(Press-News.org) For the first time, scientists have succeeded in the stabilisation and direct imaging of small clusters of noble gas atoms at room temperature. This achievement opens up exciting possibilities for fundamental research in condensed matter physics and applications in quantum information technology. The key to this breakthrough, achieved by scientists at the University of Vienna in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Helsinki, was the confinement of noble gas atoms between two layers of graphene. This method overcomes the difficulty that noble gases do not form stable structures under experimental conditions at ambient temperatures. Details of the method and the first ever electron microscopy images of noble gas structures (krypton and xenon) have now been published in Nature Materials.
A Noble Trap
Jani Kotakoski's group at the University of Vienna was investigating the use of ion irradiation to modify the properties of graphene and other two-dimensional materials when they noticed something unusual: when noble gases are used to irradiate, they can get trapped between two sheets of graphene. This happens when noble gas ions are fast enough to pass through the first but not the second graphene layer. Once trapped between the layers, the noble gases are free to move. This is because they do not form chemical bonds. However, in order to accommodate the noble gas atoms, the graphene bends to form tiny pockets. Here, two or more noble gas atoms can meet and form regular, densely packed, two-dimensional noble gas nanoclusters.
Fun with Microscope
"We used scanning transmission electron microscopy to observe these clusters, and they are really fascinating and a lot of fun to watch. They rotate, jump, grow and shrink as we image them", says Manuel Längle, lead author of the study. "Getting the atoms between the layers was the hardest part of the work. Now that we have achieved this, we have a simple system for studying fundamental processes related to material growth and behavior ", he adds. Commenting on the group's future work, Jani Kotakoski says: "The next steps are to study the properties of clusters with different noble gases and how they behave at low and high temperatures. Due to the use of noble gases in light sources and lasers, these new structures may in future enable applications for example in quantum information technology."
END
First direct imaging of small noble gas clusters at room temperature
Novel opportunities in quantum technology and condensed matter physics opened by noble gas atoms confined between graphene layers
2024-01-11
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
CD4+ T cell patterns linked to autoimmune disorders
2024-01-11
Osaka, Japan – Much like ripples on the water can betray powerful currents below the surface, small changes in our bodies can sometimes be an indicator of a serious condition. Now, researchers from Japan say that cells in the blood may provide telltale signs of important immune dysfunction.
In a study recently published in Cell Genomics, researchers from Osaka University have revealed that subtle changes in specific immune cell populations may signal the presence of an autoimmune disease.
In autoimmune conditions, which affect up to 5% of the population, the body’s immune cells attack the body ...
A tiny tattoo for a tabby
2024-01-11
Tokyo, Japan – If you’ve ever taken a car trip through a rural area, you might already know that livestock, including cows and sheep, can be individually tracked using decidedly old-fashioned methods, such as ear tags or even branding marks. By contrast, many tech-savvy pet owners have opted to have their dog or cat “chipped” by having a radio frequency identification (RFID) permanently implanted under the skin. However, all these identification solutions leave something to be desired, as ear tags can become damaged or lost, while RFID chips require an invasive procedure to insert and specialized equipment to read.
In a study recently published in Scientific ...
JMIR AI has passed the Scientific Quality Review by NLM for PMC
2024-01-11
JMIR Publications is pleased to announce that JMIR AI has passed the Scientific Quality Review by the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) for PubMed Central (PMC). This decision reflects the scientific and editorial quality of the journal. All articles published from 2022 onward will be found on PMC and PubMed after their technical evaluation.
Launched in 2022, JMIR AI is a new journal that focuses on the applications of artificial intelligence in health settings. This includes contemporary developments as well as historical ...
Researchers use spinning metasurfaces to craft compact thermal imaging system
2024-01-11
WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a new technology that uses meta-optical devices to perform thermal imaging. The approach provides richer information about imaged objects, which could broaden the use of thermal imaging in fields such as autonomous navigation, security, thermography, medical imaging and remote sensing.
“Our method overcomes the challenges of traditional spectral thermal imagers, which are often bulky and delicate due to their reliance on large filter wheels or interferometers,” said research team leader Zubin Jacob from ...
John E. Carlstrom wins 2024 Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics
2024-01-11
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2024 – The Heineman Foundation, American Institute of Physics, and American Astronomical Society are pleased to announce John E. Carlstrom as the winner of the 2024 Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics.
Carlstrom was selected “for pioneering work on microwave interferometry and his leading role in the development of the South Pole Telescope, leading to the observations of clusters of galaxies through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, B-Mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background and strong evidence for a flat universe, all of which changed the field for generations to come.”
“AIP congratulates ...
