https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Researchers at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have measured the shortest high-energy X-ray pulses ever recorded at an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL). The pulses had photon energies of about 9 kiloelectronvolts (keV) and clocked in at durations of 100 to 400 attoseconds—mere billionths of a billionth of a second. The results are published in Nature Photonics. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ray-free-electron-laser-shortest.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 21 Oct 2026 14:40:10 EDT news711803582 It looks like a small, transparent patch with a rainbow on its surface—or for those old enough to remember, the back of a CD. The patch is the first of its kind in the world and, when combined with an ordinary smartphone camera, can measure two things: pulse and blood vessel stiffness. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-octopus-patch-skin-reveals-pulse.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:00:16 EDT news711705901 A technology developed at The University of Queensland allowing scientists to observe how disease-related proteins behave inside living neurons will be used to advance early drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. The NASTIC (Nanoscale Spatiotemporal Indexing Clustering) platform, spun out into Brisbane-based startup Accretion Bio, enables researchers to study real-time biological processes in living cells across space and time at the single-molecule level for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoscale-tech-tracks-proteins-neurons.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 19 Oct 2026 21:00:02 EDT news711645258 A research team led by senior researcher Minyoung Lee and principal researcher Sunggyu Park of the Advanced Bio and Healthcare Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), has developed a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis technology that rapidly detects extremely low concentrations of viable bacteria by directly growing plasmonic metal nanostructures on and around bacterial cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-plasmonic-coating-bacterial-surfaces-paves.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 19 Oct 2026 09:40:01 EDT news711619741 Penicillin has cured syphilis cases since 1943, but symptoms of the sexually transmitted infection, known as "the great imitator," mimic many other diseases and can come and go without treatment while the infection keeps causing harm. If it remains undetected, it can spread to partners and to babies during pregnancy, causing lifelong effects. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-rapid-syphilis-layered-nanoparticles-infection.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:05 EDT news711364981 To build faster and more energy-efficient computers, researchers need to understand nanoscale magnetic materials. But looking inside these tiny magnets is surprisingly difficult: Modern microscopes only measure the magnetic field outside the material, not the magnetic pattern inside. Because many different internal patterns can produce the exact same field, working backwards has long been a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-physics-ai-reconstructs-hidden-patterns.html Condensed Matter Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:40:12 EDT news711364261 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University have developed a way to observe how antibodies interact with a cancer-related protein carried on tiny membrane-bound vesicles released by cells. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy, they found that measuring how much of the protein is present does not necessarily show how accessible it is to antibodies. The findings reported in the journal Small Methods provide a new way to investigate differences between individual cancer-derived vesicles although further research is needed before the approach can be used clinically. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-real-nanoscale-imaging-reveals-differences.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:02 EDT news711355812 Understanding and controlling phase transitions are fundamental to physics and central to many technological revolutions. There is currently strong interest in materials with coupled structural and electronic phase transitions, where controlling the transition plasticity naturally yields built-in memory—a key step in emulating neurons and synapses for "neuromorphic" or brain-like computing technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-enable-memory-quantum-materials.html Condensed Matter Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:00:26 EDT news711187321 Silicon carbide (SiC) is a ceramic known for its excellent heat resistance and chemical stability, which makes it attractive for a wide range of applications like electronics, catalysts and energy-related materials. However, SiC generally requires high-temperature processing, and simultaneously forming and controlling porous structures at the nanometer scale remains challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-liquid-metal-dealloying-nanoporous-silicon.html Nanomaterials Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:20:07 EDT news711120061 A new study led by researchers at the University of Limerick (UL) has identified a new battery material from a renewable wood industry byproduct that could help reduce reliance on scarce and expensive materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-based-wood-industry-byproduct-carbon.html Nanomaterials Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:00:18 EDT news711036421 A spinach leaf can turn light into chemical energy. A struggling heart cannot. Researchers in China have brought part of the leaf's energy-making machinery into rat heart cells to test whether borrowed photosynthesis could help an overworked heart. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-spinach-nanoparticles-rat-hearts-photosynthesis.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 11 Oct 2026 07:40:01 EDT news710599646 For highly fragile quantum information systems, the ability to store quantum information is vital—but also challenging. Quantum information is transported in particles of light called photons, which often must be temporarily paused (or "stored") while other, slower quantum operations catch up. This storage must be performed on microchips as small as 1 centimeter (0.4 inches)—a distance covered by light in a few trillionths of a second. Storing photons for a microsecond would represent a massive leap forward for the capabilities of quantum chips. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-chip-multiple-photons-path.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:00:10 EDT news710766541 What happens at the nanoscale when information is written to memory? Researchers at KAIST have shown how tiny regions with a new polarization direction form while previously formed regions continue to expand in a promising ferroelectric material. By linking these nanoscale changes to electrical measurements, the team developed a model that captures both processes, offering a basis for designing faster and more stable memory. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-written-ferroelectric-memory-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:40:10 EDT news710679781 Superconductors, materials that can carry electric current with an electrical resistance of zero, have proved to be promising for the development of various technologies, including medical devices, particle accelerators and quantum computers. Studying these materials could help researchers uncover new physical states that could be useful for specific applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-electronic-stripes-linked-unusual-vortex.html Condensed Matter Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:00:11 EDT news710410734 Nanobodies are extremely small antibody fragments that bind to specific molecules. When nanobodies are labeled with dyes, they can be used as probes to enhance super-resolution microscopy. However, conventional blinking dyes often perform poorly when attached to nanobodies, limiting their practical advantages. