Science

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Quantization of 'surface Dirac states' could lead to exotic applications

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan have uncovered the first evidence of an unusual quantum phenomenon--the integer quantum Hall effect--in a new type of film, called a 3D topological insulator. In doing this, they demonstrated that "surface Dirac states"--a particular form of massless electrons--are quantized in these materials, meaning that they only take on certain discrete values. These discoveries could help move science forward toward the goal of dissipationless electronics--electronic devices that can operate without producing the vast amounts of heat generated by current silicon-based semiconductors.

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Schematic showing the integer quantum Hall effect on the surface of a topological insulator The effect allows dissipationless current, without energy loss, along the edge of the material.

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Spitzer, OGLE Spot Planet Deep Within Our Galaxy

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Iranian Scientists Evaluate Dynamic Interaction between 2 Carbon Nanotubes

Results of the research have applications in the designing of nanosensors, medical nano-tools and electromechanical devices.

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Solution-grown nanowires make the best lasers

Take a material that is a focus of interest in the quest for advanced solar cells. Discover a "freshman chemistry level" technique for growing that material into high-efficiency, ultra-small lasers. The result, is a shortcut to lasers that are extremely efficient and able to create many colors of light.

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Unsorted nanowire crystals immediately after production are shown.

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Gold by special delivery intensifies cancer-killing radiation

Researchers from Brown University and the University of Rhode Island have demonstrated a promising new way to increase the effectiveness of radiation in killing cancer cells.

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Gold rush Cancer-seeking peptides — pHLIPs — find acidic tumor cells. By attaching gold nanoparticles to pHLIPs, cancer cells receive “antennas” for radiation therapy. Cancer cells (A) treated with gold alone (dark areas) take up far less gold than cells with gold delivered by pHLIPs (B). C and D are cellular close-up with pHLIP-delivered gold.

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New Nanocomposite Designed for Application in Targeted Drug Delivery

Iranian researchers produced a polymeric nanocomposite which can be used in targeted drug delivery systems.

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For Ultra-cold Neutrino Experiment, a Successful Demonstration

An international team of scientists releases early results from the CUORE experiment with implications for why there’s more matter than antimatter in the universe.

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Bottom view of a CUORE tower.

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New Biosensor Increases Possibility to Predict Potential of Heart Diseases

Iranian researchers produced and studied a biosensor with the capability of measuring biological indices of heart diseases and disorders.

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Electrical control of quantum bits in silicon paves the way to large quantum computers: Breakthrough by Australian-led team should make the construction of large-scale quantum computers more affordable

A UNSW-led research team has encoded quantum information in silicon using simple electrical pulses for the first time, bringing the construction of affordable large-scale quantum computers one step closer to reality.

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This is an eectron wave in a phosphorus atom, distorted by a local electric field.

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How many gold atoms make gold metal?

Researchers at the Nanoscience Center at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have shown that dramatic changes in the electronic properties of nanometre-sized chunks of gold occur in well-defined size range. Small gold nanoclusters could be used, for instance, in short-term storage of energy or electric charge in the field of molecular electronics. Funded by the Academy of Finland, the researchers have been able to obtain new information which is important, among other things, in developing bioimaging and sensing based on metal-like clusters.

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Nanogold is different from macroscopic gold. The small 102-gold atom cluster (right) behaves like a giant molecule, but slightly larger 144-gold atom cluster is like a metal.

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