Three Articles

NANOGIRL writes "—*Molecules with attitude, ready to perform. Functioning nanostructures self-assemble out of ink. Observed through a microscope, dried ink appears as a jumble of particles. Now an ink has been produced that, as it dries, can be seen under very powerful microscopes to self-assemble into orderly layers of very tiny caves — actually, nanoscopic pores — each leading to the next. Within these caves, ligands — active molecules that exhibit molecular recognition charactistics — interrogate any gas or fluid, laser light, or electric or magnetic field passing through. (Sandia 5/4/00) link —*Magnetic actuation enables three-dimensional MEMS. Recent work in magnetic actuation at the University of Illinois promises to enable the mass production of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices that can self-assemble "upward" from their substrate into the third dimension.(EETimes 5/15/00) link —*New Info from Slow Muons. The magnetic properties of superconductors are at least as fascinating as their extremely high electrical conductivity. As researchers try to understand the new high temperature superconductors(HTSCs) at a fundamental level, they need to scrutinize magnetic fields inside these materials. A new technique using cold muons, described in the 22 May PRL, can probe these fields within NANOMETERS of a material's surface–by far the most detailed look ever. (PRF 5/15/00) link "