https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-physics en-us The latest science news on nanophysics, nanotechnology, nanotech and nanoscience. When it comes to electrically conductive nanomaterials, graphene—stronger and lighter than steel and more conductive than copper—has been shown to be an excellent choice for a wide range of technologies. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-physicists-reveal-layers-impact-graphene.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:09:04 EST news650214541 Researchers led by Prof. Cunlan Guo at Wuhan University have pioneered a new approach to control the electrical properties of two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), specifically porphyrinic 2D MOF nanosheets, by constructing molecular heterojunctions that exhibit tunable rectification behaviors. Their findings could greatly impact the development of future functional electronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-approach-tuning-current-2d-mof.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:42:45 EST news650205758 Moiré materials, such as twisted bilayer graphene, are materials generally formed by stacking two or more layers of 2D materials on top of each other with a small lattice mismatch. This slight mismatch creates a unique pattern known as the moiré pattern, which is associated with desirable optical and electronic properties. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-quasiperiodicity-ground-state-properties-1d.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:30:01 EST news650193671 Researchers from Madrid explain a phenomenon that allows the direction of light emission to be controlled at the atomic scale. The paper provides a detailed explanation of how the profile of the light collected in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) experiments changes when the tip is placed on an atomic step. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-atom-profile-emitted-scanning-tunneling.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Nov 2024 09:28:26 EST news650021302 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 technologies. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-high-quality-nanomechanical-resonators-built.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Nov 2024 07:15:04 EST news650013301 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. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gen-chip-efficiency-thermal-insights.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 04 Nov 2024 16:25:03 EST news649959901 In organic molecules, an exciton is a particle bound pair of an electron (negative charge) and its hole (positive charge). They are held together by Coulombic attraction and can move within molecular assemblies. Singlet fission (SF) is a process where an exciton is amplified, and two triplet excitons are generated from a singlet exciton. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-chiral-molecular-absorb-boost-singlet.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:24:55 EDT news649682686 The smallest unit of information in a computer is the bit: on or off, 1 or 0. Today, the world's entire computing power is built on the combination and interconnection of countless ones and zeros. Quantum computers have their own version of the bit: the qubit. It, too, has two basic states. The main difference: Quantum effects allow a superposition of the two states, so that the qubit is not either 1 or 0, but both at the same time. With different proportions of 0 and 1, the qubit can theoretically assume an infinite number of states. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-fundamental-quantum-recreated-nanographenes.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:20:11 EDT news649596001 The shapes of simple polyatomic molecules such as carbon dioxide and methane are characterized by a specific symmetry depending on the manner of linking of the atoms. Nano- to micrometer-sized particles that mimic the shapes of such polyatomic molecules are referred to as colloidal molecules, which can form soft materials. However, conventionally synthesizing colloidal molecules with such specific symmetry requires a multi-step synthetic process. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-phenomenon-carbon-nanotube-fibers.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:37:03 EDT news649525022 Kory Burns, a professor at the University of Virginia School (UVA) of Engineering and Applied Science, is a materials science researcher who is using artificial intelligence to improve materials characterization. He and his collaborators, representing multiple universities and national labs, detailed their innovative new technique studying how to better determine the nanoscale effects of radiation on materials in a paper in APL Machine Learning. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-ai-technique-illuminates-materials-reactions.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:50:04 EDT news648982201 Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Paragraf Limited have demonstrated a significant step forward in the development of graphene-based memristors and unlocking their potential for use in future computing systems and artificial intelligence (AI). https://phys.org/news/2024-10-graphene-based-memristors-closer-benefiting.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:33:39 EDT news648981200 Polaritons are coupled excitations of electromagnetic waves with either charged particles or vibrations in the atomic lattice of a given material. They are widely used in nanophotonics because of their ability to confine light at extremely small volumes, on the order of nanometers, which is essential to enhance light-matter interactions. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-platform-2d-polaritons-miniaturized-spectrometers.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 22 Oct 2024 12:20:12 EDT news648818409 In high school science class, we learned that plugging a cable into an electrical circuit sets off a flow of electrons, powering everything from our lights to our phones. Traditionally, we've understood how electrons behave in metals and semiconductors through this simple model: electrons are imagined as tiny, independent particles, much like cars on an open highway—each one moving freely, without interacting much with the others. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-viscous-electronics-fluid-electrons-tech.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 21 Oct 2024 12:33:29 EDT news648732806 In the context of sensory modalities, eyes work like tiny antennae, picking up light, electromagnetic waves traveling at blistering speeds. When humans look at the world, their eyes catch these waves and convert them into signals the brain reads as colors, shapes, and movement. It's a seamless process, that allows people to see details clearly even when there's a lot happening around them. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-klein-tunneling-acoustic-filtration.