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University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering


Bug's view inspires new digital camera's unique imaging capabilities

Researchers have created a digital camera with a design inspired by the arthropod eye, offering exceptionally wide-angle fields of view and low aberrations. The camera uses large arrays of tiny focusing lenses and miniaturized detectors in hemispherical layouts, providing unmatched field of view and other powerful capabilities in imaging.

U. of Illinois researchers measure near-field behavior of semiconductor plasmonic microparticles

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new technique to measure nanometer-scale infrared absorption in semiconductor plasmonic microparticles. This allows for direct observation of plasmonic behavior within microparticle infrared antennas, enabling confirmation of theoretical models and design parameters.

SourceUniversity of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateApr 22, 2013

Interdisciplinary team demonstrates superconducting qualities of topological insulators

An interdisciplinary team has successfully depleted electrons from the bulk of topological insulators, demonstrating superconducting surface states. This breakthrough enables experimentation with TIs and paves the way for investigating the Majorana quasiparticle, a fermion that could serve as a quantum bit in quantum computing.

University of Illinois researchers develop AFM-IR for nanometer scale chemical identification

Researchers at the University of Illinois developed a novel technique called atomic force microscope infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) to measure chemical properties of polymer nanostructures as small as 15 nm. This technique enables accurate identification of material composition, crucial for applications in semiconductors, composite mat...

SourceUniversity of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering·JournalReview of Scientific Instruments·DateMar 8, 2013

Newly demonstrated capabilities of low-powered nanotweezers may benefit cellular-level studies

Scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a new technique for manipulating nanoparticles using low-power optical nanotweezers. The method, which operates at average power levels 100x lower than standard laser pointers, enables precise trapping and probing of fragile biological samples.

Optical nanoantennas enable efficient multipurpose particle manipulation

Researchers at University of Illinois have demonstrated the use of arrays of gold Bowtie Nanoantenna Arrays for multipurpose optical trapping and manipulation of submicrometer- to micrometer-sized objects. This enables highly efficient, optical tweezers with low-input power densities, useful for optofluidic applications and manipulatin...