The Smallest Solenoid
May 30, 2005Nanoscopic wires grown in gold may be the world’s smallest solenoids, according to new theoretical analysis of the structures. Solenoids are typically tubes made of coiled wire. They conduct electricity along the spiraled wires to generate magnetic fields that run the length of their interiors. Solenoids are often important components of circuits and switches in their macroscopic form.
The nanoscopic versions, known as Helical Gold Nanowires (HGN), consist of concentric layers of gold atoms. In the simplest incarnation, a wire only one atom thick is surrounded by a tube of atoms.
The analysis of the HGNs shows that electrical current may spiral around the wires as it travels along the wire length. Considering the size of the wires (0.6 nanometers, or a hundred million times thinner than a human hair), it is likely to be difficult to measure the magnetic fields they produce.
Nevertheless, if confirmed experimentally, the solenoids add yet another tiny component to the list of nanoscopic electronic parts (resistors, transistors, capacitors) needed to construct highly miniaturized circuits and machines.
Publication:
T. Ono and K. Hirose
Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 206806 (2005), 27 May 2005
http://link.aps.or … /v94/e206806
Source: American Physical Society
-
A bronze matryoshka doll: The metal in the metal in the metal
Feb 07, 2012 |
5 / 5 (7) |
1
-
Harnessing plasmonics, engineers weld nanowires with light
Feb 06, 2012 |
4.8 / 5 (10) |
1
-
Microscopy reveals 'atomic antenna' behavior in graphene
Jan 31, 2012 |
5 / 5 (11) |
1
-
Narrowest conducting wires in silicon ever made show the same current capability as copper
Jan 05, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (13) |
12
-
Voltage increases up to 25% observed in closely packed nanowires
Dec 07, 2011 |
5 / 5 (6) |
5
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (31) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (3) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes
Jan 26, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
More news stories
New kind of solar cell could capture significantly more energy than current cells
New solar cells could increase the maximum efficiency of solar panels by over 25%, according to scientists from the University of Cambridge.
Feb 08, 2012 |
4.5 / 5 (12) |
14
|
Nanoshell whispering galleries improve thin solar panels
Visitors to Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building may have experienced a curious acoustic feature that allows a person to whisper softly at one side of the cavernous, half-domed room and for another on ...
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Feb 07, 2012 |
4.3 / 5 (6) |
6
|
'Dark plasmons' transmit energy
Microscopic channels of gold nanoparticles have the ability to transmit electromagnetic energy that starts as light and propagates via "dark plasmons," according to researchers at Rice University.
Feb 09, 2012 |
4.8 / 5 (9) |
1
|
Revealing how a battery material works
Since its discovery 15 years ago, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) has become one of the most promising materials for rechargeable batteries because of its stability, durability, safety and ability to deliver ...
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Feb 08, 2012 |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
|
Nanotube therapy takes aim at breast cancer stem cells
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researchers have again proven that injecting multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into tumors and heating them with a quick, 30-second laser treatment can kill them.
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Feb 09, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
|
Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...
GPS court ruling leaves US phone tracking unclear
A US Supreme Court decision requiring a warrant to place a GPS device on the car of a criminal suspect leaves unresolved the bigger issue of police tracking using mobile phones, legal experts say.
Anonymous briefly knocks CIA website offline (Update 2)
The website of the Central Intelligence Agency was briefly inaccessible on Friday after the hacker group Anonymous claimed to have knocked it offline.
Europeans protest controversial Internet pact
Tens of thousands of people marched in protests in more than a dozen European cities Saturday against a controversial anti-online piracy pact that critics say could curtail Internet freedom.
Study finds that anti-diabetic medication can prevent the long-term effects of maternal obesity
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication ...
Europe stakes billion-dollar bet on new rocket
A pencil-slim rocket is scheduled to lift into space from South America on Monday, carrying a billion-dollar bet that Europe can grab a juicy slice of the market to place satellites in low orbit.
