755 Orbitronics is a recently emerging field of research on the manipulation of the orbital degree of freedom of electrons for quantum information technology. However, unambiguously detecting ultrafast dynamics of orbital angular momentum has been challenging so far. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-orbital-currents-fara-ultrafast-channel.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 27 Sep 2023 10:29:18 EDT news615029354 Thermometers can do a lot of things: Measure the temperature at the center of your perfectly braised chicken or tell you whether to keep your child home from school due to illness. But because of their size, traditional thermometers' uses are still limited. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-thermal-magic-ambitious-thermometry-camera.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 26 Sep 2023 17:04:11 EDT news614966643 Scientists from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, both Germany, have successfully developed nanomaterials using a so-called bottom-up approach. As reported in the journal ACS Nano, they exploit the fact that crystals often grow in a specific direction during crystallization. These resulting nanostructures could be used in various technological applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-scientists-nanomaterials-bottom-up-approach.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 25 Sep 2023 09:20:10 EDT news614852404 Late last year, Caltech researchers revealed that they had developed a new fabrication technique for printing microsized metal parts containing features about as thick as three or four sheets of paper. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-technique-3d-metals-nanoscale-reveals.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:45:20 EDT news614508317 In the incredibly small world of molecules, the elementary building blocks—the atoms—join together in a very regular pattern. In contrast, in the macroscopic world with its larger particles, there is much greater disorder when particles connect. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-precisely-nanoparticles-plasmonic-molecules.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:49:49 EDT news614339387 Assistant Professor Wencan Jin and his team at Auburn University's Department of Physics are pushing the boundaries of technology with their latest publication on spin dynamics in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals magnetic systems. Published in Physics Reports, this seminal review work delves into the nitty-gritty of magnetic behaviors and their ultrafast dynamics in atomically thin materials, exploring its transformative potential for next-generation technology. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-team-discusses-blueprint-ultrafast-spintronics.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:39:26 EDT news614338764 The properties of nanoribbon edges are important for their applications in electronic devices, sensors, and catalysts. A group of scientists from Japan and China studied the mechanical response of single-layer molybdenum disulfide nanoribbons with armchair edges using in situ transmission electron microscopy. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-explores-mechanical-properties-molybdenum-disulfide.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 19 Sep 2023 09:41:03 EDT news614335261 A study showing how electrons flow around sharp bends, such as those found in integrated circuits, has the potential to improve how these circuits, commonly used in electronic and optoelectronic devices, are designed. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-visualizing-electron-nanoscale-devices-airplane.html Nanophysics Tue, 19 Sep 2023 06:32:20 EDT news614323930 A research team, led by Professor Joonki Suh in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Devices Engineering at UNIST, has made a significant breakthrough in thin film deposition technology. By employing an innovative atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, Professor Seo successfully achieved regular arrangement of tellurium (Te) atoms at low temperatures as low as 50 degrees Celsius. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-atomic-layer-deposition-route-scalable.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:01:03 EDT news614257261 Researchers at Leibniz IPHT have made significant advances in deciphering tiny nano-objects. Using special optical fibers, they identified a new optical mode that enables uniform illumination along the entire length of a fiber and determined the resolution limit of individual objects that could be measured with fibers. They thus lay the foundation for observing nanoparticles with unprecedented precision. The results of their studies were published in the journals Optica and Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-physical-phenomena-nanoscale-microstructured-fibers.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 14 Sep 2023 10:54:19 EDT news613907654 Reversible nanohelix transformation is one of the most exquisite and important phenomena in nature. Nanomaterials rarely form helical crystals. Due to the irreversibility of the twisting forces studied so far, untwisting is more difficult than retwisting crystalline nanohelices. Therefore, many reversible twist transformations between two stable crystalline products are rare and require a sensitive energy balance. This reversible transformation of nanohelices has long been considered difficult to achieve. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-scientists-reveal-twisting-untwisting-retwisting-nanohelices.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 13 Sep 2023 10:36:03 EDT news613820161