Nanotech

The Defense Sciences Office (DSO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of autonomous molecular design to accelerate the discovery, validation and optimization of new, high-performance molecules for Department of Defense (DoD) needs. DARPA Accelerated Molecular Discovery (AMD) program,  aims to …

The phonon is the physical particle representing mechanical vibration and is responsible for the transmission of everyday sound and heat. Understanding and controlling the phononic properties of materials provides opportunities to thermally insulate buildings, reduce environmental noise, transform waste heat into electricity and develop earthquake protection.   The concept of …

In the wake of increasing electronic gadget sales, the overheating problem for battery chargers has become an increasingly common safety issue. Overheating of chargers certainly can be caused by substandard chargers, faulty batteries, or by misuse of the chargers. In worst-case scenarios the devices melt or catch fire. Unsurprisingly, this …

The modern world is filled with macroscopic machines that perform work that we either find demanding or function in places or on length scales in which we cannot act. To date however, we have yet to develop a functional nanotechnology that operates on the scale of molecules or assemblies of …

Aerogels are among the lightest materials in the world and are highly porous with strong absorption capacity and low thermal conductivity which make them highly suitable for applications oil-spill cleaning, personal care products like diapers and heat, and sound insulation.   “Aerogel is what NASA uses to insulate the space …

Magnetic nanoparticles are nanomaterials consist of magnetic elements, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, chromium, manganese, gadolinium, and their chemical compounds. In most cases, the magnetic nanoparticles range from 1 to 100 nm in size and can display superparamagnetism.  Magnetic nanoparticles have unique properties such as extremely large surface area per …

Nanomaterials are chemical substances or materials that are manufactured and used at a very small scale. Nanomaterial  is defined as a, ‘material with any external dimension in the nanoscale (size range from approximately 1 – 100 nm) or having internal structure or surface structure in the nanoscale’.  Nanomaterials are developed …

In the past, the frequency spectrum ranging from 0.3 to 3THz (or 300 to 3000GHz) was spoken as infamous “Terahertz Gap” as it lies between traditional microwave and infrared domains but remained “untouchable” via either electronic or photonic means. The conventional “transit-time-limited” electronic devices can hardly operate even at its …

The aerospace industry is one of the most important heavy industries in the world. Countless companies rely on the ability to ship products and people around the world with the speed that can only by achieved by air.   Along with this huge economic value, however, comes huge consumption, and …

Imagine driving along the highway with directions and other pertinent information (think gas stations) appearing “on” your glasses so you ,don’t have to look away from the road. Or building a complicated DIY project with step-by-step instructions appearing “on” your glasses. Or being a first-responder unsure which way to go, …