Engineering a better solar cell: Research pinpoints defects in popular perovskites

A new study demonstrates that perovskite materials, generally believed to be uniform in composition, actually contain flaws that can be engineered to improve solar devices even further.

Quantum-mechanical monopoles discovered

Researchers have observed a point-like monopole in a quantum field itself for the first time. This discovery connects to important characteristics of the elusive monopole magnet.

For batteries, one material does it all

Engineers have created a battery that is made entirely out of one material, which can both move electricity and store it.

Why, and how, computational research matters is changing materials science

To stay competitive, businesses and governments are constantly looking for materials that will open the door to new technologies or sources of energy. Materials that will make their products faster, lighter, stronger or more efficient. Whoever develops those materials first will have a significant edge over the competition.

No Hogwarts invitation required: Invisibility cloaks move into the real-life classroom

A new solid-state device can demonstrate the physical principles of invisibility cloaks without special equipment or magic spells.

Photonic thermometers: Out of the lab, into a bucket of water

A new class of tiny chip-based thermometers has the potential to revolutionize the way temperature is gauged.

Detecting effects of 3D shapes in nanoscale chip features

Researchers have determined that, at the ultra-small scale of the latest chip features, SEM measurements are strongly affected by variations in the gate's three-dimensional shape that can occur in the course of fabrication, including the line width and center position, the angle formed by a raised feature?s sidewalls, the curvature radius of the top edge area, and the effect of adjacent structures.

Desirable defects in liquid crystals

Introducing flaws into liquid crystals by inserting microspheres and then controlling them with electrical fields: that, in a nutshell, is the rationale behind a method that could be exploited for a new generation of advanced materials, potentially useful for optical technologies, electronic displays and e-readers.

Making magnetic hot spots with pairs of silicon nanocylinders

Shining visible light on two tiny silicon cylinders, or a 'nanodimer', placed just 30 nanometers apart, produces resonant hot spots for both the electric and magnetic fields.

Harnessing sunlight more effectively with nanoparticles

Computer simulations reveal why semiconductor microspheres containing metal nanoparticles are so effective at harnessing sunlight to accelerate chemical reactions.

Chemists cook up three atom-thick electronic sheets

Making thin films out of semiconducting materials is analogous to how ice grows on a windowpane: When the conditions are just right, the semiconductor grows in flat crystals that slowly fuse together, eventually forming a continuous film.

Research seeks alternatives for reducing bacteria in fresh produce using nanoengineering

Researchers have been exploring natural, safe and alternative antimicrobials to reduce bacterial contamination. Plant essential oils such as those from thyme, oregano and clove are known to have a strong antimicrobial effect, but currently their use in food protection is limited due to their low solubility in water. The team explored ways to formulate oil nanoemulsions to increase the solubility and stability of essential oils, and consequently, enhance their antimicrobial activity.

New attachement turns smartphone into a DNA-scanning fluorescent microscope

New attachment turns a smartphone into a microscope that can image and size DNA molecules 50,000 times thinner than a human hair.

Carbo nanotube films could make robots more human

Most people are naturally adept at reading facial expressions - from smiling and frowning to brow-furrowing and eye-rolling - to tell what others are feeling. Now scientists have developed ultra-sensitive, wearable sensors that can do the same thing.

Artificial photosynthesis could help make fuels, plastics and medicine

Researchers developed a novel system that converts light and carbon dioxide into building blocks for plastics, pharmaceuticals and fuels - all without electricity.

IBM scientists achieve critical steps to building first practical quantum computer

IBM scientists today unveiled two critical advances towards the realization of a practical quantum computer. For the first time, they showed the ability to detect and measure both kinds of quantum errors simultaneously, as well as demonstrated a new, square quantum bit circuit design that is the only physical architecture that could successfully scale to larger dimensions.

Physics of heavy ion induced damage in nanotwinned metals revealed

Scientists have investigated defect dynamics in heavy ion (Krypton) irradiated nanotwinned silver and revealed twin boundary-defect clusters interactions via in situ radiation.

How to grow nanostructures in a controlled manner on a variety of metals

Such controlled nanostructures provide the possibility of advanced electrodes that produce sustainable fuel using solar energy.

Developing portable, highly sensitive gold detection down to nanoparticles

Researchers are developing a portable, highly sensitive method for gold detection that would allow mineral exploration companies to test for gold on-site at the drilling rig.

A light touch to reading electron spins

Scientists have shown a new way of reading electron spins, which eliminates the need for powerful magnetic fields and reduces the reliance on very low temperatures.

Research opens the way to living implants

Researchers have found a method that allows them to ensure that living cells - in this case bacteria from the human body - can be incorporated in materials while maintaining their mobility. This opens the way to a wide range of new applications, for example as part of medical implants.

