Nanoparticles are being used by physicists at the Australian National University (ANU) to create new light sources that will enable us to “peel back the curtain” into the world of extremely small objects, which are thousands of times smaller than a human hair. This will have significant benefits for medical and other technologies.
The findings, which were published in Science Advances, offer a cost-effective way to analyze tiny objects that are too small for microscopes, let alone the human eye, which could have major implications for medical science. The work could likewise be advantageous for the semiconductor business, which is working on quality control for the manufacture of central processors. The ANU innovation utilizes painstakingly designed nanoparticles to expand the recurrence of light that cameras and different advancements see by up to multiple times. According to the researchers, the frequency of light can be increased to “no limit.” The smaller the object we can see with that light source, the higher the frequency.
Scientists could use the technology, which only requires a single nanoparticle to function, in microscopes to zoom into the world of super-small things at a resolution ten times greater than that of conventional microscopes. The inner structures of cells and individual viruses, for example, would be able to be studied by researchers thanks to this.
“Objects larger than about a ten-millionth of a meter cannot be studied using a conventional microscope. To be able to evaluate far smaller things down to one billionth of a meter, however, is becoming more and more in demand across a variety of sectors, including the medical industry.”
Dr. Anastasiia Zalogina, from the ANU Research School of Physics and the University of Adelaide,
Scientists may be able to better understand and combat specific diseases and health conditions if they are able to analyze such minute objects.
“Ordinary magnifying lenses are simply ready to concentrate on objects greater than around a ten-millionth of a meter. However, “lead author Dr. Anastasiia Zalogina,” from the ANU Research School of Physics and the University of Adelaide, stated that there is growing demand for being able to analyze much smaller objects down to one billionth of a meter. This includes the medical field.”
“Our technology may assist in satisfying that demand.”
The specialists say the ANU-created nanotech could assist with making another generation of magnifying instruments that can deliver considerably more nitty-gritty pictures.
“A conventional optical microscope cannot be used by scientists who wish to produce a highly magnified image of an extremely small, nanoscale object.” “All things considered, they should depend on either super-goal microscopy strategies or utilize an electron magnifying instrument to concentrate on these minuscule articles,” Dr. Zalogina said.
“Yet, such methods are slow, and the innovation is extravagant, frequently costing in excess of 1,000,000 bucks.
“One more drawback of electron microscopy is that it might harm fragile examples being dissected, though light-based magnifying lenses alleviate this issue.”
The electromagnetic waves that produce the beams of light that appear to be the various colors of the rainbow are oscillating at various frequencies.
What we see as red is the least recurrence that our eyes can recognize. Infra-red refers to even lower frequencies that cannot be seen by the human eye. Violet has the highest visible light frequency. The even higher frequency of ultraviolet is invisible to the human eye.
Infra-red and ultraviolet light can’t be seen by our eyes, but cameras and other technologies allow us to “see” them.
According to co-author Dr. Sergey Kruk, who is also from the ANU, researchers are interested in achieving extremely high light frequencies, or “extreme ultraviolet.”
“Compared to using red light, we can see much smaller things with violet light.” Dr. Kruk added, “And we can see things beyond what is possible with conventional microscopes of today with extreme-ultraviolet light sources.”
According to Dr. Kruk, the ANU technology could also be utilized in the semiconductor industry as a quality control measure to guarantee a streamlined manufacturing procedure.
“Computer chips are made up of very small parts with feature sizes that are about one billionth of a meter or less. During the chip creation process, it would be advantageous for makers to utilize minuscule wellsprings of outrageously bright light to screen this cycle progressively to analyze any issues from the get-go,” he said.
“That way producers could save assets and time on awful clusters of chips, accordingly expanding yields of chip fabrication.” It is anticipated that a one percent increase in computer chip manufacturing yields will result in savings of two billion dollars.
“Our high-tech ecosystem is well positioned to adopt new types of light sources in order to reach new global markets in nanotechnology industries and research,” states “Australia’s booming optics and photonics industry, which is represented by nearly 500 companies and accounts for about $4.3 billion of economic activity.”
More information: Anastasiia Zalogina et al, High-harmonic generation from a subwavelength dielectric resonator, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg2655. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg2655
