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NEWS
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Flat
ion trap
A trap
for capturing and holding individual ions has a single
layer of electrodes, making the trap design appropriate
for mass production. The trap can hold as many as 12 ions
in close proximity. Such scalable ion traps could be used
in large-scale quantum computers. (Microfabricated Surface-Electrode
Ion Trap for Scalable Quantum Information Processing,
Physical Review Letters, June 30, 2006)
Sugar for plastic
A chemical
process converts fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural,
a substance used to make plastics. The process is a step
toward using renewable resources rather than oil as a
raw material in manufacturing and industrial chemistry.
(Phase Modifiers Promote Efficient Production of Hydroxymethylfurfural
from Fructose, Science, June 30, 2006)
Holey semiconductor
Two research teams have developed highly porous
forms of the semiconductor germanium (1,
2).
Germanium is used in microelectronics like computer chips.
The techniques for making porous germanium allow for fine
control over the electrical and optical properties of
the material. Porous germanium could be used to make light-emitting
diodes, solar cells and sensors. (Mesostructured Germanium
with Cubic Pore Symmetry, Hexagonal Nanoporous Germanium
through Surfactant-Driven Self-assembly of Zintl Clusters,
Nature, June 29, 2006)
Laser-triggered tumor killers
Microscopic
capsules made with silver and gold nanoparticles break
open inside tumor cells when illuminated with laser light.
The capsules could be used for delivering drugs to tumor
cells without affecting healthy cells. (Laser-Induced
Release of Encapsulated Materials inside Living Cells,
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, July 2006)
Artificial photosynthesis
An artificial
membrane containing ion channels mimics the photosynthesis
of plants by converting light energy into chemical energy.
The artificial photosynthesis system could be used to
power artificial muscles and nanoscale machines. (Photoproduction
of Proton Gradients with pi-Stacked Fluorophore Scaffolds
in Lipid Bilayers, Science, July 7, 2006)
Self-healing coating
A corrosion
resistant coating contains nanoparticles that release
an anticorrosion agent to fill small gaps when the coating
is damaged. The coating could be used to protect metals
longer than today's anticorrosion techniques. (Layer-by-Layer
Assembled Nanocontainers for Self-Healing Corrosion Protection,
Advanced Materials, July 2006) |
FEATURES
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View
from the High Ground: ICL's John Pendry
Physics as machine tool, negative refractive
index, metamaterials, shattered wine glasses, higher capacity
DVDs, scientific backwaters, risk perception and practice,
practice, practice.
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How
It Works: Quantum computing: qubits
Photons, electrons and atoms, oh my! These particles are
the raw materials for qubits, the basic building blocks
of quantum computers. |
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| RESEARCH
WATCH |
| July
7, 2006 |
Music
space
In western music, certain arrangements of
chords and melodies sound "right"
and others don't. Musical theorists have long
employed mathematics to try to understand
harmony and melody, and particularly why only
some sequences of notes lead from one specific
chord to another in an aesthetically acceptable
manner. An advanced mathematical analysis
uses a theoretical space in which all chords
are points...
June
30, 2006
Crops
take global warming hit
June
27, 2006
Less
glacier ice, more hurricanes
June
20, 2006
Synchronization
kills |
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"Physics
is to the rest of science what machine tools are
to engineering. A corollary is that science places
power in our hands which can be used for good or
ill. Technology has been abused in this way throughout
the ages from gunpowder to atomic bombs."
- John Pendry, Imperial College London |
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Thanks
to Kevin from
GoldBamboo.com
for technical support |
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