In bulk, topological insulators (TIs) are good insulators, but on their surface they act as metals, with a twist: the spin and direction of electrons moving across the surface of a TI are locked together. TIs offer unique opportunities to control electric currents and magnetism, and new research by a team of scientists from China and the U.S. points to ways to manipulate their surface states.
Feb 6th, 2013
Read moreTwo of the most widely used nanoparticles accumulate in soybeans - second only to corn as a key food crop in the United States - in ways previously shown to have the potential to adversely affect the crop yields and nutritional quality, a new study has found.
Feb 6th, 2013
Read moreWorkers who use nanotechnology in research or production processes may be exposed to nanomaterials through inhalation, skin contact, or ingestion. This fact sheet provides basic information to workers and employers on the most current understanding of potential hazards associated with this rapidly-developing technology and highlights measures to control exposure to nanomaterials in the workplace.
Feb 6th, 2013
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This new method for detecting charge in quantum systems is exciting and has implications for a range of nanotechnologies.
Feb 6th, 2013
Read moreEver since Austrian scientist Erwin Schrodinger put his unfortunate cat in a box, his fellow physicists have been using something called quantum theory to explain and understand the nature of waves and particles. But a new paper makes the case that these quantum fluctuations actually are responsible for the probability of all actions, with far-reaching implications for theories of the universe.
Feb 6th, 2013
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Researchers are improving the performance of technologies ranging from medical CT scanners to digital cameras using a system of models to extract specific information from huge collections of data and then reconstructing images like a jigsaw puzzle. The new approach is called model-based iterative reconstruction, or MBIR.
Feb 6th, 2013
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New approach could improve the efficiency of devices that harness power from temperature differences.
Feb 6th, 2013
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Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a way to lock in so-called structural color, which is made with texture rather than chemicals.
Feb 6th, 2013
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A high-performance compound semiconductor layer was transferred onto a silicon substrate using an inexpensive heat-resistant polymer as an adhesive.
Feb 6th, 2013
Read moreMany medically minded researchers are in hot pursuit of designs that will allow drug-carrying nanoparticles to navigate tissues and the interiors of cells, but University of Michigan engineers have discovered that these particles have another hurdle to overcome: escaping the bloodstream.
Feb 5th, 2013
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Lighting up plasmonic wires with nanometer accuracy.
Feb 5th, 2013
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The structure of graphite oxide surprisingly expands when cooled in methanol or ethanol. Also, graphite oxide selectively absorbs methanol from water-methanol mixtures. Two new studies provide knowledge on new properties of oxidized graphite and graphene.
Feb 5th, 2013
Read moreIn addition to medical advances, nanotechnology has and continues to represent a vehicle through which consumer products, especially in dermatology, can be optimized and more effectively delivered to and through the skin.
Feb 5th, 2013
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For the first time, scientists have created single layers of a naturally occurring rare mineral called tungstenite, or WS2. The resulting sheet of stacked sulfur and tungsten atoms forms a honeycomb pattern of triangles that have been shown to have unusual light-emitting, or photoluminescent, properties.
Feb 5th, 2013
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Researchers devise a way to safely see whether replacement cells are still alive.
Feb 5th, 2013
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A novel fabrication technique developed by UConn engineering professor Brian Willis could provide the breakthrough technology scientists have been looking for to vastly improve today's solar energy systems.
Feb 5th, 2013
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