Scientists design a full-scale architecture for a quantum computer in silicon

Physicists have designed a scalable 3-D silicon chip architecture based on single atom quantum bits, providing a blueprint to build operational quantum computers.

A record-setting flexible phototransistor

Inspired by mammals' eyes, electrical engineers have created the fastest, most responsive flexible silicon phototransistor ever made.

3-D laser printing of whispering-gallery-mode microcavities

A new review provides an overview of recent progress in femtosecond laser three-dimensional fabrications of optical WGM microcavities.

Solving 80-year-old mystery, chemist discovers way to isolate single-crystal ice surfaces

Breakthrough promises insights into climate, environment and age-old riddles, such as why no two snowflakes are alike.

Application of light-switched magnets within reach

A minuscule antenna which focuses a bundle of light is a technological development that has suddenly brought light-enabled magnetic storage of data within reach.

Nanotechnology - the new alchemy

Alchemy left the mainstream centuries ago, but one of its core concepts, transmuting the elements, is experiencing a revival in nanotechnology.

Graphene-based sensor chip 200 times more sensitive than silicon

Researchers have developed a new material that can potentially replace the silicon widely used in sensor chips in appliances, paving the way for smaller and cheaper electronic products.

New design using graphene points a path to the 'ultimate' battery

Scientists have developed a working laboratory demonstrator of a lithium-oxygen battery which has very high energy density, is more than 90% efficient, and, to date, can be recharged more than 2000 times, showing how several of the problems holding back the development of these devices could be solved.

Single-agent theranostic nanoplatform offers significant new tool to fight cancer

Scientists announced an important advance in the field of cancer imaging and phototherapy, using a single-agent system that may ultimately change the efficacy of cancer surgery and treatment around the world.

Biosensor for detecting proteins made entirely of a protein

Researchers have successfully constructed a fluorescent biosensor for serum albumin by carefully connecting the two color variants of a green fluorescent protein to the antigen binding fragment of an antibody.

New catalyst features unsurpassed selectivity

A newly developed features unprecedented selectivity and a conversion rate nearly twice that of conventional catalysts.

A new study and a project to investigate bioinspired materials

Being all in one piece is not always a good strategy for resisting external strain. Biological tissues are well aware of it: they tend to crack simultaneously and gradually in several places, rather than catastrophically in one place only. This makes them particularly resistant. Researchers conducted a theoretical study that explains the mechanism underlying this phenomenon, which was experimentally observed in epithelial cell cultures.

Exploring nanodevices in real-time

New atomic-scale study aims to discover the mechanical behavior of nanodevices through direct, real-time observation.

Novel antibacterial glasses prevent the infections associated with surgical implants

A recent study has demonstrated the ability of three glass coatings to control peri-implant infection and subsequent disease.

Novel nanoparticles for image-guided phototherapy could improve ovarian cancer treatments

Scientists are investigating a biodegradable nanomedicine that can selectively destroy ovarian cancer cells left behind after surgery. These findings are a step forward in the development of targeted therapies for hard-to-treat cancers.

Newly developed cell transplantation delivery method could treat traumatic brain injury

Applying magnetic field to stem cells labeled with iron oxide nanoparticles helps guide cells to TBI site.

Scientists predict behaviour of charge currents in graphene

A physicist has devised a new method that can realistically predict the behaviour of electric currents as they pass through materials.

Atomic-resolution microscopy answers longstanding questions about lithium-rich cathode material

Scientists unravel structural ambiguities in lithium-rich transition metal oxides.

A new way of computing with interaction-dependent state change of nanomagnets

Engineering researchers find nanoscale magnets could compute complex functions significantly faster than conventional computers.

Nanotechnology could spur new heart treatment for arrthymia

A new nanoparticle could be the key to a targeted therapy for cardiac arrhythmia, a condition that causes the heart to beat erratically and can lead to heart attack and stroke.

The noble architecture of new materials

Invited review shows progress in building ordered or chaotic structures for fuel cells.

A microscopic motor with a single particle, lasers and electric fields

Researchers have reported on the development of a microscopic motor operating between two thermal baths, that is, a micro Carnot engine.

Nanoparticle-based superconducting ink heats water instantly

Researchers created a superconducting heat ink that functions as a solar heater. It heats water up to 68 degrees Celsius and is 40 percent cheaper than commercial inks.

Hybrid solar cell converts both light and heat from sun?s rays into electricity (w/video)

Scientists have developed a new hybrid, solar-energy system that harnesses the full spectrum of the sun's radiation by pairing a photovoltaic cell with polymer films. The films convert the light that goes unused by the solar cell into heat and then converts the heat into electricity.

