Molecules/Matter & Energy

Lasers 'draw' nanosized structures, plus twisty turbines and quantum vibrations in this week's news

Handcrafted nanoart
Beams of light used to “draw” three-dimensional nanostructures could give scientists more flexibility in creating tiny sensors and electronic components. The new technique, called Optically Directed Assembly, uses a low-power laser to form long filaments from dissolved gold and carbon particles only millionths of a millimeter in size.