https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-physics/ en-us The latest science news on nanophysics, nanotechnology, nanotech and nanoscience. As the global semiconductor industry enters the so-called 2-nanometer process era, the actual size of transistors—the core components of semiconductor chips—still remains above 10 nm. How much smaller, then, can transistors get? KAIST researchers have developed a technology to predict that limit through quantum mechanical, atom-level calculations. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-atomic-simulations-transistor-scaling-limits.html Nanophysics Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:00:05 EDT news700734001 One of the most fascinating aspects of physics is that nature often behaves in ways that seem completely counterintuitive. A good example comes from ultrathin materials. If I take a sheet of material and make it thinner and thinner, most people would expect it to become weaker. After all, there is less material left to bear a load. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scaling-law-ultrathin-materials-stronger.html Nanophysics Sun, 14 Jun 2026 18:00:01 EDT news700477932 A research team in Bochum, Germany has unexpectedly found that light can slow down movements in the nanoworld. This is due to quantum friction, a phenomenon that has been poorly understood until now. The findings are published in the journal Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-quantum-friction-nanoworld-movements.html Nanophysics Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:50:01 EDT news700419061 Over the past several decades, light sources have gradually transitioned to light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, and inorganic LEDs are now used across a wide range of applications. In parallel, organic LEDs, or OLEDs, have become widely used in display technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-molecule-ultranarrow-emission-spectrum.html Nanophysics Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:00:08 EDT news700398901 An international team led by the Max Born Institute has developed a new type of momentum microscopy to image magnons—the quanta of collectively excited spins—directly in two-dimensional reciprocal space using soft X-rays. Owing to its remarkable sensitivity, simplicity, and access to nanometer-scale wavelengths, this novel technique establishes a powerful and versatile platform for exploring nonlinear magnon interactions, which are promising for future computing schemes. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-magnon-momentum-microscopy-window-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:30:01 EDT news700156202 Two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are significantly thinner than a single sheet of paper, have long drawn attention for their exceptional performance. However, they have faced a critical limitation: Their performance degrades significantly when multiple layers are stacked. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stacking-2d-conductor-layer-bulk.html Nanophysics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:50:02 EDT news700151762 Researchers have demonstrated the ability to use van der Waals forces to tune the physical and electronic properties of ferroelectric thin films. The work opens the door to new techniques for engineering materials for use in smaller, more energy efficient electronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-van-der-waals-play-unexpected.html Nanophysics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:20:04 EDT news700148551 Colloidal photonic glasses offer an appealing way to produce vivid colors without any chemical dyes—but so far, a stubborn optical effect has long prevented them from generating a true red color. Now, Yuwon Jeon and colleagues at KU-KIST in Seoul have developed a new approach that overcomes this limitation, producing bright, stable colors spanning the full visible spectrum. The research has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-gold-nanoparticles-vibrant-visible-spectrum.html Nanophysics Sun, 07 Jun 2026 11:40:02 EDT news699711382 Designing surfaces that precisely control how light behaves at the nanoscale is tricky. Optical Fourier surfaces, which are nanostructured gratings that redistribute light into specific directions and wavelengths, hold enormous potential for compact spectrometers, augmented-reality displays, and advanced sensors. However, their standard design process relies on computer simulations that assume idealized conditions such as single-angle illumination and the absence of fabrication imperfections—a far cry from reality. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-optical-surfaces-real-world.html Nanophysics Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:20:05 EDT news699794762 Blurry light from lens imperfections is a problem everywhere, from microscopes to telescopes to smartphone cameras. Using a tiny yet carefully engineered optical element and artificial intelligence, University of California San Diego engineers have built a way to spot and correct those distortions from a single image—a step that could make advanced optical systems faster, smaller and easier to use. