Exciting silicon nanoparticles

Separating the electric and magnetic components of light scattered by silicon nanoparticles enables more precise control of light.

Plasmonics - Left in the wake

Waves of charge scudding across gold surfaces are shown to create wakes that are readily manipulable.

A new magnetoresistance effect occurring in materials with strong spin-orbit coupling

Researchers show that by means of a novel magnetoresistive effect, it is now possible to study the spin transport properties in these materials without the need to fabricate complex devices and/or involve interfaces between different materials.

Designing a pop-up future

Simple origami fold may hold the key to designing pop-up furniture, medical devices and scientific tools.

Stable two-dimensional radioactive films: An atomic-scale picture

Two dimensional radioactive films are a new and exciting system to study nuclear decay at the atomic level with applications in a variety of fields ranging from medical imaging to cancer therapy. Before these films can be used in real-world application however, their behaviour and stability under ambient conditions has to be understood.

In plasmonics, 'optical losses' could bring practical gain

What researchers had thought of as a barrier to developing advanced technologies based on the emerging field of plasmonics is now seen as a potential pathway to practical applications in areas from cancer therapy to nanomanufacturing.

Solving hard quantum problems: Everything is connected

Researchers succeeded in calculating effects in ultra-cold atom clouds which can only be explained in terms of the quantum correlations between many atoms. Such atom clouds are known as Bose-Einstein condensates and are an active field of research.

Energy harvesting via smart materials

A group of researchers discovered a way to enhance smart materials known as 'electrostrictive polymers' to improve their mechanical energy harvesting performance.

Scientists build a neural network using plastic memristors

Scientists have created a neural network based on polymeric memristors - devices that can potentially be used to build fundamentally new computers.

Open-source laser fabrication lowers costs for cancer research

Bioengineers reprogram laser cutter to etch 50,000 microwells per hour.

New fluorescent nanomaterials take inspiration from plant antenna systems

Researchers have designed a set of fluorescent nanomaterials which have taken their inspiration from the antenna systems of plants.

Scientists synthesize nanoparticles that can deliver tumor suppressors to damaged livers

Chemists have successfully used synthetic nanoparticles to deliver tumor-suppressing therapies to diseased livers with cancer, an important hurdle scientists have been struggling to conquer.