Tracking exploding lithium-ion batteries in real-time

What happens when lithium-ion batteries overheat and explode has been tracked inside and out for the first time by researchers using sophisticated 3D imaging.

A new constitutive model for the thermo-elasto-plasticity deformation of crystals

Researchers have proposed a new thermo-elasto-plasticity constitutive model based on the interatomic potential and solid mechanics for metal crystals. Through this new model, the material behavior at different temperatures could be described accurately and conveniently.

New technique for exploring structural dynamics of the nanoworld

A hybrid approach allows ultrafast EM analysis of materials, showing tiny electronic changes in individual atoms within a material on ultrafast time scales.

Windows that act like an LCD screen

A newly developed light shutter may pave the way for see-through displays and smart windows.

When mediated by superconductivity, light pushes matter million times more

When a mirror reflects light, it experiences a slight push. This radiation pressure can be increased considerably with the help of a small superconducting island.

Random light scattering enhances the resolution of wide-field optical microscope images

Researchers have developed a method to improve the resolution of a conventional wide-field optical microscope. Scattered light usually reduces the resolution of conventional optical microscopes. The team however found a simple and efficient way to actively use scattered light to improve the resolution of images.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture awards $3.8 million in grants for nanotechnology research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced more than $3.8 million in funding to support grants focused on using nanotechnology to find solutions to societal challenges such as food security, nutrition, food safety, and environmental protection.

Artificial spin ice: A new playground to better understand magnetism

Experiments using novel magnetic nanostructures confirm theoretically predicted behavior - bolstering their utility as a tool for understanding complex magnetic materials.

Two-dimensional semiconductor comes clean

Scientists demonstrated that they could dramatically improve the performance of graphene by encapsulating it in molybdenum disulfide, an insulating material with a similar layered structure.

Micromotors for energy generation

Self-propelled microparticles boost hydrogen release from liquid storage media.

Scientists join forces to reveal the mass and shape of single molecules

A microscopic tool, more than 1000 times thinner than the width of a single human hair, uses vibrations to simultaneously reveal the mass and the shape of a single molecule - a feat which has not been possible until now.

Self-assembling biomaterial forms nanostructure templates for human tissue formation

This article describes investigations towards the development of innovative biomaterials able to direct the formation of complex tissues as well as their release from the biomaterial template with enormous implications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

New ceramic material improves properties of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

Researchers propose a simple and cheap method to produce hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and improve its mechanical properties.

Weighing and imaging molecules one at a time

Building on their creation of the first-ever mechanical device that can measure the mass of individual molecules, one at a time, a team of scientists has created nanodevices that can also reveal their shape. Such information is crucial when trying to identify large protein molecules or complex assemblies of protein molecules.

Graphene-based technique creates the smallest gaps in nanostructures

A new procedure will enable researchers to fabricate smaller, faster, and more powerful nanoscale devices - and do so with molecular control and precision.

Researchers model new atomic structures of gold nanoparticle

They may deal in gold, atomic staples and electron volts rather than cement, support beams and kilowatt-hours, but chemists have drafted new nanoscale blueprints for low-energy structures capable of housing pharmaceuticals and oxygen atoms.

Study explores the interaction of carbon nanotubes and the blood-brain barrier

The study investigates the ability of amino-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes to cross the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) by two ways: in vitro using a co-culture BBB model comprising primary porcine brain endothelial cells and primary rat astrocytes and, in vivo, following a systemic administration of radiolabelled f-MWNTs.

Simpler nanoscale bioreplication of beetle decoys

Ash trees in 22 eastern states of U.S.A. are being decimated by emerald ash borers (EABs), an Asian beetle that arrived in Michigan more than two decades ago. The pest has even spread westwards into Kansas and Colorado. Nothing seemed to be effective against EABs, until decoys designed to mimic female EABs were found in 2012 by a group of researchers to be successful in enticing male EABs for mating. Last year, the same researchers found the decoys could be used to electrocute and kill the seduced males.

Scientists develop first liquid nanolaser

Technology could lead to new way of doing lab-on-a-chip medical diagnostics.

Micro fingers for arranging single cells

Development of hollow microprobe array for handling single cells in a parallel layout.

Graphene brings 3-D holograms clearer and closer

New research reveals potential for 'total immersion of real and virtual worlds'.

Heat makes electrons spin in magnetic superconductors

Physicists have shown how heat can be exploited for controlling magnetic properties of matter. The finding helps in the development of more efficient mass memories.

Chemists' synthesis of silicon oxides opens 'new world in a grain of sand'

In an effort that reaches back to the 19th-century laboratories of Europe, a discovery by chemistry researchers establishes new research possibilities for silicon chemistry and the semiconductor industry. The study gives details on the first time chemists have been able to trap molecular species of silicon oxides.

