Introducing the public to nanotechnology
17 June, 2011
Neutron imaging is a non-destructive technique that can reveal the interior of many materials and engineering components and also probe magnetic fields. Within the past few years, several new imaging modes have been introduced that extend the scope of neutron imaging beyond conventional neutron attenuation imaging, yielding both 2- and 3D information about properties and phenomena inaccessible until now.
15 June, 2011
Sensitive magnetometry has been established as a powerful technique for the characterization and testing of materials, with the most demanding applications relying on SQUID magnetometers operating at cryogenic temperatures. The recent development of compact, non-cryogenic atomic magnetometers with sub-femtotesla sensitivity and easy sample access has opened up a number of new possibilities.
15 June, 2011
Strong intrinsic nonlinear optical (NLO) signals not only make nanostructures promising agents for bio-imaging, but also advance NLO microscopy for the study of interactions between nanomaterials and live cells. Single beam modalities such as multiphoton luminescence, second harmonic generation, and third harmonic generation provide a simple way to probe many types of nanostructures.
15 June, 2011
The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique has been used to analyze a diverse array of materials for several decades. LIBS is ideal for rapid materials analysis since data can be collected in real time with no sample preparation. The coupling of LIBS with multivariate analysis has increased in recent years and allows for rapid processing of spectral information for qualitative or quantitative analysis.
15 June, 2011
We are facing accelerated global warming due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases. A hydrogen-based economy is one potential approach toward maintaining our standard of living while lowering carbon dioxide emissions. Palladium is a unique material with a strong affinity to hydrogen owing to both its catalytic and hydrogen absorbing properties.
15 June, 2011
Have you ever wondered what that glowing light is coming from someone's mouth when they chew a real Wint-O-Green® Lifesaver in a darkened room? In 1888, the source of this light was determined to be produced by the breaking of crystals and given the name triboluminescence (TL). Over a century later, the scientific world is aware that many materials emit triboluminescent light.
15 June, 2011