/ en-us Â鶹ÒùÔº internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ÒùÔºics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. A research team led by SUTD has created nanoscale glass structures with near-perfect reflectance, overturning long-held assumptions about what low-index materials can do in photonics. /news/2025-06-glass-nanostructures-visible-photonics-assumptions.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:12:04 EDT news669906721 Â鶹ÒùÔºicists at Loughborough University have used cutting-edge nanotechnology to create what they believe may be "the world's smallest violin," which is small enough to fit within the width of a human hair. /news/2025-06-physicists-world-smallest-violin-nanotechnology.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:26:29 EDT news668168779 Laser frequency combs are light sources that produce evenly spaced, sharp lines across the spectrum, resembling the teeth of a comb. They serve as precise rulers for measuring time and frequency, and have become essential tools in applications such as lidar, high-speed optical communications, and space navigation. Traditional frequency combs rely on large, lab-based lasers. However, recent advancements have led to the development of chip-scale soliton microcombs, which generate ultrashort pulses of light within microresonators. /news/2025-05-chip-scale-soliton-microcombs-femtosecond.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 21 May 2025 15:40:30 EDT news667060828 Imagine drawing on something as delicate as a living cell—without damaging it. Researchers at the University of Missouri have made this discovery using an unexpected combination of tools: frozen ethanol, electron beams and purple-tinted microbes. /news/2025-05-cool-science-craft-tiny-biological.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 20 May 2025 12:26:04 EDT news666962762 The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has developed a compact, rapid pretreatment system capable of liquefying and homogenizing solid biological samples in under one minute. /news/2025-04-solid-biosample-field-ready-diagnostics.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:49:09 EDT news665153344 In a development that could reshape the future of microelectronics, optics, and biomedicine, researchers from Jinan University, in collaboration with the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have unveiled a new nanoprinting technology that simultaneously achieves unprecedented resolution and efficiency. /news/2025-04-quantum-photon-strategy-powers-generation.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:06:04 EDT news665057161 Researchers from Max Born Institute have demonstrated a successful way to control and manipulate nanoscale magnetic bits—the building blocks of digital data—using an ultrafast laser pulse and plasmonic gold nanostructures. The findings were published in Nano Letters. /news/2025-04-ultrafast-plasmon-magnetic-bit-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:03:24 EDT news664707798 If you haven't heard of a tardigrade before, prepare to be wowed. These clumsy, eight-legged creatures, nicknamed water bears, are about half a millimeter long and can survive practically anything: freezing temperatures, near starvation, high pressure, radiation exposure, outer space and more. Researchers reporting in the journal Nano Letters took advantage of the tardigrade's nearly indestructible nature and gave the critters tiny "tattoos" to test a microfabrication technique to build microscopic, biocompatible devices. /news/2025-04-scientists-tattoo-tardigrades.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 23 Apr 2025 09:20:04 EDT news664618802 Researchers from ICMAB are revolutionizing how we manipulate light at the nanoscale using chiral plasmonic structures—nanomaterials designed to interact with polarized light in extraordinary ways. /news/2025-04-chiral-plasmonic-nanostructures-limits-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:58:03 EDT news663505081 Deep ultraviolet (DUV) lasers, known for their high photon energy and short wavelengths, are essential in various fields such as semiconductor lithography, high-resolution spectroscopy, precision material processing, and quantum technology. These lasers offer increased coherence and reduced power consumption compared to excimer or gas discharge lasers, enabling the development of more compact systems. /news/2025-03-compact-solid-state-laser-generates.