A light switch for superconductivity

A single layer of molecules allows an insulator to be turned into a superconductor using light.

Novel method takes quantum sensing to new level

Thermal imaging, microscopy and ultra-trace sensing could take a quantum leap with a new technique.

Silver nanoclusters inside synthetic DNA create tunable fluorescent array

Researchers cradle silver nanoclusters inside synthetic DNA to create a programmed, tunable fluorescent array.

Researchers add a new (graphene) wrinkle to cell culture

Using a technique that introduces tiny wrinkles into sheets of graphene, researchers have developed new textured surfaces for culturing cells in the lab that better mimic the complex surroundings in which cells grow in the body.

Highly conductive germanium nanowires made by a simple, one-step process

For the first time, germanium nanowires have been deposited on indium tin oxide substrate by a simple, one-step process called electrodeposition.

A leap for artificial leaves

New technique could open door to producing alternative-energy devices more cheaply.

Protein harnesses power of 'silly walks' (w/video)

The 'stiff-legged' walk of a motor protein along a tightrope-like filament has been captured for the first time.

Nanotech-enabled moisturizer speeds healing of diabetic skin wounds

Spherical nucleic acids silence gene that interferes with wound healing.

Fast and accurate 3-D imaging technique to track optically trapped particles

Researchers describe the development of a novel technique to precisely track the 3-D positions of optically trapped particles having complicated geometry in high speed.

Nanotechnology enables glass-free 3D holograms

Researchers have shown the capacity of a technique using graphene oxide and complex laser physics to create a pop-up floating display without the need for 3D glasses.

Ultra-sensitive sensor detects individual electrons

Researchers created an electronic device so accurate that it can detect the charge of a single electron in less than one microsecond. It has been dubbed the 'gate sensor' and could be applied in quantum computers of the future to read information stored in the charge or spin of a single electron.

Scientists use nanoscale building blocks and DNA 'glue' to shape 3D superlattices

New approach to designing ordered composite materials for possible energy applications.

Mechanical cloaks of invisibility - without complicated mathematics

Scientists develop new approach to providing materials with recesses without weakening the construction.

Metamaterials shine bright as new terahertz source

Discovery demonstrates how metamaterials may be used in non-invasive material imaging and sensing, and terahertz information technologies.

3D-printed graphene aerogels improve energy storage (w/video)

A new type of graphene aerogel will make for better energy storage, sensors, nanoelectronics, catalysis and separations.

Nondestructive 3-D imaging of biological cells with sound

Researchers report the first known full 3-D scan of a single biological cell via picosecond ultrasound, an acoustic imaging technique.

From metal to insulator and back again

Metals are compounds that are capable of conducting the flow of electrons that make up an electric current. Other materials, called insulators, are not capable of conducting an electric current. At low temperatures, all materials can be classified as either insulators or metals. New work hones in on the physics underlying the recently discovered fact that some metals stop being metallic under pressure.

Materials scientists putting a new spin on computing memory

As computers continue to shrink, memory has to become smaller, stable and more energy conscious. A group of researchers is trying to do just that with help from a new class of materials, whose magnetism can essentially be controlled by the flick of a switch.

Quantum 'paparazzi' film photons in the act of pairing up

In the quantum world of light, being distinguishable means staying lonely. Only those photons that are indistinguishable can wind up in a pair, through what is called Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. This subtle quantum effect has been successfully imaged for the first time.

Nanoparticle drug reverses Parkinson's-like symptoms in rats

The researchers packaged dopamine in biodegradable nanoparticles that have been used to deliver other therapeutic drugs to the brain. The resulting nanoparticles successfully crossed the blood-brain barrier in rats, released its dopamine payload over several days and reversed the rodents' movement problems without causing side effects.

Electron spin brings order to high entropy alloys

Scientists have discovered that electron spin brings a previously unknown degree of order to the high entropy alloy nickel iron chromium cobalt (NiFeCrCo) - and may play a role in giving the alloy its desirable properties.

Small electric voltage alters conductivity in key materials

Using only a 9-volt battery at room temperature, researchers have altered the thermal conductivity of the widely used material PZT (lead zirconate titanate) by as much as 11 percent at subsecond time scales.

Pseudoparticles travel through photoactive material

Researchers have unveiled an important step in the conversion of light into storable energy: They studied the formation of so-called polarons in zinc oxide. The pseudoparticles travel through the photoactive material until they are converted into electrical or chemical energy at an interface.

'Holey' graphene for energy storage

Charged holes in graphene increase energy storage capacity.

Low-reflection, nanostructured wings make butterflies nearly invisible

The effect is known from the smart phone: Sun is reflected by the display and hardly anything can be seen. In contrast to this, the glasswing butterfly hardly reflects any light in spite of its transparent wings. As a result, it is difficult for predatory birds to track the butterfly during the flight.