In a new study, researchers modeled a method to manipulate nanoparticles as an alternative mode of propulsion for tiny spacecraft that require very small levels of thrust.
For the first time, scientists have derived analytically how corkscrew-shaped nano-antennas interact with light. The mathematical tool can be used to calculate the geometry that a nano-antenna must have for specific applications in sensor technology or information technology.
A research has discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail – bits of lithium metal deposits break off from the surface of the anode during discharging and are trapped as ‘dead’ or inactive lithium that the battery can no longer access.Atomically thin straintronic devices
By studying flexible and transparent photodetectors based on single-layer MoS2 under the application of biaxial strain, researchers have developed atomically thin photodetectors whose characteristics can be controlled by means of an externally applied strain. This strain can be reversibly applied through the thermal expansion (shrinkage) of the substrate material, which induces tensile (compressive) biaxial stress. These results emphasize the possibilities of a new kind of electronics – straintronics – in which mechanical deformations are used to modify not only the geometry of the device, but its properties and performance as well.
Researchers are investigating the dynamics of magnetic skyrmions with the eventual goal of developing spintronic devices.
Physicists have demonstrated the real possibility of using superconductor/ferromagnet systems to create magnonic crystals, which will be at the core of spin-wave devices to come in the post-silicon era of electronics.
Transistors and integrated circuits made from threads are combined with thread-based sensors to create fully flexible devices.
The research explains how random fluctuations affect the operation of microscopic machines like this tiny motor. In the future, such devices could be incorporated into other technologies to recycle waste heat and thus improve energy efficiency.
Researchers have developed artificial ‘chameleon skin’ that changes colour when exposed to light and could be used in applications such as active camouflage and large-scale dynamic displays.
For the first time, researchers have managed to view previously inaccessible details of certain chemical processes. They have shown there are significant discrete stages to these processes which build on our knowledge of chemical synthesis.
