Strings that can vibrate forever (kind of)

Science Daily  May 22, 2024 High-aspect-ratio mechanical resonators are pivotal in precision sensing. However, fabrication challenges and high computational costs have limited the length-to-thickness ratio of these devices. An international team of researchers (The Netherlands, USA – Brown University) developed nanomechanical resonators that extend centimeters in length yet retain nanometer thickness. They expanded the design to include more computationally intensive centimeter-scale design optimization. Their approach ensured high-yield realization, experimentally confirming room-temperature quality factors close to theoretical predictions. According to the researchers synergy between nanofabrication, design optimization guided by machine learning, and precision engineering opens a solid-state path to room-temperature quality […]

Free-space nanoprinting beyond optical limits to create 4D functional structures

Phys.org October 7, 2023 Femtosecond laser–based technique called two-photon polymerization (TPP) has emerged as a powerful tool for nanofabrication and integrating nanomaterials. However, challenges persist in existing 3D nanoprinting methods, such as slow layer-by-layer printing and limited material options due to laser-matter interactions. An international team of researchers (USA – Purdue University, Germany, UK) has developed free-space nanopainting using an optical force brush (OFB) which enabled precise spatial writing paths, instantaneous adjustment of linewidths and concentrations, and unrestricted resolution beyond optical limits. OFB allowed rapid aggregation and solidification of radicals, resulting in narrower lines at lower polymerization thresholds and enhanced […]

Innovative silicon nanochip can reprogram biological tissue in living body

Science Daily  December 10, 2021 A team of researchers in the US (Indiana University, Purdue University, industry, Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of Chicago) has developed a silicon device that can change skin tissue into blood vessels and nerve cells has advanced from prototype to standardized fabrication. The technology, called tissue nano transfection, is a non-invasive nanochip device that can reprogram tissue function by applying a harmless electric spark to deliver specific genes in a fraction of a second. The nanofabrication process typically takes five to six days, and in vivo takes 30 min. In laboratory studies, the device successfully […]