Volume 12 - January-March 2011
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Story 1 - 12/1/2011 - THE VIEWPOINT by Iain Ross
Why We Need Young Scientists to Interact with Companies
Today we are in a world where, although necessary, neither academic excellence nor corporate muscle are sufficient to deliver an economy where innovation thrives and hence profits can be made and quality of life be maintained. It is only where there is strong interaction between companies large and small and the academic sector that innovation can flourish. There is increasing realisation by companies, governments and the universities that “open innovation” is an essential element of any progressive industrial economy. Young researchers have a significant part to play in this by embracing the challenges at the boundaries of academic and industrial research and development.
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Story 2 - 19/1/2011
Counting Photons at the Nanoscale
Photon detection and counting is crucial, for example, for optical communications and quantum optics. Recent advances in nanotechnology allow nanoscale detection with single photon sensitivity.
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Story 3 - 26/1/2011
Twisted Electrons
Recent experiments lend a brand new twist to the tale unfolding in the field of electron microscopy. Promising electron vortices have made their appearance at the crossroads between nanotechnology and magnetism.
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Story 4 - 8/2/2011
Hack Me If You Can
Quantum cryptography promises inherently secure communications… in theory! But what actually happens in practice? Recent studies show how weaknesses in a real system can be exploited to perform an “undetectable” quantum hack.
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Story 5 - 16/2/2011
The Ultimate Resolution
Even the best microscopes in the world are not powerful enough to see the details of single molecules. Now, researchers have found a way to image these details, paving the way to a better understanding of molecular physics, and taking another step towards designer molecules.
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Story 6 - 24/2/2011
Quantum Circuits: Fast and Cool
In the 20th century information technologies based on microelectronics changed the world. In the 21st century nanophotonics looks very likely to become a key factor in the building of quantum information technologies.
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Story 7 - 10/3/2011
LIDAR in the Driver's Seat
New devices based on a concept similar to that of RADAR could revolutionize your daily commute. Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technologies are providing the vision for a new generation of driverless vehicles.
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Story 8 - 18/3/2011
Quantum Devices to Thrive on Disorder
It is usually assumed that a greater effort to perfect control and order in a device is rewarded by better results. However, imperfection and disorder could be a state of contentment when it comes to photon trapping.
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Story 9 - 29/3/2011
Fairy Penguins Know Best
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the bluest of them all? The Fairy Penguin, of course! A newly discovered biophotonic structure causes the blue shades in the feathers of the penguins found along the coastline of Southern Australia and New Zealand.
