Nanophysics

Published November 16, 2009

Magnetism Nanophysics

First-principles calculations explore how magnetic interactions impede the formation of atomically thin wires.

Robert F. Klie, Physics 2, 85 (2009) – Published October 12, 2009

Optics Nanophysics

A new approach to reduce spherical and chromatic aberration in electron microscopy allows for low-energy imaging of single-layer boron nitride, a novel 2D nanostructure that is analogous to graphene.

Joel E. Moore, Physics 2, 82 (2009) – Published October 5, 2009

Quantum Information Semiconductor Physics Mesoscopics Nanophysics

A theoretical analysis of recent experiments suggests that a key feature of a topological quantum computer—the unusual statistics of quasiparticles in the quantum Hall effect—may finally have been observed.

Published October 5, 2009

Fluid Dynamics Nanophysics

Rotating electric fields can power the flow of water along a nanochannel.

Fernando Luis, Physics 2, 75 (2009) – Published September 14, 2009

Magnetism Nanophysics Spintronics

A microscopic study of magnetic nanoislands on a surface challenges the widely held view that all atoms in a relaxing nanoparticle flip their spins in unison.

Published August 17, 2009

Nanophysics

Fullerenes enclosing a metallic complex are found to form an ordered array with preferred alignment on a copper surface.

Thomas Vojta, Physics 2, 66 (2009) – Published August 3, 2009

Mesoscopics Nanophysics Statistical Mechanics

Quantum states in disordered solids are characterized by wild spatial fluctuations. As a result, the behavior of a single typical wave function differs markedly from the ensemble average.

Georg Held, Physics 2, 64 (2009) – Published July 27, 2009

Nanophysics

The complete geometry of C₆₀ molecules adsorbed on a silver surface has been determined for the first time with low-energy electron diffraction.

Published May 22, 2009

Nanophysics

A molecular network on a copper surface serves as a template for growing nanowires of uniform size from a range of metals.

Jan van Ruitenbeek, Physics 2, 42 (2009) – Published May 18, 2009

Nanophysics Graphene

With a high-energy electron beam, it is possible to carve out atomically thin strands of carbon. Whether these carbon structures are conducting remains an open question.

Published April 27, 2009

Nanophysics

First-principles calculations predict that a thin layer of VO₂ sandwiched between TiO₂ layers has electronic states that exhibit both linear and quadratic dispersion.

Published April 20, 2009

Nanophysics

A critical thickness below which thin films of the metallic ferromagnet SrRuO₃ become insulating and lose their ferromagnetic properties has been determined.

Published April 14, 2009

Nanophysics

Coupling two electromechanical oscillators can extend the range over which each individual device is practically useful.

Published March 30, 2009

Mesoscopics Nanophysics Spintronics

Optical measurements in electron gases at low temperatures and high magnetic fields show the electron spins are, as predicted, polarized, but that this state is surprisingly delicate.

Published March 23, 2009

Nanophysics Nonlinear Dynamics

Molecular dynamics simulations unveil an example of dynamical symmetry breaking at the nanoscale.

Published March 16, 2009

Magnetism Nanophysics

An advance in magnetic resonance force microscopy enhances its chemical sensitivity and opens up the possibility of identifying different organic substances at the nanoscale.

H. A. Fertig, Physics 2, 15 (2009) – Published February 23, 2009

Semiconductor Physics Mesoscopics Nanophysics

Measurements of the heat transport at the edges of two-dimensional electron systems appear to provide explanations about the quantum Hall state that have not been forthcoming via charge transport experiments.

Elbio Dagotto, Physics 2, 12 (2009) – Published February 9, 2009

Nanophysics

Researchers bring the prospect of new electronic devices based on oxide materials closer to reality by doping interfaces via polar discontinuities rather than chemical substitution.

Jirka Hlinka, Physics 2, 8 (2009) – Published January 26, 2009

Nanophysics

Scientists have found that the spontaneous ferroelectric polarization can be fully and reversibly flipped by varying partial oxygen pressure above the surface of an epitaxially compressed PbTiO₃ film. The inward polarized state is stabilized by ordered oxygen vacancies in the topmost atomic layer.

Published January 26, 2009

Mesoscopics Nanophysics

Measurements of how out-of-equilibrium electrons lose energy along a carbon nanotube reveal that they do not significantly scatter over several microns.

Published November 12, 2008

Nanophysics

Individual molecules can be accurately positioned using a scanning tunneling microscope tip by transferring the energy of internal molecular vibrations into a controlled translational motion.

Published November 10, 2008

Nanophysics

The rotation of individual large molecules adsorbed onto a gold surface has been observed with a scanning tunneling microscope.

Jonathan Sun, Physics 1, 33 (2008) – Published November 3, 2008

Nanophysics Spintronics

If a magnet is small enough, an electric current carrying polarized spins can flip it around. Scientists are finding clever ways to control this spin-torque effect precisely, both for when it is wanted and when it is not.

Mathias Kläui, Physics 1, 17 (2008) – Published September 2, 2008

Magnetism Nanophysics

Most applications based on magnetism are incompatible with domain walls, which interrupt a homogeneous magnetization. Scientists are turning this view around as they discover new ways to use an electric current to manipulate and store information in nanoscale domain walls.

Published August 18, 2008

Nanophysics Optics

The response of nanostructured metal strips to an electromagnetic field may turn out to be similar to that of atomic gases. Periodic arrays of these artificial metal “molecules” could in principle form a metamaterial that slows light pulses and is easily integrated into optical circuits.