Nano News: 09/03/15

Single-beam two-dimensional spectroscopy

Even though we may “see things differently,” the process of seeing is the same for each of us: Light strikes an object and we then perceive the light waves that are bounced off that object in our direction. This is a description of basic, everyday “linear optics.” A new method (, "Single-beam spectrally controlled two-dimensional Raman spectroscopy")...

Stick and slip

What do the sounds of a creaky old hinge and a cello have in common? Both rely on the same kind of friction: two surfaces that alternately stick and slide against one another. This physical phenomenon is called stick-slip and, in the case of the creaky hinge, it is often mitigated by the application of a lubricant between the surfaces. It has long...

Light-emitting metallic gels

Researchers at MIT have developed a family of materials that can emit light of precisely controlled colors — even pure white light — and whose output can be tuned to respond to a wide variety of external conditions. The materials could find a variety of uses in detecting chemical and biological compounds, or mechanical and thermal conditions. The material,...