Jun 30, 2026 A new atom camera uses one ultracold rubidium atom to map light intensity and polarization with spatial resolution below 100 nanometers. (Nanowerk News) Researchers in Japan have turned a single, ultracold atom into a camera that images light at scales far smaller than ordinary optical microscopes can...
The impact of nanoplastics on neurons may depend on their size
May 28, 2026 Nanoplastic particles can build up in neurons and trigger subtle changes, suggesting size may shape brain health risks from plastic exposure. (Nanowerk News) Smaller plastic particles have more effects on neurons, the key information processing cells of the brain, new research from the University of Eastern Finland...
Humidity-activated optical chip reveals hidden images for secure data storage
May 29, 2026 Moisture in the air changes how a tiny photonic structure reflects light, exposing concealed patterns for encryption, authentication and sensing. (Nanowerk News) Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an optical device that reveals hidden images and changes colors in response to different levels...
Red dwarf stars detected ‘eating’ Earth-like planets
May 29, 2026 Astronomers have found some of the strongest evidence yet that stars can swallow their own planets. (Nanowerk News) A new study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ("Lithium-rich M-dwarfs at the ZAMS: evidence for planetary engulfment?"), supports the long-held belief that young stars are...
Scientists stabilize elusive crystal phase with silver nanoparticles
May 29, 2026 Researchers used silver nanoparticles to assemble a theorized, but never-before observed crystal metallic structure. (Nanowerk News) Using finely tuned nanoscale building blocks, researchers from Brown University and the University of Michigan College of Engineering have stabilized a fleeting structural phase of matter that had been predicted theoretically...
Light-switchable molecules could tune spin waves in 2D magnets
Jun 29, 2026 Light-switchable molecules could tune spin-wave filters in 2D magnets, offering a chemical route to reprogrammable nanoscale magnetic circuits. (Nanowerk Spotlight) A radio antenna can pick up many broadcasts at once, but the receiver becomes useful only when it tunes to one narrow frequency band and suppresses the...
A stair-climbing robot that catches itself when it falls
May 29, 2026 A reinforcement-learning-based safety system teaches a stair-traversing service robot to brace itself mid-fall, addressing one of the biggest barriers to deploying autonomous robots on staircases. (Nanowerk News) Staircases are among the most challenging terrains a mobile robot can face. A multi-year field study found that robots designed...
AI listens to insect body signals to guide cyborg cockroaches
May 28, 2026 AI-guided cyborg cockroaches use internal signals to estimate environmental states and steer movement while reducing unnecessary stimulation. (Nanowerk News) Cyborg insects have long been studied as bio-hybrid systems that combine living organisms with small electronic devices. These systems may one day support tasks such as disaster search...
Improved design rules enable faster, higher-yield DNA origami assembly
May 28, 2026 New insights into DNA assembly could streamline the design and manufacturing of nanostructures for medicine, materials and beyond. (Nanowerk News) Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have uncovered key principles that govern how DNA origami structures fold, findings that could make nanomaterials faster and easier...
Magnonic crystal waveguide boosts spin wave transmission over 5,000 times
May 28, 2026 A 2D magnonic crystal waveguide uses a complete bandgap to route spin waves through sharp bends with over 5,000 times stronger transmission. (Nanowerk News) A research team from Tohoku University, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has invented a new way to...