NANOTECH PULSE
Friday, March 6, 2026
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🎯 Today's Nanotech PulseUpdated 2h ago
Researchers unveil photonic‑crystal light sail achieving 90% reflectivity for laser propulsion
Scientists have built a photonic‑crystal light sail (PCLS) that uses a three‑dielectric nanostructure of germanium pillars, air holes and a polymer matrix. Simulations and electron‑beam fabricated prototypes demonstrate about 90 % reflectivity at a 1.2 µm wavelength and the ability to generate continuous thrust when illuminated by a 100‑kW laser.
🚀 Top Nanotech Headlines
Chemically Tuning Nanographene Into Topological Spin Chains and Why the Ends Matter
When most people hear "polymer," they think of plastics. In our group, polymerization is a way to line up identical molecules like beads on a string and let quantum mechanics take over. Put magnetic building blocks in a one-dimensional row and the chain can behave as a single quantum object. Even more intriguing, the chain can hide its most useful properties at its ends.
Phys.org – Nanotechnology
At the Heart of Quantum Matter: Geometry
A September 2, 2025 Université de Genève press release (also on EurekAlert) announced that what was once a purely theoretical geometry does, in fact, lie at the heart of quantum matter, Here’s a link to and a citation for the papter, The quantum metric of electrons with spin-momentum locking by Giacomo Sala, Maria Teresa Mercaldo, […]
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Toward Practical Laser-Driven Light Sails Using Photonic Crystals
Most space missions rely on chemical rockets for propulsion. Rockets must carry fuel, which increases spacecraft mass and limits their speed and travel distance. For decades, researchers have explored light sails as an alternative. These devices use radiation pressure—the force exerted when light reflects from a surface—to generate thrust. When driven by a powerful laser, a light sail can accelerate continuously without onboard propellant, enabling faster travel across the solar system.
Phys.org – Nanotechnology