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:00:41 EDT news648478837 Colorimetric sensors detect environmental changes by intuitively shifting colors, easily visible to the naked eye without the need for additional equipment. Furthermore, they operate with zero power consumption. By shifting color visibly, without any need for additional equipment, these sensors have the potential to play critical roles in applications like food packaging and ancient artifact preservation, where optimal humidity is crucial for quality control. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-fast-colorimetric-sensor-real-gamut.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 18 Oct 2024 04:29:26 EDT news648444554 Researchers have revealed an adaptive response with a ferroelectric device, which responds to light pulses in a way that resembles the plasticity of neural networks. This behavior could find application in energy-efficient microelectronics. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-material-pulses-energy-efficient-supercomputing.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 16 Oct 2024 16:31:26 EDT news648314977 A research team has achieved coherent population trapping (CPT) in a semiconductor double quantum dot (DQD) system. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-tunable-coherent-population-quantum-dot.html Nanophysics Wed, 16 Oct 2024 16:26:55 EDT news648314811 Synthetic diamond is durable, inert, rigid, thermally conductive and chemically well-behaved—an elite material for both quantum and conventional electronics. But there's one problem. Diamond only likes diamond. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-diamond-bonding-technique-quantum-conventional.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:31:04 EDT news648307861 "Color is crucial," as pop artist Roy Lichtenstein famously said, but the significance of color extends far beyond art. From the creation of Prussian blue—the first synthetic pigment—to quantum dots in modern display technology, colors and their creation have always mirrored technological progress. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-team-hybrid-resonant-metasurfaces-configurable.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 15 Oct 2024 16:34:09 EDT news648228846 Recently, Professor Yang Xiaoping's research group at the High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discovered a tunable and controllable monoatomic layer two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) localized at the heterointerface. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-tunable-2d-electron-gas-heterointerface.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:16:54 EDT news648224208 One key to making portable devices more compact and energy efficient lies in the precise nanoscale form of energy-storing capacitors. Researchers in Sweden report they've cracked the challenge with a unique 3D printing method. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-3d-method-micro-energy-storage.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 14 Oct 2024 12:04:03 EDT news648126242 Researchers have developed and demonstrated a technique that allows them to engineer a class of materials called layered hybrid perovskites (LHPs) down to the atomic level, which dictates precisely how the materials convert electrical charge into light. The technique opens the door to engineering materials tailored for use in next-generation printed LEDs and lasers—and holds promise for engineering other materials for use in photovoltaic devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-perovskite-materials-atomic-paves-lasers.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:59:29 EDT news647870362 Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) materials have shown great potential for applications in lighting and display fields due to their wide color gamut, adjustable emission wavelength, high quantum efficiency, high color saturation, and low processing cost. For example, QD materials based on cadmium and perovskite have made remarkable progress, but the use of toxic Cd and Pb has limited their further application. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-finely-luminescent-ag-ga-quantum.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:43:50 EDT news647869426 Scintillators are detectors that make high-energy X-rays or particles visible through flashes of light to form an image. Their many applications include particle physics, medical imaging, X-ray security and more. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-quantum-material-future-high-energy.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 11 Oct 2024 11:04:04 EDT news647863442 Harder than a diamond, stronger than steel, as flexible as rubber and lighter than aluminum. These are just some of the properties attributed to graphene. Although this material has sparked great interest in the scientific community in recent years, there is still no cheap and sustainable enough method for its high-quality manufacturing on an industrial scale. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-plasma-based-technological-boosts-graphene.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:10:23 EDT news647788220 A research team has developed a novel visible light communication encryption technology with high security using chiral nanoparticles. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-visible-communication-encryption-technology-chiral.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:50:51 EDT news647783443 Step aside hard, rigid materials. There is a new soft, sustainable electroactive material in town—and it's poised to open new possibilities for medical devices, wearable technology and human-computer interfaces. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-peptides-plastics-combine-energy-efficient.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:00:01 EDT news647686220 Researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) have made a discovery that significantly reduces energy loss in metal nanostructures. By altering the geometrical dimensions of these structures, researchers have unlocked their full potential, paving the way for the development of more powerful and efficient nanoscale optical devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-energy-loss-metal-nanostructures-geometrical.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 08 Oct 2024 11:51:03 EDT news647607062 Next-generation technologies, such as leading-edge memory storage solutions and brain-inspired neuromorphic computing systems, could touch nearly every aspect of our lives—from the gadgets we use daily to the solutions for major global challenges. These advances rely on specialized materials, including ferroelectrics—materials with switchable electric properties that enhance performance and energy efficiency. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-nanoscale-method-boosts-materials-advanced.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 07 Oct 2024 12:13:21 EDT news647521995 Research that eliminates the guesswork in developing advanced 3D printed materials could help accelerate the development of new forms of "self-sensing" airplanes, robots, bridges and more. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-enable-future-generations-materials.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 07 Oct 2024 10:02:23 EDT news647514135