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-paired-tiny-optical-device.html Nanophysics Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:00:06 EDT news699794641 Nanodiamonds are tiny diamond particles only a few nanometers in size. Because they are chemically highly stable and can host so-called color centers, optically active defects in the crystal lattice, they are considered promising materials for quantum technologies, sensing and biomedical research. Until now, however, it has been difficult to reliably produce nanodiamonds with uniform size, high purity and precisely integrated optical properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-route-tailor-diamond-nanoparticles-quantum.html Nanophysics Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:10:02 EDT news699721201 Whisky-inspired chemicals could help power a new generation of microscopic machines, according to researchers who have discovered a way to make tiny particles "swim" through liquid using compounds linked to the production of Scotland's national drink. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-whiskey-chemistry-propels-microscopic-machines.html Nanophysics Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:20:03 EDT news699697081 Cornell researchers have developed a new way to create moiré patterns—atomic-scale structures that can give materials unusual quantum behaviors—without relying on the traditionally used difficult-to-control twisting and stacking methods. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-strain-moir-2d-materials-stacking.html Nanophysics Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:40:02 EDT news699629881 Using finely tuned nanoscale building blocks, researchers from Brown University and the University of Michigan College of Engineering have stabilized a fleeting structural phase of matter that had been predicted theoretically but never before stabilized in a physical material. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-silver-nanoparticles-enable-theorized-previously.html Nanophysics Thu, 28 May 2026 17:30:01 EDT news699201122 Heat behaves in predictable ways: a hot cup of coffee cools, a laptop warms your hands, the sun heats Earth. But at scales thousands of times smaller than a human hair, those rules begin to break down, and scientists are learning how to take advantage of that. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-metamaterials-enable-nanoscale-potentially-energy.html Nanophysics Wed, 27 May 2026 17:40:05 EDT news699116822 Researchers from Monash University have developed a breakthrough nanoscale circuit that can generate, direct, and read light-based information, all on a single chip. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-tiny-chip-circuit-power-generation.html Nanophysics Tue, 26 May 2026 04:00:02 EDT news698662142 Magnetic switching processes are considered a prime example of controllable physics at the nanometer scale: in certain thin-film systems, a short electrical current pulse is sufficient to reverse the magnetization in a targeted way. The underlying effect is the so-called spin–orbit torque: the current exerts a force on the magnetic moments in the material and can thus flip them in a controlled manner. This effect is expected to enable new data storage and computing architectures in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-chaos-turbulent-birth-magnetic-nanovortices.html Nanophysics Sun, 24 May 2026 16:00:01 EDT news698669668 A German–Israeli research team led by Dr. Andreas Furchner has demonstrated how imaging ellipsometry enables non-destructive characterization and quality control of microstructured MXene thin films during device fabrication. The authors used two complementary ellipsometry approaches for precise, multi-scale access to key material properties. The work positions imaging ellipsometry as a powerful platform for monitoring thin-film uniformity, device integrity, and functionality throughout processing, including critical lithographic steps. The study was published in Applied Physics Letters and selected as an Editor's Pick. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-imaging-ellipsometry-tracks-mxene-thin.html Nanophysics Fri, 22 May 2026 18:40:01 EDT news698678101 A new chip-making technique exploits a material's crystal structure to create nanoscale patterns at room temperature directly onto hard materials used in devices, including silica. The method could make it easier to pattern chips relaying both electronic- and light-based signals, helping advance next-generation photonic and optoelectronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-stressed-crystal-nanoscale-patterns-chip.html Nanophysics Fri, 22 May 2026 11:00:07 EDT news698662022 A sheet of twisted carbon nanotubes has revealed a hidden talent scientists suspected for decades but had never managed to measure. Researchers at Rice University have created large, highly ordered films of chiral carbon nanotubes (CNTs), hollow cylinders of carbon atoms with either a left- or a right-handed twist. Measurements showed the crystalline films can convert the color of light at a rate two to three orders of magnitude greater than conventional materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-chiral-carbon-nanotube-giant-conversion.html