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) has now shown that self-blinking dyes—which can switch between bright and dark states on their own—bypass this limitation. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-dyes-nanoscale-imaging-sacrificing-precision.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:30:01 EDT news710609642 Creating a quantum device often begins by intentionally damaging a crystal. Scientists fire an ultrafast laser pulse into a material, knocking atoms out of place and leaving behind tiny imperfections called vacancies. Far from being flaws, these vacancies can behave as qubits—the fundamental building blocks of quantum information. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ray-technique-reveals-quantum-materials.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:20:08 EDT news710508661 A joint research team led by professors Seunghyun Baik and Joonmyung Choi from the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) has developed a new nanocomposite material whose electrical and thermal conductivities increase as it is stretched. The team successfully applied it to stable heat dissipation for foldable phones. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-boosts-thermal-electrical-nanocomposite.html Nanophysics Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:40:02 EDT news710503982 A team from Flinders University's Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory has found that vanillin has pronounced antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making it a good candidate for wound-healing formulations. Their work is published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-vanillin-sweet-solution-chronic-wound.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:20:07 EDT news710495881 Even the most chaotic quantum systems keep a permanent mark of their own past—a "quantum birthmark"—that never fades. Researchers from Tampere University, Harvard University and TU Dresden discovered the feature in their recent study. Their findings shed new light on the elusive relationship between classical and quantum mechanics. Looking ahead, these quantum birthmarks, along with related phenomena known as "scars," could eventually be harnessed to power next-generation nanoelectronics. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum.html General Physics Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:00:13 EDT news710425290 Scientists have developed a new way to make ceramic materials that can better withstand extreme heat and continue performing reliably in sensors and actuators. The approach creates tiny structures throughout the material that give it new electrical and mechanical properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoscale-electromechanical-properties-ceramics.html Nanophysics Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:20:07 EDT news710412482 In a study published in npj Clean Water, researchers from EPFL investigated how Escherichia coli responds to different concentrations of plasma-activated water (PAW) under nutrient-rich conditions. The team combined conventional colony-forming unit (CFU) counting with nanomotion sensing, a technique that detects nanoscale oscillations produced by metabolically active bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-plasma-effective-bacterial-disinfection.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:20:01 EDT news710159162 Research led by a group from the University of Newcastle has found a new way to make silicone surfaces—and control how slippery they are. The work was published in the journal Chemistry of Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-smart-silicone-coatings-friction-stickiness.html Nanomaterials Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:40:13 EDT news710156282 In a new Physical Review Letters study, researchers have demonstrated that bending diamond nanostructures can tune the light they emit without doping. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoribbons-tunes-diamond-emission-doping.html Nanophysics Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:20:06 EDT news709983577 The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infections worldwide. Biologically, it is regarded as a highly specialized "nutrient thief": Because chlamydia have lost the ability to reproduce independently outside a host cell, they hijack human metabolic products—particularly sphingolipids—for their own development. Within the host cell, they create a sheltered environment known as an inclusion. These bacterial colonies often grow so large that they exceed the size of the human host cell's nucleus. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-chlamydia-dna-lipids-revealing-blocking.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:20:01 EDT news709984141 Researchers at Sultan Qaboos University have developed engineered surfaces that combine microscopic patterns with zinc oxide nanorods to reduce the attachment of bacteria and microalgae—a process that contributes to biofouling on submerged marine and industrial equipment. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanostructured-surfaces-limit-marine-biofouling.html Nanomaterials Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:00:01 EDT news709951563 Liquid hydrogen (LH₂) is attractive for long-distance energy transport because of its high volumetric energy density. But even well-insulated tanks cannot completely prevent heat from entering. As the liquid warms, hydrogen evaporates and pressure builds, leading to boil-off losses during storage and transport. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-rethinking-liquid-hydrogen-storage-metal.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:40:01 EDT news709916342 A new technique for controlling optical components with light could help usher in a generation of high-efficiency signal-processing technology that could drive futuristic applications such as holographic video. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-dyed-liquid-crystals-enable-optical.html Nanophysics Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:20:16 EDT news709915321 The research group at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Pontedera (Pisa), led by Gianni Ciofani, has developed new organic nanoparticles that combine multiple therapeutic functions in a single material for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-dopamine-based-nanotubes-combine-electrical.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:40:08 EDT news709831081 Controlling dopant concentration near the silicon surface is increasingly important for ultrashallow junctions and nanoscale devices. Mixed monolayer doping (MMLD) offers a surface-chemistry-based approach in which dopant-containing molecules are mixed with nondopant molecules to tune the amount of dopant available at the silicon surface before thermal diffusion. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-plasma-treatment-reveal-molecular-coatings.html Nanomaterials Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:20:04 EDT news709831682 The assembly pathway behind refractile-body proteins may have finally been resolved, researchers from Science Tokyo report. Using genetic engineering and several techniques for analyzing protein structure, they investigated how four proteins work together to produce the correct architecture of these complex, pH-responsive protein machines, from the nanoscale to the microscale. The findings could help establish new frameworks for engineering dynamic protein systems as biotechnological tools. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pathway-reveals-bacteria-protein-acid.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:40:01 EDT news709825610