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:30:03 EDT news661775402 One major category of the next generation of energy-efficient microelectronic devices and information processing technologies will likely be based on "spintronics," which leverage both an electron's charge and its spin—the tiny "up" or "down" magnetic moment carried by every electron. Now, a relatively new subset of spintronics has sprung up, known as magnonics, which harnesses the collective behaviors of spins, known as spin waves or magnons. /news/2025-02-imaging-method-captures-dynamics.html Condensed Matter Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:40:06 EST news658586139 The idea of traveling through interstellar space using spacecraft propelled by ultrathin sails may sound like the stuff of sci-fi novels. But in fact, a program started in 2016 by Stephen Hawking and Yuri Milner, known as the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, has been exploring the idea. The concept is to use lasers to propel miniature space probes attached to "lightsails" to reach ultrafast speeds and eventually our nearest star system, Alpha Centauri. /news/2025-01-interstellar-lightsails.html Space Exploration Thu, 30 Jan 2025 15:22:05 EST news657472921 Microscale light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) are emerging as a next-generation display technology for optical communications, augmented and virtual reality, and wearable devices. Metal-halide perovskites show great potential for efficient light emission, long-range carrier transport, and scalable manufacturing, making them potentially ideal candidates for bright LED displays. /news/2025-01-perovskite-growth-method-ultrahigh-resolution.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 21 Jan 2025 14:46:03 EST news656693161 University of Missouri scientists are unlocking the secrets of halide perovskites—a material that's poised to reshape our future by bringing us closer to a new age of energy-efficient optoelectronics. /news/2025-01-scientists-harness-power-layered-crystals.html Condensed Matter Tue, 21 Jan 2025 14:29:03 EST news656692141 Paper-thin optical lenses simple enough to mass produce like microchips could enable a new generation of compact optical devices. A team with researchers at the University of Tokyo and JSR Corp. fabricated and tested flat lenses called Fresnel zone plates (FZPs), but did so for the first time using only common semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the i-line stepper. /news/2025-01-simplicity-scalability-economical-compact-lenses.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 16 Jan 2025 12:25:04 EST news656252701 In a breakthrough set to revolutionize the semiconductor industry, the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed the world's first-of-its-kind deep-ultraviolet (UVC) microLED display array for lithography machines. This enhanced efficiency UVC microLED has showcased the viability of a lowered cost maskless photolithography through the provision of adequate light output power density, enabling exposure of photoresist films in a shorter time. /news/2024-12-deep-uv-microled-display-chips.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 30 Dec 2024 10:58:47 EST news654778662 After dominating the electronics industry for decades, conventional silicon-based transistors are gradually approaching their limits, which is preventing engineers from further reducing their size without affecting their performance. To continue advancing portable computers, smart phones and other devices, researchers have thus been exploring the potential of transistors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials. /news/2024-12-2d-materials-boost-p-transistor.html Nanophysics Tue, 17 Dec 2024 07:10:07 EST news653569321 In a world grappling with a multitude of health threats—ranging from fast-spreading viruses to chronic diseases and drug-resistant bacteria—the need for quick, reliable, and easy-to-use home diagnostic tests has never been greater. Imagine a future where these tests can be done anywhere, by anyone, using a device as small and portable as your smartwatch. To do that, you need microchips capable of detecting miniscule concentrations of viruses or bacteria in the air. /news/2024-12-tiny-chips-swift-disease-diagnosis.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 16 Dec 2024 12:46:12 EST news653575564 Hydrogen is becoming an increasingly popular choice as we shift towards cleaner energy. It can be burned like traditional fuels, producing only water as a byproduct, and can generate electricity when used in fuel cells. However, as hydrogen production, use, and transportation increase, so do safety concerns. Hydrogen is highly flammable at concentrations as low as 4% and is odorless and colorless, making leaks challenging to detect. /news/2024-11-nano-patterned-copper-oxide-sensor.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 22 Nov 2024 12:45:42 EST news651501936 Modern imaging systems, such as those used in smartphones, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) devices, are constantly evolving to become more compact, efficient, and high-performing. Traditional optical systems rely on bulky glass lenses, which have limitations like chromatic aberrations, low efficiency at multiple wavelengths, and large physical sizes. These drawbacks present challenges when designing smaller, lighter systems that still produce high-quality images. /news/2024-11-metalenses-harness-ai-high-resolution.