Big data technique reveals previously unknown capabilities of common materials
Researchers have found a new way to optimize nickel by unlocking properties that could enable numerous applications, from biosensors to quantum computing.
Read moreMaterials Science
Easy-to-use technique to measure the hydrophobicity of micro- and nanoparticle
The technique may have a far-reaching implication for many scientific and industrial applications and disciplines that involve particulate matter.
Read moreDouble layer of graphene helps to control spin currents
In order to make transistors that operate using the spin of electrons, rather than their charge, it is necessary to find a way of switching spin currents on and off. Furthermore, the lifetime of the spins should at least be equal to the time taken for these electrons to travel through a circuit. Scientists have now taken an important step forward by creating a device that meets both of these requirements.
Read morePhysicists develop fast and sensitive mechanical tool to measure light
Physicists have developed a fast and sensitive mechanical tool to measure light. The graphene nanomechanical bolometer is the fastest and most sensitive in its class. It is poised to detect nearly every color of light at high speeds and obtain measurements at and far above room-temperature.
Read moreAlways on beat: Ultrashort flashes of light under optical control
Ultrashort laser pulses have enabled scientists and physicians to carry out high-precision material analyses and medical procedures. Physicists have now discovered a new method for adjusting the extremely short time intervals between laser flashes with exceptional speed and precision. The intervals can be increased or decreased as needed, all at the push of a button. Potential applications range from laser spectroscopy to microscopy and materials processing.
Read moreTiny particles lead to brighter clouds in the tropics
When clouds loft tropical air masses higher in the atmosphere, that air can carry up gases that form into tiny particles, starting a process that may end up brightening lower-level clouds, according to a new study. Clouds alter Earth's radiative balance, and ultimately climate, depending on how bright they are. The new paper describes a process that may occur over 40% of the Earth's surface.
Read more3-D printed coral could help endangered reefs
Threats to coral reefs are everywhere — rising water temperatures, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, fishing and other human activities. But new research shows that 3-D printed coral can provide a structural starter kit for reef organisms and can become part of the landscape as fish and coral build their homes around the artificial coral.
Read moreWhat gives a 3-meter-long Amazonian fish some of the toughest scales on Earth
Arapaima gigas is a big fish in a bigger river full of piranhas, but that doesn't mean it's an easy meal. It's evolved armor-like scales that deform, but don't tear or crack, when a piranha — which has one of the animal kingdom's most powerful bites — attacks. Researchers describe the unique properties of the Amazonian Arapaima skin and its potential for human-made materials.
Read moreCreating and trapping trions at room temperature
A team chemically engineered carbon nanotubes to synthesize and trap trions at room temperature. Trions are quasi particles that can potentially carry more information than electrons in applications from bioimaging to chemical sensing and quantum computing. The research makes it possible to manipulate trions and study their fundamental properties in ways that have never been possible before.
Read moreMetal to metal oxide progression
A catalyst's utility is influenced by its surface charge and how that charge is transferred. Until recently, studying charge transfer has relied on complex imaging techniques that are both expensive and time-consuming. Scientists now report an approach for studying charge transfer that does not rely on complicated equipment — simplifying the real-time observation of catalysis.
Read more