Shaping fluctuating nano-objects
Francesco Boccardo, and Olivier Pierre-Louis (MMCI team), have published a paper entitled "Controlling the shape of small clusters with and without macroscopic field" in the journal Physical Review Letters. This article has been selected as an editor’s suggestion and for a Synopsis in Physics.
Like Micromegas in Voltaire's tale, these theorists have found ways to interact with microscopic objects with a macroscopic hand.
In the 19th century, Brown discovered the erratic motion of micro- and nanoparticles during his observation of pollen grains. Because of this erratic motion, microscopic objects, which are assemblies of atoms or particles, exhibit spontaneous shape changes, and naturally explore a wide variety of shapes. In their letter, the authors propose an optimal strategy to guide microscopic objects through these shape changes towards a desired shape using a macroscopic tool.
These results, which could help design the shape of nanosized objects, are relevant not only for technological applications, but also for elucidating the physical principles that govern our interaction with the nanoworld.
In the 19th century, Brown discovered the erratic motion of micro- and nanoparticles during his observation of pollen grains. Because of this erratic motion, microscopic objects, which are assemblies of atoms or particles, exhibit spontaneous shape changes, and naturally explore a wide variety of shapes. In their letter, the authors propose an optimal strategy to guide microscopic objects through these shape changes towards a desired shape using a macroscopic tool.
These results, which could help design the shape of nanosized objects, are relevant not only for technological applications, but also for elucidating the physical principles that govern our interaction with the nanoworld.
