MC²

October 7, 2009
Electron microscopes are the most powerful type of microscope, capable of distinguishing even individual atoms. However, these microscopes cannot be used to image living cells because the electrons destroy the samples.
Now, MIT assistant professor Mehmet Fatih Yanik and his student, William Putnam, propose a new scheme that can overcome this limitation by using [...]

September 1, 2009
Predatory fish are well aware of the problem: In a swarm of small fish it is hard to isolate prey. A similar situation can be found in the microcosm of atoms and molecules, whose behavior is influenced by “swarms” of electrons. In order to achieve control over single electrons in a bunch, ultrashort [...]

August 27, 2009
Electrons that are trapped in very small structures of only a few nanometer, demonstrate fascinating features. These could be useful for novel computers or semiconductor lasers. Researchers from the University of Sheffield, the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, and the Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf research center measured for the first time the exact lifetime of [...]