Category Physics

There are two different ways the helium atom can be ionized.

Scientists have observed how quantum superpositions build up in a helium atom within femtoseconds. Just like the two paths through the plate in the double slit experiment, the ionization of helium can happen via 2 different processes at the same time, and this leads to characteristic interference effects. In the case of the helium atom, they are called “Fano resonances.” A team from TU Wien (Vienna), Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg and Kansas State University has now managed to observe the buildup up of these Fano resonances.

When a laser pulse transfers enough energy to one of the electrons in the helium atom, the electron is ripped out of the atom right away...

The team used conventional laboratory filter paper as a structural template due to its long fibers and the stable structure. Credit: Institute for Complex Systems /Rome

A team has built the first controllable random laser based on cellulose paper in Straubing. Hence, materials no longer need to be artificially outfitted with disordered structures, utilizing naturally occurring ones instead. Material synthesis that is inspired by biology is an area of research at TUM’s Chair of Biogenic Polymers at Straubing Center of Science. It utilizes models from nature and biogenic materials to develop new materials and technologies.

Two components are necessary for a laser: First of all, a medium which amplifies light. And secondly, a structure which retains the light in the medium...

(top) Devices with one-layer and seven-layer MoS2 were built on top of a silicon base and compared. Dielectric constants responsible for the difference in electrostatic potentials are shown in parenthesis. (bottom) The device with one-layer MoS2 (inside the violet box) showed better performance in converting light to electric current than the seven-layer device (inside the pink box).

The Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has developed the world’s thinnest photodetector, that is a device that converts light into an electric current. With a thickness of just 1.3nm – 10X smaller than the current standard silicon diodes – this device could be used in the Internet of Things IoT, smart devices, wearable electronics and photoelectronics.

In ...

Scientists at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf conducted electricity through DNA-based nanowires by placing gold-plated nanoparticles on them. In this way it could become possible to develop circuits based on genetic material. Credit: Image courtesy of Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Tinier than the AIDS virus—that is currently the circumference of the smallest transistors. The industry has shrunk the central elements of their computer chips to 14nm in the last 60 years. Conventional methods, however, are hitting physical boundaries. Researchers around the world are looking for alternatives. One method could be the self-organization of complex components from molecules and atoms...