The smallest motor in the world -- consisting of just 16 atoms: this was developed by a team of researchers from Empa and EPFL. "This brings us close to the ultimate size limit for molecular motors," explains Oliver Gröning, head of the Functional Surfaces Research Group at Empa. The motor measures less than one nanometer -- in other words it is around 100,000 times … [Read more...] about The smallest motor in the world
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Turning faces into thermostats: Autonomous HVAC system could provide more comfort with less energy
As lockdown requirements ease, COVID-19 is changing the way we use indoor spaces. That presents challenges for those who manage those spaces, from homes to offices and factories. Not least among these challenges is heating and cooling, which is the largest consumer of energy in American homes and commercial buildings. There's a need for smarter, more flexible climate control … [Read more...] about Turning faces into thermostats: Autonomous HVAC system could provide more comfort with less energy
Excitons form superfluid in certain 2D combos
Mixing and matching computational models of 2D materials led scientists at Rice University to the realization that excitons -- quasiparticles that exist when electrons and holes briefly bind -- can be manipulated in new and useful ways. The researchers identified a small set of 2D compounds with similar atomic lattice dimensions that, when placed together, would allow excitons … [Read more...] about Excitons form superfluid in certain 2D combos
Sound waves transport droplets for rewritable lab-on-a-chip devices
Engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a versatile microfluidic lab-on-a-chip that uses sound waves to create tunnels in oil to touchlessly manipulate and transport droplets. The technology could form the basis of a small-scale, programmable, rewritable biomedical chip that is completely reusable to enable on-site diagnostics or laboratory research. The results appear … [Read more...] about Sound waves transport droplets for rewritable lab-on-a-chip devices
Signatures of fractional electronic charge observed in topological insulators
The charge of a single electron, e, is defined as the basic unit of electric charge. Because electrons -- the subatomic particles that carry electricity -- are elementary particles and cannot be split, fractions of electronic charge are not normally encountered. Despite this, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have recently observed the signature of … [Read more...] about Signatures of fractional electronic charge observed in topological insulators