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:34:28 EST news650903662 As electronic devices get smaller, it's becoming harder to achieve high-quality connections that are both reliable and safe from short circuits. Researchers developed the array-ACF (anisotropic conductive adhesives film) using metal-coated polymer microsphere arrays to make these connections years ago, but the bond between the metal and polymer could crack under pressure, affecting its performance. /news/2024-11-rapid-synthesis-gold-microsphere-array.html Nanomaterials Wed, 13 Nov 2024 11:00:10 EST news650718002 As buildings age, the demand for effective monitoring of their structural integrity has grown significantly. A breakthrough in nano-optical sensor technology now enables precise, real-time measurement of structural deformation and stability. /news/2024-11-nano-optical-sensors-enable-safety.html Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Nov 2024 07:38:04 EST news650014681 There have been many attempts to create monochromatic metallic materials, but few materials change luster color in response to external stimuli. In a recent breakthrough, researchers from Chiba University have prepared a diacetylene derivative-based metallic luster material that changes from silver to gold under UV irradiation. /news/2024-10-metallic-luster-material-silver-gold.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:06:33 EDT news649501583 Colorimetric sensors detect environmental changes by intuitively shifting colors, easily visible to the naked eye without the need for additional equipment. Furthermore, they operate with zero power consumption. By shifting color visibly, without any need for additional equipment, these sensors have the potential to play critical roles in applications like food packaging and ancient artifact preservation, where optimal humidity is crucial for quality control. /news/2024-10-fast-colorimetric-sensor-real-gamut.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 18 Oct 2024 04:29:26 EDT news648444554 Barcodes are commonly used to track items like groceries or clothing, but University of Central Florida researchers have developed a special "barcode" to identify much smaller objects: molecules. /news/2024-10-unique-barcodes-molecules-medical-advancements.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:15:03 EDT news648213301 A new study conducted at the University of Vienna, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, and the Helmholtz Centers in Berlin and Dresden takes an important step in the challenge to miniaturize computing devices and to make them more energy-efficient. /news/2024-09-alternating-currents-alternative-magnets.html Condensed Matter Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:33:04 EDT news646561982 Photonic crystals are materials with repeating internal structures that interact with light in unique ways. We can find natural examples in opals and the vibrant colored shells of some insects. Even though these crystals are made of transparent materials, they exhibit a "photonic bandgap" that blocks light at certain wavelengths and directions. /news/2024-09-unprecedented-feat-3d-photonic-crystals.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:46:03 EDT news645356761 Precision farming is an emerging field that uses analysis tools such as sensors to collect data on crop plant conditions, such as temperature, humidity, moisture, and nutrient levels. The data collected from these sensors can help to optimize crop yield and allow farmers to promptly respond to changes in plant environments like heat and increased rainfall. /news/2024-09-skin-enables-invasive-precision-farming.html Biotechnology Agriculture Wed, 04 Sep 2024 09:30:04 EDT news644661001 A recently developed block copolymer could help push the limits of integration and miniaturization in semiconductor manufacturing, report scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK). Chemically tailored for reliable directed self-assembly, the proposed compound can arrange itself into perpendicular lamellar structures whose half-pitch width is less than 10 nanometers, outperforming conventional and widely used block copolymers. /news/2024-08-advances-semiconductor-patterning-block-copolymer.html Nanomaterials Thu, 29 Aug 2024 10:03:03 EDT news644144581 A research team has introduced a novel method for selectively tuning electronic bands in graphene. Their findings, published in Â鶹ÒùÔºical Review Letters, showcase the potential of artificial superlattice fields for manipulating different types of band dispersions in graphene. /news/2024-08-kagome-superlattice-method-tune-graphene.html Condensed Matter Tue, 27 Aug 2024 11:17:03 EDT news643976221