Nanotechnology

Smart Implants to Monitor Healing

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering are creating patient-specific 3D-printed smart metamaterial implants that double as sensors to monitor spinal healing.

Where Do Technological Innovations Come From?

We can learn a lot about innovation in technology by looking to the past.

New Silicon Nanowires Could Speed Up Computer Processors

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have discovered a physical phenomenon that is the basis for a new material that has 150% better thermal conductivity than conventional materials used in...

LEGO-Like Artificial Intelligence Chip

Imagine a more sustainable future, where cellphones, smartwatches, and other wearable devices don’t have to be shelved or discarded for a newer model. Instead, they could be upgraded with the...

Powerful Family of Two-Dimensional Materials

A team from the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering has developed a new family of two-dimensional materials that researchers say has promising applications, including in...

University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering

The University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science, more commonly known as Penn Engineering or SEAS, offers programs that emphasize hands-on study of engineering...

Manufacturing Wafer-Level Optics Using UV Adhesives and Polymers

Micro-optics and nanostructures are key technologies for the latest optoelectronic components in smartphones, smart glasses and vehicles. Some examples used in consumer...

Tiny Optical Elements Could Replace Traditional Refractive Lenses

Researchers have developed tiny optical elements from metal nanoparticles and a polymer that could replace traditional refractive lenses to realize portable imaging systems...

Composite Glass Produces Unbreakable Screens

Researchers have developed technology to produce next-generation composite glass for lighting LEDs and smartphone, television, and computer screens. The technology was a step forward in perovskite...

Nanocomposite Material Protects Against Intense Light

Optical limiting — a manner of telecom switching without the use of electronics — is an all-optical method that could improve the speed and capacity of Internet communications. A...

Graphene Made with Lasers for Wearable Health Devices

Graphene — hexagonally arranged carbon atoms in a single layer with superior pliability and high conductivity — could impact the development of future motion detection, tactile...

New Optical Component Used to Create AR/VR Headsets and Eyewear

Consumers are looking for augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) glasses that are compact and easy to wear, delivering high-quality imagery with socially acceptable optics...

Molecular Robots Work Cooperatively in Swarms

In a global first, scientists have demonstrated that molecular robots are able to accomplish cargo delivery by employing a strategy of swarming, achieving a transport efficiency five times...

Microdrones With Light-Driven Nanomotors

Physicists at the University of Würzburg have propelled micrometer-sized drones significantly smaller than red blood cells, exerting precise control, using only light.

Nanoscale 3D Structure to Control Light

3D nanometer-scale metamaterial structures hold promise for advanced optical isolators.

Fast Low-Cost Sensor Prototyping for Wearable Technology

Engineers at UC Berkeley have developed a new technique for making sensors for wearable technology that enables medical researchers to prototype-test new designs much faster and at...

Atomic Scale Semiconductor Chips — Pushing the Limits

The information age created over nearly 60 years has given the world the internet, smart phones, and lightning-fast computers. Making this possible has been the doubling of the...

3D Printing of Wearable Devices

A hybrid method enables 3D printing of self-powered wearable devices.

Kirigami-Style Fabrication at the Nanoscale

This method fabricates 3D nanostructures for electronics, manufacturing, and healthcare.

Wearable Gas Sensor for Health and Environmental Monitoring

Applications include detection of chemical and biological agents as well as dangerous gases from vehicle emissions.

Nano Flashlight Enables New Applications of Light

Design of miniature optical systems could lead to future cell phones that can detect viruses and more.

Self-Sustaining, Intelligent Electronic Microsystems from “Green” Material

Researchers have created an electronic microsystem that can intelligently respond to information inputs without any external energy input, much like a...

Nanothin Piezoelectrics for Self-Powered Electronics

The nanothin material could advance self-powered electronics, wearable technologies, and even deliver pacemakers powered by heartbeats.

Woven Nanotube Fibers Turn Heat into Power

Invisibly small nanotubes aligned as fibers and sewn into fabrics can turn heat from the Sun or other sources into energy.

Liquid Metal Coating Creates Effective Antiviral, Antimicrobial Fabric

The coatings eradicated human influenza and coronavirus in five minutes.

Foldable Solar Cells

Carbon nanotubes are used to create solar cells with unprecedented flexibility and resistance.