Intriguing insights uncovered for two rare heart muscle diseases
2024-01-11
PHILADELPHIA— Advancements in the study of two rare heart conditions—peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)—contributed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania may serve as critical guides in future work toward developing therapies for the conditions. The lab of Zoltan Arany, MD, PhD, the Samuel Bellet Professor of Cardiology and a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, published their findings this month in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), adding to separate research they recently published in the Journal of Clinical ...
Study finds AI-driven eye exams increase screening rates for youth with diabetes
2024-01-11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study of children and youth with diabetes concludes that so-called autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) diabetic eye exams significantly increase completion rates of screenings designed to prevent potentially blinding diabetes eye diseases (DED). During the exam, pictures are taken of the backs of the eyes without the need to dilate them, and AI is used to provide an immediate result.
The study noted that the AI-driven technology used in the exams may close “care gaps” among racial and ethnic minority youth with diabetes, populations with historically higher rates of DED and less access to or adherence ...
U.S. health costs related to chemicals in plastics reached $250 billion in 2018
2024-01-11
WASHINGTON—Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics pose a serious threat to public health and cost the U.S. an estimated $250 billion in increased health care costs in 2018, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Plastics contain many hazardous, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that leach and contaminate humans and the environment. These chemicals disturb the body’s hormone systems and can cause cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, neurological impairments of developing fetuses and children, and death.
Potential options under discussion as part of a Global ...
Experiments in infant mice suggest new way to prevent spread of flu in people
2024-01-11
Scientists have long known that some viruses and bacteria begin infections by latching first onto sugar molecules on the surfaces of cells lining the sinuses and throat of mammals, including humans. Viral particles, for instance, can attach to these molecules, called sialic acids, or SAs, like keys fitting into locks.
Now, a new study in infant mice shows that keeping virus particles from attaching to SAs limits more than just the entry of influenza A viral infections, but also hinders their exit (shedding) and transmission from mouse to mouse. Such infections are the main cause of the seasonal flu that kills more than 36,000 Americans annually. While vaccines to guard ...
A universal coronavirus vaccine could save billions of dollars if ready before next pandemic
2024-01-11
What if scientists had developed a universal coronavirus vaccine in the years prior to 2020 so that it was available at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? A universal coronavirus vaccine targets parts of the virus that are common to either many or all coronaviruses, thereby offering some degree of protection against a range of strains. A new study suggests if such a vaccine were available at the start of the pandemic, it could have saved millions of lives, prevented suffering, and saved billions of dollars in direct medical ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
New findings on T cell exhaustion: The body prepares early for mild to severe disease
Howard University football team joins the Nation of Lifesavers
Korea University and Yonsei University's Colleges of Medicine promote a joint research project to train new Korean physician-scientists
Researchers discover way to predict treatment success for parasitic skin disease
Journal of Health Communication publishes inaugural Society for Health Communication special issue
‘Ugh, not that song!’ Background music impacts employees
New study finds that 90 percent of U.S. Christian leaders believe climate change is real
Study finds global downturn in bias against stigmatized groups
Cross-ideological acceptance of illiberal narratives and pro-China propaganda in Japan
AI tool can track effectiveness of multiple sclerosis treatments
The new season of The Last of Us has a spore-ting chance at realism
Alternative approach to Lyme disease vaccine development shows promise in pre-clinical models
Equitable access to digital technologies may help improve cardiovascular health
Is AI in medicine playing fair?
Socioeconomic inequalities drive significant gaps in access to mental health care across the European union
Does teamwork fulfill the goal of project-based learning?
Scientists link a phytoplankton bloom to starving dolphins in Florida
Local access to abortion services expanded with mifepristone in community pharmacies
KIMM lays groundwork for global expansion of “K-Machine” through strengthened international partnerships in Europe
Dietary shift after migration increases cardiovascular risk by altering the composition of an individual's gut microbiome
Viability of hospital-based emergency care in US faces peril
Exposure to air pollution may harm brain health of older adults
New study investigates effects of ADHD medications on the heart
Research to tackle Prymnesium algal blooms which affect fish populations
Climate and health litigation mounting in Australia as exposure to heatwaves grows
Young females more likely to experience higher social anxiety due to excessive smartphone use than other genders
New research boosts future whooping cough vaccines
Mechanistic understanding could enable better fast-charging batteries
No bones about it: new details about skeletal cell aging revealed
UNM scientists discover how nanoparticles of toxic metal used in MRI scans infiltrate human tissue
[Press-News.org] First direct imaging of small noble gas clusters at room temperatureNovel opportunities in quantum technology and condensed matter physics opened by noble gas atoms confined between graphene layers