In 2018, researchers from Purdue University have created the most rapidly rotating man-made object is the rotor of nanoparticles of silica in the form of a dumbbell. “Striking” the object with a laser beam, the scientists were forced to rotate at a speed of 60 billion revolutions per minute (“Conduct.Science” wrote about this achievement, physicists).
To “nanochannel” can rotate freely, the researchers placed it in a vacuum chamber and raised “in the air” with the help of optical tweezers.
In the new work, the team broke its own record. Using the same technique, the physicists created a nanoscale rotor, which spins five times faster.
the Image of the rotor at rest, created with a scanning electron microscope. The yellow line in the picture indicates the scale. Its length is 200 nanometers.Illustration Purdue University/Jaehoon Bang.
As in earlier versions, the object is a particle of silica, suspended in a vacuum. Turning, she sprints up to 300 billion rpm.
For comparison: the spindle of the dental drill is rotating at a speed of 500 rpm, while a pulsar with a record speed – the most rapidly rotating natural object known – makes 707 revs per second, or 42420 rpm.
In the new experiment, the researchers used two laser beams: one hung a “nanochannel” in vacuum, and polarized pulses of the second laser caused the object to rotate.
the authors of the experiment explain that the light itself has a small but measurable effect on almost any object. This phenomenon is known as light pressure. (By the way, not so long ago satellite with a solar sail first used the pressure of sunlight to maneuver.)
According to specialists silicon “nanochannel” became the most sensitive detector in the world of torque. This indicator device is 600-700 times faster than any other. This means that the plant can be used to study and measure quantum effects such as vacuum friction.
in addition, the holo-detector torque can be applied for measurement of related phenomena, including the Casimir effect and magnetism at the nanoscale. This kind of research will allow engineers to develop innovative nanoelectronic devices.
Article with a detailed description of the experiment presented in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
by the Way, before “Conduct.Science” (nauka.vesti.ru) talked about a method that will allow for laser levitation of macroscopic objects.
Text: To.Science