Development, function and evolution of plant nanostructures that influence animal behavior

In animals, the physical mechanisms and function of structural color have been studied significantly as a signal for recognition or mate choice. On the other hand, scientists believe that such shimmering in plants can actually influence animal behavior by attracting pollinators better than their non-iridescent counterparts.

Next-gen pacemakers may be powered by unlikely source: the heart (w/video)

Researchers are developing technology to make pacemakers battery-free. The advancement is based upon a piezoelectric system that converts vibrational energy - created inside the chest by each heartbeat - into electricity to power the pacemaker.

Paper-based test could diagnose hepatitis B and assess male fertility at low cost

Scientists have developed a new paper device that analyzes DNA and could rapidly and inexpensively assess disparate conditions including hepatitis B and male infertility, which together affect millions of people around the world.

A star-shaped molecule previously thought to be too unstable to be made

Chemists have created the five-pronged molecule [5]radialene, in work that could lead to more efficient ways to make medicinal agents.

Perovskite-based triboelectric photodetector a new weapon in air pollution fight

Peoiple could soon be using their smartphones to combat a deadly form of air pollution.

A new physical mechanism allows 'phonon lasing' driven by optical forces at ambient conditions

Although a so-called 'phonon laser' has been previously demonstrated, the high device quality and strict experimental conditions make it too complex for a rapid diffusion of the technology. Researchers now detail a new physical mechanism that allows phonon lasing under far more relaxed configurations.

The world's fastest nanoscale photonics switch

An international team of researchers created an ultrafast all-optical switch on silicon nanostructures. This device may become a platform for future computers and permit to transfer data at an ultrahigh speed.

Researchers create better algorithm for simulating particles in Fermi sea

Scientists have created a new, more precise algorithm for simulating particle interactions when a single impurity is introduced into a Fermi sea. The algorithm shows that when these particles interact, the transition from quasiparticle to bound molecule in a polarized two-dimensional system is smooth.

From science fiction to reality - sonic tractor beam invented

Researchers have built the world's first sonic tractor beam that can lift and move objects using sound waves.

Promising technique improves hydrogen production of affordable alternative to platinum

Scientists have demonstrated that microwaves can help create nanostructured molybdenum disulfide catalysts with an improved ability to produce hydrogen.

Attosecond physics: Film in 4-D with ultrashort electron pulses

Physicists shorten electron pulses down to 30 femtoseconds duration. This enables them to gain detailed insight into atomic motions in molecules.

Trading in vivo for in silico: a new approach to nanotoxicity assessment

Prof. Robert Rallo, coordinator of the MODERN project, discusses the initiative?s new approach to nanotoxicty assessment, which could help move us towards the wider adoption of in silico methods.

Graphene flakes as an ultra-fast stopwatch

Researchers have developed a new optical detector from graphene which reacts very rapidly to incident light of all different wavelengths and even works at room temperature. It is the first time that a single detector has been able to monitor the spectral range from visible light to infrared radiation and right through to terahertz radiation.

Entanglement at heart of 'two-for-one' fission in next-generation solar cells

The mechanism behind a process known as singlet fission, which could drive the development of highly efficient solar cells, has been directly observed by researchers for the first time.

Strong and extremely insulating: hybrid aerogels made from biopolymers and silica

Scientists have introduced a new class of hybrid aerogels made from silica and plant-derived pectins. The new materials have comparable thermal properties but are far more mechanically stable. In addition, they are made by an aqueous, 'green' process from bioderived materials.

Researchers create technology to produce lighter, long-lasting batteries from silicon

Substantially smaller and longer-lasting batteries for everything from portable electronic devices to electric cars could be come a reality thanks to an innovative technology.

Nanoquakes probe new 2-dimensional material

Research opens up new ways of understanding monolayer films for (opto-)electronic applications.

Researchers develop natural protein cage for improved cancer drug delivery

Researchers have developed a unique, tiny protein cage to deliver nasty chemotherapy chemicals directly to cancer cells. Direct delivery could improve treatment and lessen what can be horrendous side effects from toxic drugs.

Researchers observe phase transition thought impossible

An ultrapure material taken to pressures greater than that in the depths of the ocean and chilled to temperatures colder than outer space has revealed an unexpected phase transition that crosses two different phase categories.

Unraveling the complex, intertwined electron phases in a superconductor

Scientists may have discovered a link between key components of the 'electron density wave' state and the pseudogap phase in a high-temperature superconductor.

