Tag Archives: nanotech

Lazaridis-backed Quantum-Nano Centre opens tomorrow, aims to be a new Bell Labs

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Lazaridisbacked QuantumNano Centre opens tomorrow, aims to be a new Bell Labs

Mike Lazaridis may now have a considerably smaller role at RIM, but he's isn't exactly receding from the technology scene in the company's hometown of Waterloo, Ontario. That's no more evident than in the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre opening tomorrow on the University of Waterloo campus, a science and technology research center that not only bears his name but was built with $100 million of his money. As Lazaridis makes clear in an interview with Bloomberg, he's also not modest about his ambitions for the center, noting that it is "absolutely" going to be the Bell Labs of the 21st century. Or, perhaps more specifically, a Bell Labs for quantum computing and nanotechnology, areas of research that Lazaridis says are key in order to "break through those barriers" of traditional computing. You can find the full interview and more details on the center itself at the links below.

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Lazaridis-backed Quantum-Nano Centre opens tomorrow, aims to be a new Bell Labs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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‘Stained glass’ nanotechnology capable of printing up to 100,000 dpi

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100,000 dpi color image crafted by 'stained glass' nanotechnology

Researchers in Singapore have managed to create high-resolution color images several times sharper than typical methods using a metal-laced nanometer framework. While normal inkjet and laser jet printers can reel out up to 10,000 dots per inch, this nanotech-based technique has a theoretical limit of around 100,000 dpi. The technique is closer to lithography than typical modern printing, and could pave the way for future high-resolution reflective color displays and high-density optical storage. Scientists crafted precisely patterned metal nano structures, and designed the surface to specifically reflect the intended color. According to project leader, Dr Joel Yang, "The team built a database of color that corresponded to a specific nanostructure pattern, size and spacing," with an ultra-thin metal film spread across the image activating these "encoded" colors. Looks like yet another reason to upgrade our dull fleshy retinas.

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'Stained glass' nanotechnology capable of printing up to 100,000 dpi originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 07:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phys.org  |  sourceNature Nanotechnology  | Email this | Comments

UCLA researchers develop nanoscale microwave oscillators, promise better and cheaper mobile devices

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UCLA researchers develop nanoscale microwave oscillators, promise better and cheaper mobile devices

At a size of just 100 nanometers, it may not be much to look at, but a new type of microwave oscillator developed by researchers at UCLA could open the door to mobile communication devices that are smaller, cheaper and more efficient. As PhysOrg reports, unlike traditional silicon-based oscillators (the bit of a device that produces radio-frequency signals), these new oscillators rely on the spin of an electron rather than its charge to create microwaves -- a change that apparently bring with it a host of benefits. That includes a boost in signal quality, and a dramatic reduction in size. The new nanoscale system is fully 10,000 times smaller than current silicon-based oscillators, and can even be incorporated into existing chips without a big change in manufacturing processes. As with most such developments, however, it remains to be seen when we'll actually see it put into practice.

UCLA researchers develop nanoscale microwave oscillators, promise better and cheaper mobile devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 05:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers power microbots made of bubbles with lasers

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They may not be "robots" as most have come to expect, but these so-called microrobots developed by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa do have at least one thing in common with many of their mechanical counterparts: lasers. As IEEE Spectrum reports, the bots themselves are actually nothing more than bubbles of air in a saline solution, but they become "microrobots" when the laser is added to the equation, which serves as an engine of sorts and allows the researchers to control both the speed and direction of the bubbles. That, they say, could allow the bots to be used for a variety of tasks, including assembling microstructures and then disappearing without a trace when the bubble is popped. Head on past the break for a video of what they're already capable of.

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Researchers power microbots made of bubbles with lasers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceIEEE Spectrum  | Email this | Comments