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A new method enables precise nanofabrication inside silicon using spatial light modulation and laser pulses, creating advanced nanostructures for potential use in electronics and photonics.

Silicon, the cornerstone of modern electronics, photovoltaics, and photonics, has traditionally been limited to surface-level nanofabrication due to the challenges posed by existing lithographic techniques. Available methods either fail to penetrate the wafer surface without causing alterations or are limited by the micron-scale resolution of laser lithography within Si.

In the spirit of Richard Feynman’s famous dictum, ‘There’s plenty of room at the bottom’, this breakthrough aligns with the vision of exploring and manipulating matter at the nanoscale. The innovative technique developed by the Bilkent team surpasses current limitations, enabling controlled fabrication of nanostructures buried deep inside silicon wafers with unprecedented control.

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A new paper explores the quantum Griffith singularity in phase transitions, focusing on recent studies that could expand our understanding of high-temperature superconductivity in unconventional materials.

Exploring exotic quantum phase transitions has long been a key focus in condensed matter physics. A critical phenomenon in a phase transition is determined entirely by its universality class, which is governed by spatial and/or order parameters and remains independent of microscopic details. Quantum phase transitions, a subset of phase transitions, occur due to quantum fluctuations and are tuned by specific system parameters at the zero-temperature limit.

The superconductor-insulator/metal phase transition is a classic example of quantum phase transition, which has been intensely studied for more than 40 years. Disorder is considered one of the most important influencing factors, and therefore has received widespread attention. During the phase transitions, the system usually satisfies scaling invariance, so the universality class will be characterized by a single critical exponent. In contrast, the peculiarity of quantum Griffith singularity is that it breaks the traditional scaling invariance, where exotic physics emerges.

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New findings from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), in collaboration with the University of Bonn, have revealed that specific early alterations in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can result in noticeable local vision loss. This breakthrough could enhance the treatment and monitoring of this eye condition in elderly patients, which typically progresses to central blindness, and facilitate the testing of new treatments.

AMD mainly affects elderly people. If left untreated, the disease leads to a progressive loss of central vision, which significantly impairs everyday activities such as reading or driving. Researchers around the world are intensively searching for ways to improve the early detection and treatment of this disease before major losses occur.

A research team from the UKB Eye Clinic, in cooperation with the University of Bonn and in close collaboration with basic and clinical scientists, has specifically examined patients with early forms of AMD. The researchers focused on the so-called iRORA lesions, which are very early anatomical signs of retinal damage.

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The Grid Signature Event Library energizes utility and researcher understanding of grid behavior by providing access to datasets of waveforms from grid operations. Credit: Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy.

The Grid Event Signature Library at Oak Ridge National Laboratory offers waveform datasets that help analyze and predict electric grid behaviors. With contributions from various utilities, the library facilitates machine learning models to forecast and mitigate grid malfunctions, enhancing grid reliability and safety.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have opened a new virtual library where visitors can check out waveforms instead of books.

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30 years ago, on 16 July 1994, astronomers watched in awe as the first of many pieces of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet slammed into Jupiter with incredible force. The event sparked intense interest in the field of planetary defence as people asked: “Could we do anything to prevent this happening to Earth?”

Today, ESA’s Space Safety programme takes another step towards answering this question. The programme has received permission to begin preparatory work for its next planetary defence mission – the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses).

Ramses will rendezvous with the asteroid 99,942 Apophis and accompany it through its safe but exceptionally close flyby of Earth in 2029. Researchers will study the asteroid as Earth’s gravity alters its physical characteristics. Their findings will improve our ability to defend our planet from any similar object found to be on a collision course in the future.

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Discover Sagan’s unique blend of scientific curiosity and philosophical introspection, as he seamlessly navigates the realms of cosmology and the human condition.

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Continue reading “Why Humanity Needs Science, not Religion | Carl Sagan” | >

This is pretty impressive, they can move around individual cells. Video in comments:

Researchers at the HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, have developed tiny tools to capture individual cells. According to their study published in the journal Advanced Materials, key innovations of using flexible microrobots is that they do not require any treatment of the cells to grab them and also allow the cells to be released after examination, enabling more efficient investigations than ever before.

Single-cell investigation methods such as single-cell genetics, proteomics, or imaging-based morphological classification have risen to the forefront of biological research in the last decade. These methods require precisely controlled physical manipulation of individual cells on the microscopic scale. This manipulation at the single-cell level means their transportation and rotation in a controlled manner, for which several methods have been developed over the last decades. These cutting-edge methods use active movable microtools such as microgrippers similar in size to the cells, complex electrophoretic systems that use high-frequency electric fields to move the cells, or optothermal traps that create liquid flow through localised laser heating. The technique of optical tweezers fits into this category, being one of the most efficient single-cell manipulation methods and was awarded a Nobel prize in 2018.

Continue reading “HUN-REN BRC researchers develop laser-guided microrobots for cell-capturing” | >