Utrathin perovskite nanocrystals suitable for use in tunable and energy-efficient LEDs

Researchers have succeeded in synthesizing perovskite nanocrystals in the form of ultrathin nanoplatelets whose emission characteristics can be tuned by altering their thickness.

A fluorescent dye that survives in live cell STED imaging

A new molecular tool for continuous super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.

Engineers say graphene key to high-density, energy-efficient memory chips

Only an atom thick, graphene is a key ingredient in projects to create data storage technologies that use nanomaterials other than standard silicon.

Thermoplastically deformable electronic circuits

This week, researchers will present a novel technology for thermoplastically deformable electronics enabling low-cost 2.5D free-form rigid electronic objects.

Ionic liquids interesting in extracting molecules from wood

Scientists have discovered how enzymes can perform their catalytical processes in a switchable ionic liquid. The discovery paves way for enzymatic refinement of cellulose to precious molecules and industrial products.

Nanotechnology offers new approach to increasing storage ability of dielectric capacitors

With their new approach, researchers achieved an energy density of about two watts per kilogram, which is significantly higher than that of other dielectric capacitor structures reported in the literature.

Sensing small molecules may revolutionize drug design

Scientists describe a new method for examining small molecules and their communication with membrane proteins. The research will allow scientists and clinicians to study these interactions at an astonishingly minute scale with unprecedented precision.

Photons open the gateway for quantum networks

Quantum technology based on photons, called quantum photonics, will be able to hold much more information than current computer technology. But in order to create a network with photons, you need a photon contact, a kind of transistor that can control the transport of photons in a circuit. Researchers now have managed to create such a contact.

Enzymatic micromotor-driven CO2 sequestration in water

CO2 capture and mineralization in seawater by enzymatic conversion into carbonate with the help of a self-propelled microengine.

Halloysite: Finally a promising natural nanomaterial?

Researchers have recently presented a broad overview of halloysite clay tubes.

Manipulating wrinkles could lead to graphene semiconductors

Scientists have used the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope to manipulate the formation of wrinkles in graphene, opening the way to the construction of graphene semiconductors not through chemical means but by manipulating the carbon structure itself in a form of 'graphene engineering'.

Researchers transform slow emitters into fast light sources

Researchers have developed a new way to control light from phosphorescent emitters at very high speeds. The technique provides a new approach to modulation that could be useful in all kinds of silicon-based nanoscale devices, including computer chips and other optoelectronic components.

'Zeno effect' verified: Atoms won't move while you watch

One of the oddest predictions of quantum theory - that a system can't change while you're watching it - has been confirmed in an experiment by physicists.

Physicists learn how to control the movement of electrons in a molecule (w/video)

Physicists have just proved to be able to track and control the movement of electrons in molecules.

Successful industrialization of high-density 3D integrated silicon capacitors for ultra-miniaturized electronic components

Three high-tech SMEs finalize the joint EU-funded PICS project on innovative ALD materials and manufacturing equipment.

Nanoscale diamond 'racetrack' becomes breakthrough Raman laser

New photonic microchip component promises advances in telecommunications.

Nano power grids between bacteria

Microorganisms in the sea organise their power supply via tiny power-cables, thus oxidising the greenhouse gas methane.

Cobalt atoms on graphene a powerful combo

Graphene doped with nitrogen and augmented with cobalt atoms has proven to be an effective, durable catalyst for the production of hydrogen from water.

Sustainable Nanotechnologies Project reports on its second year

During their second annual meeting, held in Venice, Italy on 8-9 October 2015, SUN project partners presented the results obtained during the second 12 months of the SUN ? Sustainable Nanotechnologies Project.

Doubling up improves nanoring design

A new nanoring design shows potential for generating short magnetic pulses and could be used to explore magnetic switching in materials.

Using X-ray scattering to measure features a a single silicon atom wide

Researchers reported success using an X-ray scattering technique to accurately measure features on a silicon chip to within fractions of a nanometer, or about the width of a single silicon atom.

Nanoislands and skeletal skin boost fuel cell performance

Selective electrodeposition of tin oxide on platinum alloy nanoparticles provides an effective and robust catalyst for polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

Researchers demonstrate atomically thin excitonic laser

An important step towards next-generation ultra-compact photonic and optoelectronic devices has been taken with the realization of a two-dimensional excitonic laser. Scientists embedded a monolayer of tungsten disulfide into a special microdisk resonator to achieve bright excitonic lasing at visible light wavelengths.