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Nanotechnology Harnesses the Power of Light

Posted by michael on from the synthetic-photosynthesis dept.

madirish2600 writes "There's a Washington Post story running about some German scientists who have used light to create a nanotechnology spring. 'Scientists have for the first time used the power of light to create mechanical energy for a microdevice, making a single molecule of plastic drive a tiny machine.'"

3 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. It's a good thin when ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    there are sites dedicated to Investing in nanotechnology.
    www.nanoinvestornews.com

  2. Memory by jhines0042 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    By shining one frequency of light on the device, the team was able to crimp the molecule, causing it to pull the diving board downward - converting light into mechanical energy. When another light frequency was used, the molecule relaxed.

    Not quite sure, but if the molecule stays in the kinked or relaxed state absent all light, could they not mount little mirrors on top that would swivel and then use this tech as a massive, persistent, extremely fast, storage mechanism? Sort of like a re-writeable CD but in solid state?

    --
    42 - So long and thanks for all the fish.
  3. Optical Tweezers (not so new...) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    This isn't exactly new...

    This seems to be an application of "optical tweezers". The use of electromagnetic field gradients of a focused spot has been used to uncoil as well as determine the "spring constant" (tension) of single DNA strands.The technique has been fairly common for the past 5 years. All they have done here is attach a large molecule to a diving board. The DNA experiments have already demonstrated "simple machines", although in that case the DNA is the spring.

    DNA molecules grafted on silicon with optical tweezers
    Femtonewton Force Spectroscopy of Single Extended DNA Molecules