10-07/08 :: July/August 2010

nanotimes News in Brief

Scientists in Hannover and Jena have developed a novel method that turns a silicon crystal into a perfect mirror by etching a specifically structured nano-lattice into its surface. Such a surface struc- ture fully reflects the laser light – an effect that so far could only be realized with vapour deposition and a reflective coating system. The new method will open up new possibilities for high-precision measurements in quantum mechanics and gravi- tational wave research. The novel technology can principally be applied to other crystals used in optics, and also works with visible light when choo- sing the respective structure sizes. In the present case, the scientists used silicon and infrared light at a wavelength of 1550nm. These parameters are good choices for future interferometers in the earth bound gravitational wave detectors.

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German and French scientists from Dresden, Stuttgart, Freiburg, Grenoble and Bordeaux have developed a method that can reduce thermal con- ductivity of silicon up to 1 W/m K – a figure that is lower than the value for double-pane windows. Germanium nano crystals are embedded into silicon that efficiently inhibits thermal conductivity. That way, silicon becomes interesting for cooling semi- conductors and mini-generators that convert pro- cess heat into usable electric energy.

G. Pernot, M. Stoffel, I.Savic, F. Pezolli, P. Chen et al.: Precise control of thermal conductivity at the nanoscale through individual phonon-scattering barriers, In: Nature Materials AOP, May 02, 2010, DOI:10.1038/NMAT2752, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NMAT2752

In a pioneering research project, for the first time, scientists at IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the University of Aberdeen have collaborated to „see“ the structure of a marine compound from the deepest place on the Earth using an atomic force microscope (AFM).

Etched surface nano-structure of the silicon mirror. © IAP/FSU

Frank Brückner, Daniel Friedrich, Tina Clausnitzer, Mi- chael Britzger, Oliver Burmeister, Karsten Danzmann, Ernst-Bernhard Kley, Andreas Tünnermann, and Roman Schnabel: Realization of a Monolithic High-Reflectivity Cavity Mirror from a Single Silicon Crystal, In: Physical Review Letters, Volume 104(2010), Issue 16, April 23, 2010, Article 163903 [4 pages], DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.163903: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.163903

Using a technique called noncontact atomic force microscopy (AFM), scientists from IBM Research were able to image individual molecules with atomic resolution within one week. These images together with density functional theory calculations confirmed the identification as cephalandole A, which is actually known and originally isolated from a Taiwanese orchid.

“Sourcing unique chemical compounds from some of the Earth‘s most extreme regions and identifying the structure of these compounds can be an ex-