News & updates
Latest developments from our institute
Stay informed about new research results, awards, events, and collaborations across our scientific community.
Snapshots freezing a nanoswing : Accurate position measurement overcomes thermal fluctuations
Physicists at AMOLF have managed to cool a swinging nanosized string to near-zero temperature without using external refrigeration. In their experiment, the cooling is an intrinsic result of the ‘snapshot’ position measurement they did on a specially designed nanostructure. The snapshot method, developed in AMOLF’s Photonic Forces group, offers opportunities for new applications in quantum sensing with unprecedented sensitivity.
Phys.org: Engineers design nanostructured diamond metalens for compact quantum technologies
The practical challenge of collecting information from a single atom deep inside a crystal is a daunting one, however. Penn Engineers addressed this problem in a recent study in which they devised a way to pattern the surface of a diamond that makes it easier to collect light from the defects inside. Called a metalens, this surface structure contains nanoscale features that bend and focus the light emitted by the defects, despite being effectively flat. Source: Phys.org
Less can be more: semiconductor nanowires for flexible photovoltaics
Capturing and manipulating light at nanoscale is a key factor to build high efficiency solar cells. Researchers in the 3D Photovoltaics group have recently presented a promising new design. Their simulations show that vertically stacked nanowires on top of ultrathin silicon films reduces the total amount of material needed by 90% while increasing the efficiency of the solar cell. These promising simulation results are an important step towards new generation solar cells that are used in myriad ways in our buildings and landscape. The results have been published on May 23rd in Optics Express.
How an old method helps to understand new solar cells
Together with researchers from the University of Konstanz in Germany, researchers at AMOLF rejuvenated an old technique for measuring mobile ions in a promising new group of solar cell materials known as halide perovskites. The results have been published on April 24th in the journal Materials Horizons.
Under our skin: how hyaluronan regulates the stiffness of tissue
Our skin can switch from being soft to stiff if necessary. Other tissues, such as muscle tissue and cartilage, can likewise change their stiffness in a way that is tailored to their function in the body. Scientists from AMOLF and Wageningen University recently discovered that these stiffness changes are regulated by a crucial biomolecule known as hyaluronan. The researchers published their findings on 25 February in the prestigious journal Nature Physics.
Caffeine makes water fall asleep
Contrary to the well-known stimulating effect on humans, caffeine slows down the movement of water molecules. Researchers from the NWO Institute AMOLF in Amsterdam and the ESPCI in Paris report this in a recent publication in the Journal of Physics Communications.
Directivity to improve optical devices
A team of researchers from AMOLF, Western University (Canada), and the University of Texas (USA) recently demonstrated the use of algorithmic design to create a new type of nanophotonic structure. This is good news for researchers in optical quantum computing and photovoltaics, because the structure is able to greatly improve the directivity of nanoscale emitters (in light emitting diodes, or single photon sources) and absorbers (in solar cells or photodetectors). The researchers publish their findings online in Nature Communications on November 9th, 2018.
Light multiplication for stable improvement of solar cells
By converting one high-energy light particle into two low energy particles, singlet fission makes high energy photons available for solar cells