Spider's web weaves way to advanced networks and displays

Searching for new ways to develop efficient, flexible networks, physicists discovered the designs of spider webs and leaf venation, refined across thousands of years of evolution, are worthy models for the next generation of optoelectronic applications.

Switching to spintronics

Researchers report on electric field switching of ferromagnetism at room temperature.

Ultrafast imaging of complex systems in 3-D at near atomic resolution nears

It is becoming possible to image complex systems in 3-D with near-atomic resolution on ultrafast timescales using extremely intense X-ray free-electron laser pulses. One important step toward ultrafast imaging of samples with a single X-ray shot is understanding the interaction of extremely brilliant and intense X-ray pulses with the sample, including ionization rates.

Microscopy pencils patterns in polymers at the nanoscale

Scientists have used advanced microscopy to carve out nanoscale designs on the surface of a new class of ionic polymer materials for the first time. The study provides new evidence that atomic force microscopy, or AFM, could be used to precisely fabricate materials needed for increasingly smaller devices.

Lens-free microscope can detect cancer at the cellular level

Researchers have developed a lens-free microscope that can be used to detect the presence of cancer or other cell-level abnormalities with the same accuracy as larger and more expensive optical microscopes.

Choreography of an electron pair

The motion of the two electrons in the helium atom can be imaged and controlled with attosecond-timed laser flashes.

Discovery opens door for radical reduction in energy consumed by digital devices

A new paper describes the first direct observation of a long-hypothesized but elusive phenomenon called 'negative capacitance'. The work describes a unique reaction of electrical charge to applied voltage in a ferroelectric material that could open the door to a radical reduction in the power consumed by transistors and the devices containing them.

Nanoscale devices for enhanced detection and treatment of brain injuries

Scientists have been studying possibilities of using nanoscale devices for enhanced detection and treatment of brain injuries ranging from mild to severe.

A gold nanocatalyst for clear water

Mixed nanoparticle systems may help purify water and generate hydrogen.

Pyramid nanoscale antennas beam light up and down

The new antennas look like pyramids, rather than the more commonly used straight pillars. The pyramid shape enhances the interference between the magnetic and electric fields of light. This makes the pyramid-shaped antenna capable of enhancing light emission and beaming different colours of light towards opposite directions.