Nanoscale Gaps
Nanoscale Gaps - Related Videos
07:15
A Novel Method for In Situ Electromechanical Characterization of Nanoscale Specimens
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Cited by 2 •
2017
Isolating electrical and thermal effects on electrically assisted deformation (EAD) is very difficult using macroscopic samples. Metallic sample micro- and nanostructures together with a custom test procedure have been developed to evaluate the impact of applied current on the formation without joule heating and evolution of dislocations on these samples.
11:00
High-throughput Detection of Respiratory Pathogens in Animal Specimens by Nanoscale PCR
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Cited by 11 •
2016
High-throughput testing of DNA and RNA based pathogens by nanoscale PCR is described using a syndromic canine and equine respiratory PCR panel.
05:41
Rapid Mix Preparation of Bioinspired Nanoscale Hydroxyapatite for Biomedical Applications
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Cited by 18 •
2017
This paper describes a novel method for the rapid manufacture of high quality bioinspired nanoscale hydroxyapatite. This biomaterial is of great significance in the manufacture of a wide range of innovative medical devices for clinical applications in orthopedics, craniofacial surgery and dentistry.
01:37
Gap Junctions
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2026
Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...
01:27
Gap Junctions
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2023
The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...
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Narrowing the separation confines electromagnetic fields to the near field, where their behavior differs from that of light observed far from a structure. This confinement concentrates optical interactions within the gap and makes the local response highly sensitive to gap size. Such sensitivity supports nanophotonic designs and spectroscopy that depend on controlling fields in very small regions.
Electron tunneling becomes possible when the separating barrier is sufficiently thin, allowing electrons to cross rather than remaining fully confined to one side. The resulting charge transport provides an electrical response that depends strongly on the separation. Studying this transition helps physicists examine how nanoscale geometry influences conduction and distinguish electrical behavior from purely optical effects.
A sufficiently small separation can couple neighboring plasmons, changing the optical response of the structures around the gap. This coupling links their electromagnetic behavior and makes the response dependent on both spacing and surface geometry. Controlling those features therefore provides a way to manipulate light at the nanoscale and investigate interactions between closely positioned plasmonic regions.
Surface geometry determines how materials face one another and therefore influences the confinement of fields, the possibility of electron tunneling, and the coupling of neighboring plasmons. Adjusting geometry together with gap size allows researchers to tune optical and electrical responses rather than treating the separation alone as the controlling variable. This makes geometric design central to nanoscale physics experiments.
Their confined near fields can make optical interactions highly responsive to changes within the gap. That sensitivity supports highly sensitive spectroscopy and molecular detection, where researchers examine how material presence affects the local optical response. The approach is valuable because controlling the separation and surface geometry provides a route to adjust the interaction between light and nanoscale matter.
Nanoscale gaps provide a setting for studying how light, electrons, and energy respond when materials are placed extremely close together. Physics research can use them to investigate charge transport, plasmon coupling, near-field optical behavior, and the transition between classical and quantum effects. These systems also underpin nanophotonic devices that require controlled optical or electrical responses.