Nanophysics Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:05 EDT news698494921 Researchers at Clarkson University are advancing the use of artificial intelligence and computational physics to accelerate discovery of next-generation materials for quantum technologies, optoelectronics, and renewable energy applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-quantum-scale-simulations-ai-uncover.html Nanophysics Tue, 19 May 2026 18:20:01 EDT news698426281 A research team led by Professor Sohee Jeong at Sungkyunkwan University has uncovered a key chemical pathway for the controlled synthesis of III–V semiconductor quantum dots, a class of next-generation infrared materials expected to play an important role in autonomous driving sensors, smart sensing systems, night-vision devices, and short-wave infrared optoelectronics. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-chemical-pathway-generation-infrared-iiiv.html Nanophysics Mon, 18 May 2026 13:20:05 EDT news698322061 If you have ever warped a cheap plastic cup by pouring coffee into it, then you have witnessed thermoplasticity in action. Thermoplasticity is the ability of a material to become pliable under heating. In industry, thermoplasticity is exploited to form materials into complex shapes using heat. However, some materials, such as aggregates of nanoparticles, are not thermoplastic and cannot be easily processed without affecting their particle morphology and properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-exploiting-interfacial-ionic-mobility-moldable.html Nanophysics Fri, 15 May 2026 14:00:09 EDT news698068921 Controlling heat flow is a major challenge for many technologies. In electronic and photonic devices, for example, heat dissipation can limit the performance and efficiency, as well as their potential for further miniaturization. At the same time, two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are made of layers just a few atoms thick, have emerged as a promising platform in these fields. For example, 2D semiconductors are expected to be used in conduction channels of future transistors. However, their thermal behavior remains difficult to predict and control. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-honey-regime-ultrathin-semiconductors.html Nanophysics Fri, 15 May 2026 09:20:01 EDT news698054064 Have you ever wondered if the simple building blocks of life could one day power our wearable electronics? Glycine, the simplest amino acid found in our bodies, has a superpower in its β-phase form: it is highly piezoelectric, meaning it can convert mechanical pressure into electricity. However, this phase of glycine is unstable, usually transforming into a non-piezoelectric α-phase before we can ever use it in a device. We wanted to see if we could trap this elusive phase in tiny spaces to keep it stable. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-stability-range-piezoelectric-glycine-nanoconfinement.html Nanophysics Wed, 13 May 2026 19:20:01 EDT news697886383 The task of gently transporting a microscopic particle from one point to another along a winding path, and then bringing it back using nothing more than a single, compact chip is a challenge we set out to address in our new study, now published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-optical-metaconveyors-enable-programmable-nanomanipulation.html Nanophysics Wed, 13 May 2026 18:00:02 EDT news697800686 When inorganic nanoparticles come together, their optical, electronic, and magnetic properties depend strongly on how they are arranged. Being able to reorganize these arrangements in a controlled way could therefore provide a powerful method for tuning material properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-gold-nanoparticles-liquid-path-materials.html Nanophysics Wed, 13 May 2026 08:39:46 EDT news697880341 Using a new technique that can create vacancies at any site across a material and then shrink it to about 1/2,000 of its original volume, MIT researchers have designed nanotechnology devices that could be used for optical computing and other applications involving the manipulation of visible light. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-implosion-3d-photonic-devices-visible.html Nanophysics Tue, 12 May 2026 10:40:08 EDT news697796401 For more than a decade, a fundamental mystery has surrounded graphene—the one-atom-thick "wonder material" known for its exceptional strength, conductivity, and transparency. Despite its seemingly simple structure, one basic question has remained unresolved: Does graphene attract water, or repel it? https://phys.org/news/2026-05-machine-graphene-hydrophobic.html Nanophysics Mon, 11 May 2026 11:40:01 EDT news697713371 Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and collaborators have developed a predictive design strategy for creating graphene-like molecules with multiple interacting spins and enhanced resilience to magnetic perturbations, opening new avenues for molecular-scale quantum information technologies and next-generation spintronics. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-hourglass-nanographenes-strong-robust-multi.html Nanophysics Wed, 06 May 2026 19:30:01 EDT news697306681