Nanotechnology

Researchers at EPFL have created the first chip-scale ultrafast laser that matches the performance of traditional tabletop femtosecond lasers. The device delivers pulses as short as 147 femtoseconds with energies of 1.05 nanojoules.

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Scientists at Brown University and the University of Michigan have created and stabilized a previously theoretical crystal phase by assembling custom silver nanoparticles. The breakthrough, published in Science, reveals details of metal crystal transformations and shows room-temperature quantum optical properties.

Researchers at EPFL have created a new membrane using lipid-coated nanopores that boosts the efficiency of blue energy production from mixing saltwater and freshwater. The innovation allows ions to pass through more smoothly, generating up to three times more power than existing technologies. This advance could make osmotic energy a more viable renewable source.

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Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have observed a sequence of exotic magnetic phases in an ultrathin material, validating a theoretical model from the 1970s. The experiment involved cooling nickel phosphorus trisulfide to low temperatures, revealing swirling magnetic vortices and a subsequent ordered state. This discovery could inform future nanoscale magnetic technologies.

Researchers at Japan's RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science have pioneered a method to carve three-dimensional nanoscale devices from single crystals using focused ion beams. By shaping helical structures from a magnetic crystal, they created switchable diodes that direct electricity preferentially in one direction. This geometric approach could enable more efficient electronics.

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A team of scientists has developed a new method to manipulate quantum materials using excitons, bypassing the need for intense lasers. This approach, led by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology and Stanford University, achieves strong Floquet effects with far less energy, reducing the risk of damaging materials. The findings, published in Nature Physics, open pathways to advanced quantum devices.