MIT physicists have developed a new method that could someday provide a way to customize multilayered nanoparticles with preferred properties, potentially for use in cloaking systems, displays, or biomedical devices. It may also help physicists handle a range of thorny research issues, in ways that could in certain cases be orders of magnitude faster than present approaches.
The innovation employs computational neural networks, a form of artificial intelligence, to “learn” how a nanoparticle’s structure influences its behavior, in this case, the way it scatters various colors of light, based on numerous training examples. Then, having learned the association, the program can fundamentally be run backward to design a particle with a preferred set of light-scattering properties — a process known as inverse design.
The results are being published in the journal Science Advances, in a paper by MIT senior John Peurifoy, research affiliate Yichen Shen, graduate student Li Jing, professor of physics Marin Soljačić, and five others.
While the method could eventually result in practical applications, Soljačić says, the research is mainly of scientific interest as a way of predicting the physical properties of a range of nano-engineered materials without necessitating the computationally intensive simulation processes that are usually used to handle such issues.
Soljačić says that the objective was to study at neural networks, a field that has witnessed a lot of progress and produced excitement in recent years, to see, “whether we can use some of those techniques in order to help us in our physics research. So basically, are computers ‘intelligent’ enough so that they can do some more intelligent tasks in helping us understand and work with some physical systems?”
Image Credit: Vanderbilt University
News This Week
Prostate Cancer Breakthrough: Urine Test Avoids Unnecessary Biopsies
A study in JAMA Oncology reveals that MyProstateScore 2.0, a new urine test analyzing 18 genes, surpasses PSA in detecting significant prostate cancers and could reduce unnecessary biopsies by up to 42%. A new urine test [...]
Wake Up and Die: New Brain Cell Discovery Could Unlock Alzheimer’s Secrets
This uncommon process is more frequently observed in neurodegenerative diseases and could offer insights into disease mechanisms. According to a new study published in PLOS Biology by Kim Hai-Man Chow and colleagues from the Chinese University [...]
Challenging Old Theories: Innovative Microscopy Exposes New Alzheimer’s Treatment Pathways
Researchers at UC San Diego have utilized advanced imaging techniques to explore the metabolic processes behind Alzheimer’s disease, leading to potential new strategies for treatment. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, significantly impairs [...]
Cambridge Scientists Discover Simple “Twist” That Supercharges Clean Fuel Generation
Scientists have discovered a method to super-charge the ‘engine’ of sustainable fuel generation – by giving the materials a little twist. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, are developing low-cost light-harvesting semiconductors that power devices [...]
Completely New Use Discovered – This Traditional Herb Has Remarkable Nerve Regenerative Properties
Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus), a member of the Asteraceae family, thrives in our climate. This plant has been utilized for centuries as a medicinal herb, often consumed as an extract or tea to support [...]
Scientists study lipids cell by cell, making new cancer research possible
Imagine being able to look inside a single cancer cell and see how it communicates with its neighbors. Scientists are celebrating a new technique that lets them study the fatty contents of cancer cells, [...]
Antibiotic Breakthrough: Revolutionary Chinese Study Paves Way for Superbug Defeating Drugs
New research reveals that fluorous lipopetides act as highly effective antibiotics. Bacterial infections resistant to multiple drugs, which no existing antibiotics can treat, represent a significant worldwide challenge. A research group from China has [...]
Signs of Multiple Sclerosis Show Up in Blood Years Before Symptoms Appear
UCSF scientists clear a potential path toward earlier treatment for a disease that affects nearly 1,000,000 people in the United States. By Levi Gadye In a discovery that could hasten treatment for patients with multiple [...]
Leave A Comment