https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-physics en-us The latest science news on nanophysics, nanotechnology, nanotech and nanoscience. Newly developed atomic engineering techniques have opened exciting opportunities for enabling ferroelectric behavior in high-k dielectrics, materials that have a high dielectric constant (i.e., kappa or k) compared to silicon. This could in turn inform the development of more advanced CMOS-based technology with a broader range of functions or properties. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-nanoelectromechanical-resonators-based-hafniazirconiaalumina-superlattices.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:30:01 EDT news610127970 Researchers at the University of Basel and Lund University have generated superconducting pair states of electrons on several segments of a nanowire, separated by grown barriers. Depending on the height of the barriers, these pair states can be coupled and fused. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-andreev-chemistry-nanowire-generate-superconducting.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:34:18 EDT news610112055 The potential of an ultrafast form of transmission electron microscopy to measure sound waves in nanostructures has been demonstrated by three RIKEN physicists. This could help realize a high-resolution imaging method that uses ultrahigh-frequency sound waves to image structures that are nanometers in size. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-image-nanostructures.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:38:03 EDT news610108682 To develop advanced materials, a deep understanding of their underlying microstructure and chemistry is necessary. Knowing how defects influence the interplay between microstructure and chemical composition is crucial, as they are the entry gate for material's failure due to corrosion or crack initiation. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-elements-grain-boundary-revealing-material.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:31:03 EDT news610108261 Junctions between the two different materials, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and perovskite (CsPbBr3) quantum dots (QDs)—a mechanically stable and easily customized photovoltaic material that creates an electrical current from sunlight when paired with another material, such as SWCNTs—form semiconductor heterojunctions that work exceptionally well as a photodetector. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-photodetector-heterojunctions-varies-carbon-nanotube.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:53:04 EDT news610023182 Using conventional testing techniques, it can be challenging—sometimes impossible—to detect harmful contaminants such as nano-plastics, air pollutants and microbes in living organisms and natural materials. These contaminants are sometimes found in such tiny quantities that tests are unable to reliably pick them up. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanotech-chemical-composition-impurities-air.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:41:04 EDT news610018861 A cutting-edge practice by two Vanderbilt researchers that enhances light in nanoscale structures could help in the detection of diseases like cancer. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanoscale-aid-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Nanophysics Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:22:52 EDT news609765770 Researchers in the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester have revisited one of the most ancient materials on Earth—graphite—and discovered new physics that has eluded the field for decades. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-moir-surface-bulk-states-capturing-hofstadter.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:30:32 EDT news609683424 Graphene is a two-dimensional wonder material that has been suggested for a wide range of applications in energy, technology, construction, and more since it was first isolated from graphite in 2004. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-deeper-graphene-rainbow.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:37:03 EDT news609514621 Materials that are both strong and lightweight could improve everything from cars to body armor. But usually, the two qualities are mutually exclusive. Now, University of Connecticut researchers and colleagues have developed an extraordinarily strong, lightweight material using two unlikely building blocks: DNA and glass. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-dna-coat-glass-density-strong.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:30:24 EDT news609503421 Prof. Pan Xu's team at the Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), in collaboration with Zheng Xiaojia at the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), and other researchers, discovered the remarkable potential of one-dimensional (1D) δ-phase formamidinium lead iodide (δ-FAPbI3) as an advanced material for X-ray detection. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-explore-potential-compound-x-ray-imaging.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:10:05 EDT news609502201 Researchers have created a quantum superposition state in a semiconductor nanostructure that might serve as a basis for quantum computing. The trick: two optical laser pulses that act as a single terahertz laser pulse. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-quantum-bit-semiconductor-nanostructures.html Nanophysics Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:02:03 EDT news609498121 As the world transitions to renewable power sources such as solar and wind, there is a growing need for high-performance rechargeable batteries to store the energy generated by this intermittent energy source. Today's lithium-ion batteries are good, but their performance still needs to be improved; developing new electrode materials is one way to improve their performance. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-laser-treatment-boost-battery.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 24 Jul 2023 13:28:59 EDT news609424130 For decades, scientists have been probing the potential of two-dimensional materials to transform our world. 2D materials are only a single layer of atoms thick. Within them, subatomic particles like electrons can only move in two dimensions. This simple restriction can trigger unusual electron behavior, imbuing the materials with "exotic" properties like bizarre forms of magnetism, superconductivity and other collective behaviors among electrons—all of which could be useful in computing, communication, energy and other fields. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-graphite.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 19 Jul 2023 11:00:01 EDT news608981924 New research from Lancaster University presents an "innovative approach" to investigating the heat conductivity of novel two-dimensional materials. The work paves the way for creating efficient waste heat scavengers that generate cheap electricity, new compact fridges, and advanced optical and microwave sensors and cameras. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-highlighting-approach-2d-materials.