Designed defects in liquid crystals can guide construction of nanomaterials

Imperfections running through liquid crystals can be used as miniscule tubing, channeling molecules into specific positions to form new materials and nanoscale structures, according to engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The discovery could have applications in fields as diverse as electronics...
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Organic electronics with an edge

Using sophisticated theoretical tools, A*STAR researchers have identified a way to construct topological insulators — a new class of spin-active materials — out of planar organic-based complexes rather than toxic inorganic crystals ("Topological insulators based on 2D shape-persistent organic ligand...
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A magnetic memory bubbling with opportunity

RIKEN researchers have used ultrafast laser pulses to poke, stretch and position tiny magnetic domains on demand ("Photodrive of magnetic bubbles via magnetoelastic waves"). New technology that exploits the spin of electrons, known as spintronics technology, requires rapid and non-invasive methods to manipulate magnetic fields without generating excess...
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