Physicists close in on world's most sensitive resonators

In their quest to make the world's most precise sensors, physicists have developed a novel method of manipulating mechanical resonators to be sensitive enough to work at the quantum scale.

Short wavelength plasmons observed in nanotubes

Researchers have observed 'Luttinger-liquid' plasmons in metallic single-walled nanotubes. This holds great promise for novel plasmonic and nanophotonic devices over a broad frequency range, including telecom wavelengths.

"Seeing' molecular interactions could give boost to organic electronics

For the first time, researchers have directly seen how organic molecules bind to other materials at the atomic level. Using a special kind of electron microscopy, this information can lead to increasing the life span of electronic devices, for example.

Carbon nanotube speakers play music with heat (w/video)

While still a fledgling technology, the potential applications are nearly endless. Everything from de-icing helicopter blades to making lighter loudspeakers to doubling as a car speaker and heating filament for back windshield defrosters.

Interacting ion qutrits

Researchers have used trapped atomic ions to construct a system that could potentially support a type of symmetry-protected quantum state.

How ants keep their antennae clean could have applications in nanotechnology (w/video)

Using unique mechanical experiments and close-up video, researchers have shown how ants use microscopic 'combs' and 'brushes' to keep their antennae clean, which could have applications for developing cleaners for nanotechnology.

Spins in graphene with a hedgehog texture

At a surface or interface the electron spin can form specific patterns but it remains in the surface plane. Researchers have now succeeded in turning the spin out of the plane, and they explain why this is a principle property.

Asymmetric optical-invisibility camouflage

Researchers have formulated a theory of asymmetric (or nonreciprocal) camouflage that can achieve unidirectional transparency in which 'they cannot see us, but we can see them'.

Reshaping the solar spectrum to turn light to electricity

Researchers find a way to use the infrared region of the sun's spectrum to make solar cells more efficient.