Category Technology/Electronics

Electric fields drive the rotating nano-crane – 100,000 times faster than previous methods. Credit: Enzo Kopperger / TUM

Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a novel electric propulsion technology for nanorobots. It allows molecular machines to move a 100000X faster than with the biochemical processes used to date. This makes nanobots fast enough to do assembly line work in molecular factories. The new research results will appear as the cover story on 19th January in the renowned scientific journal Science.

Up and down, up and down. The points of light alternate back and forth in lockstep. They are produced by glowing molecules affixed to the ends of tiny robot arms. Prof...

A schematic image of DFB Si laser; Inset: photograph of a fabricated DFB device. (b) Emission spectra of the Si laser as a function of pump power; Background: a cross-sectional SEM image of the DFB structure.

Integrated Si photonics incorporates the essence of the two pillar industries of “microelectronics” and “optoelectronics”, which is expected to bring new technological revolution in a variety of fields such as communication, sensing, lighting, display, imaging, detection, etc. Si lasers are the key to achieve integrated Si photonics. However, the optical gains of Si are lower than those of III-V compound semiconductors by one order of magnitude or two, due to its indirect bandgap feature...

Voltage-induced memory effect in monolayer nanomaterials, which layer to create “atomristors,” the thinnest memory storage device that could lead to faster, smaller and smarter computer chips. Cockrell School of Engineering

Engineers worldwide have been developing alternative ways to provide greater memory storage capacity on even smaller computer chips. Previous research into 2D atomic sheets for memory storage has failed to uncover their potential – until now...

Photocatalytic overall pure-water splitting using the 2D heterostructures of BP/BiVO4 without any sacrificial agents under visible light irradiation.

Researchers combined 2 2D materials – black phosphorus and bismuth vanadate – to form a biologically inspired water-splitting catalyst. Normal sunlight could drive the reactions and careful design of the catalyst enabled the expected ratio of hydrogen and oxygen production. Burning hydrogen produces harmless water with the potential to eliminate CO2 emissions and their environmental burden. In pursuit of technologies that could lead to a breakthrough in achieving a hydrogen economy, a key issue is making hydrogen cheaply...