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 18 Jul 2023 15:52:27 EDT news608914345 Microplastics are tiny, barely visible plastic particles that can harm the environment, for example, if they are eaten by animals. However, it has been difficult to assess the effect of even smaller particles, which can hardly be detected using conventional methods—plastic particles with a diameter of less than one micrometer commonly referred to as "nanoplastics." Such tiny particles can even be absorbed into living cells. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanoplastics-fractions-raman-spectroscopy.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:29:03 EDT news608898541 A proton-driven approach that enables multiple ferroelectric phase transitions sets the stage for ultralow power, high-capacity computer chips. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-protons-power-next-generation-memory-devices.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:06:39 EDT news608810797 A pair of multidisciplinary teams with many of the same researchers are developing processes that allow scientists to better see into the nanoscale and harness possibilities of the quantum realm. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanoscale-realm.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:06:18 EDT news608810775 A new technology being pioneered at Caltech is allowing researchers to "evolve" optical devices and then print them out using a specialized type of 3D printer. These devices are made of so-called optical metamaterials that derive their properties from structures so small they are measured in nanometers, and they may allow cameras and sensors to detect and manipulate properties of light in ways not previously possible at small scales. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-evolving-3d-nanoscale-optical-devices.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:22:11 EDT news608804514 Liquid metal, planet-like nanodroplets have been successfully formed with a new technique developed at RMIT University, Australia. Like our own planet Earth, the nanodroplets feature an outer "crust," a liquid metal "mantle," and a solid "core." https://phys.org/news/2023-07-liquid-metal-nanodroplets-technique-properties.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 14 Jul 2023 11:05:05 EDT news608551502 A new approach to developing semiconductor materials at tiny scales could help boost applications that rely on converting light to energy. A Los Alamos-led research team incorporated magnetic dopants into specially engineered colloidal quantum dots—nanoscale-size semiconductor crystals—and was able to achieve effects that may power solar cell technology, photo detectors and applications that depend on light to drive chemical reactions. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-reveals-quantum-dots-carrier-multiplication.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:52:21 EDT news608550739 Researchers from the UAB and the ICN2 have developed a methodology that makes it possible for the first time to observe under the microscope, in real time, what happens when glass is heated and changes to a supercooled liquid phase, known as the "glass transition." The research, published in Nature Physics, is of great importance for the cryopreservation of proteins, cells and living tissues, for the manufacture of drugs and electronic devices, and for tissue engineering, where this glass-to-liquid transition plays a key role. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanoscale-glass-liquid-temperature.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 13 Jul 2023 15:04:03 EDT news608479441 By combining multiple advanced technologies into a single system, EPFL researchers have made a significant step forward in diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). https://phys.org/news/2023-07-biosensor-neurogenerative-disease-proteins.html Bio & Medicine Nanophysics Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:38:04 EDT news608459881 Using a combination of high-powered X-rays, phase-retrieval algorithms and machine learning, Cornell researchers revealed the intricate nanotextures in thin-film materials, offering scientists a new, streamlined approach to analyzing potential candidates for quantum computing and microelectronics, among other applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-machine-x-ray-imaging-nanotextures.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:18:05 EDT news607947483 Polaritons are a peculiar state, a kind of quasi-particles consisting of part-light and part-matter that can bring unexpected abilities to conventional chemical reactions. New research from Umeå University and others reveals that when the polaritons are hit by very short pulses of light they collapse, and from then the reaction will be completely controlled by conventional electronic transitions. The study is published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-breakthrough-short-pulses-destroy-particles.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 06 Jul 2023 11:01:05 EDT news607860062 Halide perovskites are a family of materials that have attracted attention for their superior optoelectronic properties and potential applications in devices such as high-performance solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and lasers. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-precise-arrays-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 06 Jul 2023 05:00:01 EDT news607837918 We interact with bits and bytes everyday—whether that's through sending a text message or receiving an email. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-flux-quantum-technology.html Nanophysics Wed, 05 Jul 2023 15:42:05 EDT news607790522 The fast switching and modulation of light is at the heart, among other things, of modern data transfer, in which information is sent through fiber optic cables in the shape of modulated light beams. It has been possible for several years now to miniaturize light modulators and to integrate them into chips, but the light sources themselves—light emitting diodes (LEDs) or lasers—still pose problems to engineers. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-antenna-nanoscale-sources-unusual-placement.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:34:03 EDT news607610041 A bullet piercing the protective armor of a first responder, a jellyfish stinging a swimmer, micrometeorites striking a satellite: High-speed projectiles that puncture materials show up in many forms. Researchers constantly aim to identify new materials that can better resist these high-speed puncture events, but it has been hard to connect the microscopic details of a promising new material to its actual behavior in real-world situations. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-laser-based-method-scientists-puncture-resistant-materials.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 03 Jul 2023 10:14:42 EDT news607598073 Quantum electronics promises significant advances in ultra-sensitive measurements and quantum information processing. In nanoelectronic circuits, one electron can be used to precisely modify the trajectory of another electron through their mutual Coulomb interaction. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-electron-collider-chip-independent-teams.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 30 Jun 2023 11:19:02 EDT news607342741