Nano News: 08/10/15

Camera for the nano-cosmos

To gain even deeper insights into the smallest of worlds, the thresholds of microscopy must be expanded further. Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the TU Dresden, in cooperation with the Freie Universität Berlin, have succeeded in combining two established measurement techniques for the first time: near-field optical...

Novel material design for undistorted light waves

When a light wave penetrates a material, it is usually changed drastically. Scattering and diffraction leads to a superposition of waves, resulting in a complicated pattern of darker and brighter light spots inside the material. In specially tailored high-tech materials, which can locally amplify or absorb light, such effects can be completely suppressed....

A new strategy towards ultra-soft yet dry rubber

Medical implants mimic the softness of human tissue by mixing liquids such oil with long silicone polymers to create a squishy, wet gel. While implants have improved dramatically over the years, there is still a chance of the liquid leaking, which can be painful and sometimes dangerous. Now, led by David A. Weitz, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics...