Feature Channels: Nanotechnology

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Quantum technologies promise breakthroughs in communication, computing, sensors and much more. However, quantum states are fragile, and their effects are difficult to grasp, making research into real-world applications challenging. Empa researchers and their partners have now achieved a breakthrough: Using a kind of “quantum Lego”, they have been able to accurately realize a well-known theoretical quantum physics model in a synthetic material.

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Professor Sir John Pendry, an HKIAS Senior Fellow and a distinguished figure in physics known for his pioneering work on metamaterials, visited City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) from October 20 to October 26, 2024. His visit featured a series of engaging sessions and lectures.

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A new biomedical tool successfully delivers genetic material to edit faulty genes in developing fetal brain cells. This might stop disease progression of genetic-based neurodevelopmental conditions before birth.

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Researchers have shown that a novel memristor device consisting of metal, dielectric, and metal layers remembers the history of electrical signals sent through it. The interface between metal and dielectric in the novel device is critical for stable switching and enhanced performance. Simulations indicate that circuits built on this device exhibit improved image recognition.

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Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with colleagues in the field, have developed an innovative antibody platform aimed at tackling one of the greatest challenges in treating rapidly evolving viruses like SARS-CoV-2: their ability to mutate and evade existing vaccines and therapies. Their findings, including preclinical studies in mice, introduce the Adaptive Multi-Epitope Targeting and Avidity-Enhanced (AMETA) Nanobody Platform, a new antibody approach for addressing how viruses like SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, evolve to evade vaccines and treatments. Details on the results were published October 23 in the journal Cell.

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A difficult-to-describe nanoscale object called the magnetic skyrmion might one day yield new microelectronic devices that can do much more—for example, massive data storage—all while consuming much less power. But researchers need a more detailed understanding of skyrmions if they are ever to be used reliably in computational devices, including quantum computers. Berkeley Lab scientists led a project to make 3D X-ray images of skyrmions that can characterize or measure the orientations of spins inside the whole object.

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Argonne researchers recently discovered a way to control electronic bonding in a semiconducting material using light and magnetic fields, paving the way toward new quantum devices.

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New research conducted at Argonne National Laboratory shows that colloidal quantum shells could revolutionize the production of X-ray imaging scintillators.

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A new solution deposition process for semiconductors yields high-performing transistors by introducing more defects, counterintuitively. Researchers used these devices to construct high-speed logic circuits and an operational high-resolution inorganic LED display.

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Next-generation technologies, such as leading-edge memory storage solutions and brain-inspired neuromorphic computing systems, could touch nearly every aspect of our lives — from the gadgets we use daily to the solutions for major global challenges.

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UC San Diego researchers have created an array of nanopillars that can breach the nucleus of a cell—the compartment that houses our DNA—without damaging the cell’s outer membrane. This new "gateway into the nucleus" could open new possibilities in gene therapy, where genetic material needs to be delivered directly into the nucleus, as well as drug delivery and other forms of precision medicine.

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A team of researchers from NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech), led by Associate Professor Shao Huilin and Associate Professor Brian Lim, has developed a first-of-its-kind technology to map out diverse protein interactions in cells using DNA barcodes. The technology, dubbed TETRIS, can explicitly identify and quantify multiple interacting partners in large protein assemblies. By capturing the complex hierarchy of protein interactions within tumour cells, the technology uncovers detailed molecular mechanisms driving disease progression. This enables more precise diagnostics, allowing for the accurate sub-typing of cancers and the identification of aggressive forms of the disease in just a few hours, which was not possible previously.

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New method for cathode preparation prevents the particle cracking that caused performance decline with cycling of sodium-ion batteries, which offer a cheaper, more abundant alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

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Manganese is earth-abundant and cheap. A new process could help make it a contender to replace nickel and cobalt in batteries.

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A research team at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory created a novel advanced microscopy tool to “write” with atoms, placing those atoms exactly where they are needed to give a material new properties.

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Understanding and controlling heat flow is critical for many applications, especially for electronics. As these devices become smaller, the interfaces between materials often become the bottleneck to removing heat.

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Nanotechnology expert MinJun Kim, the Robert C. Womack Endowed Chair Professor at SMU Lyle School of Engineering, and his research team have been awarded a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to design a nanosensor that can improve the accuracy of gene therapy, enabling more effective clinical trials with fewer side effects.

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Dr. Seung-Woo Lee and his team at the Quantum Technology Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed a world-class quantum error correction technology and designed a fault-tolerant quantum computing architecture based on it.

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New findings from a global team of expert scientists in academia and industry has generated world-first research quality standards that will help slash costs and reduce the time it takes to develop advanced nanomedicine treatments and make them available for patients.