Search by tag «Nanostructures» 28 results

• ITMO Scientists Create World’s Smallest Silicon Light Source

  Researchers at ITMO University have developed a new photoluminescence amplification method for silicon. The metasurface designed by the physicists can enhance silicon's ability to absorb and emit light by 10,000 times – at a record-low volume of the material. The discovery will open the way for faster and more energy-efficient communication devices, as well as nanospectroscopy devices for medicine, science, and industry. The study was published in ACS Photonics.

  30.07.2025

• ITMO Physicists' New Anti-Forgery Tags Can Hide in Plain Sight

  Researchers from ITMO’s School of Physics and Engineering have developed optical labels made with gold and silicon. The nanostructures’ asymmetric shape determines their optical response to a specific direction of light: the tags become visible and change color from yellow to green only at a certain angle (57-75 degrees) of lateral lighting, while no effect is observed at other angles. This solution will find its applications in the authentication of optical chips, sensors, and other microelectronics. The corresponding paper was published in ACS Applied Optical Materials.

  25.07.2025

• Researchers Suggest Simple, Cheap Method of Accelerating Chemical Reactions

  Researchers from ITMO University have designed a laboratory set-up for the study of chemical reactions in microvolume. This technology allows them to reduce the necessary amount of reagents and accelerate chemical reactions by hundreds of times. In the future, this invention may be used to synthesize large libraries of substances in mere seconds – and to analyze their biological activity to quickly identify new compounds for medical development. The research team is currently raising investments at ITMO and securing grants from charity foundations.

  13.03.2025

• Dare to Follow Your Curiosity: ITMO Researchers to Girls in Science

  At ITMO University, there are many talented female scientists who lead by example on the cutting edge of materials science, biology, chemistry, and physics. In the lead-up to International Women's Day, we'd like to shine the spotlight on a few of them and inspire our readers to follow their scientific passions.

  07.03.2025

• ITMO Physicists Simplify Thin Film Anodization for Allergy Diagnostics

  Researchers from ITMO’s International Research and Educational Center for Physics of Nanostructures have simplified the synthesis of thin films based on anodic aluminum oxide: the process now takes two minutes instead of seven hours and can be used to produce films with specific optical properties. The new method can be applied in sensors for allergy diagnostics, affordable solar cells, and beam splitters for laser distance meters and spectral devices. The method was described in a paper published in Optical Materials.

  27.02.2025

• Researchers Develop Nanostructure for Detection of Spiral Molecules via Twisted Light

  Scientists from ITMO University, Zhejiang University, and the Ioffe Institute have developed a metasurface capable of identifying the direction of the rotation of circular polarized light waves with a near-100% accuracy. Its artificial coating reflects leftward-spun light and allows rightward-spun light through. The structure is a mere several hundred nanometers thin, allowing it to be used even in the most advanced electronic devices. The technology should accelerate medical testing, simplify the detection of spiral molecules, such as DNA, and provide new prospects for experimental physics research. Results of the study have been published in Laser & Photonics Review.

  11.11.2024

• ITMO Solution Prevents Counterfeiting of Glass Products

  Researchers from ITMO University have suggested a method of creating colored patterns with an affordable, domestically-produced laser. Compared to others, the new method makes it possible to create smaller separate patterns within a single bigger one, which are harder to forge. The technology, described in an article published in Optics and Laser Technology, will help prevent production of counterfeit glass products, such as medical vials and test tubes.  

  04.03.2024

• Power Without Electricity: Nanodevice For Optical Computers Developed at ITMO

  Physicists from ITMO and St. Petersburg Academic University have collaborated to develop a device that can be used as a transistor in optical computers – it can create an electric field in nanostructures without the use of any power sources. In the article published in Light: Science & Applications, the research team describes the theory behind it as well as the experiments they conducted on a nanoantenna to demonstrate the capacities of the new device.

  21.09.2023

• ITMO's Monday Science Roundup #16

  In today’s digest of research news from ITMO University, you’ll read about exciting new research in the field of nanoscience, find out how to attend the latest conference for robotics (or chemistry – or both) buffs, and learn some fascinating insights into this year’s Nobel Prizes and the curious science of biomimetics.

  17.10.2022

• Bright Ideas: ITMO Researchers’ Dynamic Nanostructure Achieves 35x Light Amplification

  The staff of ITMO University’s Faculty of Physics have developed a dynamic nanostructure that changes its optical properties in response to external stimuli. At its core is a polymer that expands and contracts based on its temperature. The researchers have shown that nanostructures containing silicon nanoparticles can amplify light seven-fold – and the number blows up to 35 when the material is combined with gold. What’s more, the polymer can change its form an unlimited amount of times. Its potential uses include the development of automated heat sensors and various other smart devices.

  13.10.2022