Physicists from Switzerland, Germany and Ukraine have proposed an innovative new data storage medium. The technique is based on specific properties of antiferromagnetic materials that had previously resisted experimental examination. Using nanoscale quantum sensors, an international research team has succeeded in exploring certain previously uncharted physical properties of an antiferromagnetic material. Based on their results, […]
For the first time, physicists from the University of Basel have produced a graphene compound consisting of carbon atoms and a small number of nitrogen atoms in a regular grid of hexagons and triangles. This honeycomb-structured “kagome lattice” behaves as a semiconductor and may also have unusual electrical properties. In the future, it could potentially […]
Researchers at the University of Basel and Ruhr University Bochum have developed a source of single photons that can produce billions of these quantum particles per second. With its record-breaking efficiency, the photon source represents a new and powerful building-block for quantum technologies. Quantum cryptography promises absolutely secure communications. A key component here are strings […]
To perform calculations, quantum computers need qubits to act as elementary building blocks that process and store information. Now, physicists have produced a new type of qubit that can be switched from a stable idle mode to a fast calculation mode. The concept would also allow a large number of qubits to be combined into […]
In this issue, you can find out more about projects from the SNI network that deal with plastics. You will see who won the Nano Image Award and find out how some of our students feel about starting their studies. There are also news from various areas of the SNI. Enjoy reading and stay healthy! […]
Dear colleagues, We are nearing the end of this highly unusual year, which has been full of challenges and created huge problems for many people. At the same time, 2020 was also a year in which we learned a great deal. Never before have teams of scientists around the world generated so much knowledge about […]
Plastics have something of an image problem at the moment. Vast amounts of artificial packaging litter the world’s oceans, and there is no question that we need to reduce the amount of marine rubbish we create. But packaging our food is by no means all that plastics are good for. They offer innovative solutions for […]
Once again, you sent us a selection of beautiful images from the micro and nano worlds, and we would like to say a big thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Nano Image Award. We’re delighted to be able to use many of the images in our various communication materials.
Rafael Eggli, who has been studying nanosciences at the University of Basel since 2016, has been awarded a fellowship by the Werner Siemens Foundation. Hailing from Switzerland, the 22-year-old has also held a scholarship from the Swiss Study Foundation since 2017. He is an enthusiastic participant in the broad program opened up to him by […]
Starting university is an exciting time. With their school days behind them, the students are beginning an important new stage of their lives, one that is filled with new experiences and new friends — and often takes place in an unfamiliar city. Those starting their courses in 2020, however, had a vastly different experience than […]