Researchers probe the properties of novel 'topological insulators'
Researchers from the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), the University of Maryland, and Seoul National University, Korea have achieved electric-field control of the energy levels...
View ArticleSecond life for waste paper in the construction industry
Cellulose, the primary ingredient in paper, is a highly efficient insulator and could offer the construction industry an effective, environmentally friendly alternative to convention insulation....
View ArticleTopological insulators: Persuading light to mix it up with matter
Researchers at MIT have succeeded in producing and measuring a coupling of photons and electrons on the surface of an unusual type of material called a topological insulator. This type of coupling had...
View ArticleA new topological insulator breaks symmetry, and that's a good thing
(Phys.org) —Scientists working at SLAC, Stanford, Oxford, Berkeley Lab and in Tokyo have discovered a new type of quantum material whose lopsided behavior may lend itself to creating novel electronics.
View ArticleTopological insulators could exist in six new types not seen before,...
Topological insulators—materials whose surfaces can freely conduct electrons even though their interiors are electrical insulators—have been of great interest to physicists in recent years because of...
View ArticleResearch brings new control over topological insulator
An international team of scientists investigating the electronic properties of ultra-thin films of new materials – topological insulators (TIs) - has demonstrated a new method to tune their unique...
View ArticleHeat-conducting polymer cools hot electronic devices at 200 degrees Celsius
Polymer materials are usually thermal insulators. But by harnessing an electropolymerization process to produce aligned arrays of polymer nanofibers, researchers have developed a thermal interface...
View ArticleSolving a mystery of thermoelectrics
Materials that can be used for thermoelectric devices—those that turn a temperature difference into an electric voltage—have been known for decades. But until now there has been no good explanation for...
View ArticleTheorists find a new way to improve efficiency of solar cells by overcoming...
A major limitation in the performance of solar cells happens within the photovoltaic material itself: When photons strike the molecules of a solar cell, they transfer their energy, producing...
View ArticleAn electrical wire a few atoms wide
EPFL researchers showed it is possible to create an electrical channel a few atoms wide within two-dimensional insulating materials. Their simulations open new perspectives for the production of new...
View ArticleResearcher working to save energy with nanotechnology insulation
Mufit Akinc, who has a series of patent plaques hanging high on his office wall, knows all about the challenges of moving inventions out of the lab. But he's determined to see one of his latest...
View ArticleWhat is heat conduction?
Heat is an interesting form of energy. Not only does it sustain life, make us comfortable and help us prepare our food, but understanding its properties is key to many fields of scientific research....
View ArticleZinc oxide materials tapped for tiny energy harvesting devices
Today, we're surrounded by a variety of electronic devices that are moving increasingly closer to us - we can attach and wear them, or even implant electronics inside our bodies.
View ArticleCarbon nanoballs can greatly contribute to sustainable energy supply
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have discovered that the insulation plastic used in high-voltage cables can withstand a 26 per cent higher voltage if nanometer-sized carbon balls are...
View ArticleTeam develops ultrathin polymer insulators key to low-power soft electronics
A group of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed a high-performance ultrathin polymeric insulator for field-effect transistors (FETs). The researchers...
View ArticleBuilding shape inspires new material discovery
Physicists inspired by the radical shape of a Canberra building have created a new type of material which enables scientists to put a perfect bend in light.
View ArticleTopological insulators become a little less 'elusive'
They are 'strange' materials, insulators on the inside and conductors on the surface. They also have properties that make them excellent candidates for the development of spintronics ('spin-based...
View ArticleBio-based insulation materials may be the construction industry's best kept...
Good news for those planning to build a new home: novel insulation materials based on plant waste, such as straw, clay and grasses could offer 20% better insulation than traditional materials.
View ArticleSolar cells in the roof and nanotechnology in the walls
It isn't cars and vehicle traffic that produce the greatest volumes of climate gas emissions – it's our own homes. But new research will soon be putting an end to all that!
View ArticleStraw-insulated houses beat petroleum-based alternatives
Everybody knows one of those houses; freezing cold in winter, stiflingly hot in summer and energy guzzling all year round. Better insulation is the key to recapturing the comfort of home while cutting...
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