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Metasurfaces: Tiny tech with big potential

Imagine manipulating light with ultra-thin, flat sheets instead of bulky lenses and mirrors. That's the promise of metasurfaces, a nanostructure technology that can twist and bend light in ways never before possible.

Illuminating the unavoidable imperfections of nanostructures

A new study by a collaborative team from the University of Twente and the e-Science Center in Amsterdam compares the transmission of light through a utopian model with a real 3D nanostructure. These nanostructures are integral ...

Nanoplastics put stress on trees and impair photosynthesis

It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. It remains unclear how and to what extent they ...

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Nanomaterials
Advances in semiconductor patterning: New block copolymer achieves 7.6 nm line width
Nanomaterials
Upgraded atomic force microscope captures 3D images of calcite dissolving
Bio & Medicine
Using metal ion-linked nanostructures to improve immune response and boost breast tumor treatment
Nanomaterials
Rare earth single atoms enhance manganese oxide's electrochemical oxygen evolution
Bio & Medicine
How much microplastic are you drinking? New tool can tell you in minutes
Nanomaterials
New technique shows promise for mass fabricating an exotic quasi-1D material
Nanomaterials
Nanotubes get a boost: Liquid-phase synthesis unlocks efficient production
Nanomaterials
Manganese nanoparticles can more than double availability of world's potable water, say scientists
Nanomaterials
Researchers develop high-entropy non-covalent cyclic peptide glass for smart functional materials
Nanophysics
New varactor enhances quantum dot device measurements at millikelvin temperatures
Nanomaterials
A leap forward in nanotechnology: Growing special micro-crystals for better devices
Bio & Medicine
For first time, DNA tech offers both data storage and computing functions
Nanophysics
Advancing nanoscale imaging capabilities with dynamic nuclear polarization
Nanophysics
World's first micromachine twists 2D materials at will
Nanomaterials
High speed, large-area deposition nanofilm production possible with new technique
Nanophysics
A world first: Qubit coherence decay traced to thermal dissipation
Nanophysics
Low-cost flexible metasurfaces to increase the efficiency of optoelectronic devices
Nanomaterials
Twisted molecular wires exhibit high single-molecule conductance
Nanomaterials
Quality control: Neatly arranging crystal growth to make fine thin films
Nanomaterials
New computational methodology to predict the complex formation of interesting nanostructures

Other news

Earth Sciences
Methane emissions are rising faster than ever, research shows
Optics & Photonics
Scientists prove long-standing wave amplification theory
Quantum Physics
X-rays from atomic systems could reveal new clues about rival quantum theories
Archaeology
Archaeologists challenge theory of violent Steppe invasion in Iberia Peninsula
Cell & Microbiology
Pausing biological clock could give boost to lab-produced blood stem cells
Astronomy
New observations shed more light on the nature of a millisecond pulsar binary
Agriculture
Sweeping global study charts a path forward for climate-resilient agriculture
Analytical Chemistry
Chemical chameleon reveals novel pathway for separating rare-earth metals
Biotechnology
AI boosts indoor food production's energy sustainability
Cell & Microbiology
With AI, extreme microbe reveals how life's building blocks adapt to high pressure
Planetary Sciences
Formation of super-Earths proven limited near metal-poor stars
Plants & Animals
Genetic analysis reveals new giant fanged frog species in Philippines that is nearly identical to even larger species
Earth Sciences
Most detailed study yet of seismic activity links fault strength to likelihood of large earthquakes
Mathematics
Mathematical modeling explores the statistical mysteries of successfully scheduling a meeting
Analytical Chemistry
Study sheds light on CO₂ absorption mechanism of cement-based materials
Quantum Physics
Fluctuating hydrodynamics theory could describe chaotic many-body systems, study suggests
Earth Sciences
Iron was life's 'primeval' metal, say scientists
Social Sciences
Psychology study offers messaging roadmap for changing attitudes on environmental issues and policies
Paleontology & Fossils
Large theropod dinosaurs thrived near South Pole, Australian tracks show
Earth Sciences
Global study shows that most cities receive more rainfall than surrounding rural areas

Purifying water with just a few atoms

Due to their considerable efficiency, catalysts made of just a few atoms show great promise in the field of water treatment. In a new study, researchers looked into how to optimize the performance of these catalysts and make ...

Scientists reveal 'magic boron clusters' on monolayer borophene

Researchers from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators from the University of Science and Technology of China, have revealed the formation of boron clusters with magic numbers ...

Shape memory achieved for nano-sized objects

Alloys that can return to their original structure after being deformed have a so-called shape memory. This phenomenon and the resulting forces are used in many mechanical actuating systems, for example in generators or hydraulic ...

Researchers call for better nanowaste management

Waste containing nanomaterials—or nanowaste—is an emerging safety concern worldwide, requiring environmentally sound management and regulation that still need to be established. Researchers at the University of Fribourg ...