Vienna University of Technology

The job of hemoglobin in our body seems to be quite simple: It transports oxygen molecules through our bloodstream. But this only works so well because the hemoglobin molecule is extremely complex. The same applies to chlorophyll, which converts sunlight into energy for plants. In order to understand the subtle tricks of such complex molecules,…

The placenta has an essential and highly complex task: it must ensure the exchange of important substances between the mother and her unborn child, whilst simultaneously blocking other substances from passing through. Until now, it has not been fully understood what the permeability of the placenta depends on – after all, it is incredibly difficult…

They not only impress due to their radiant and intense colour, they also have an important technological significance: organic dyes are a class of materials with extremely special properties. From flat screens to electronic paper through to chip cards: in future, many technologies are likely to be based on organic molecules like these. Previously, such…

Terahertz radiation can be used for a wide variety of applications and is used today for airport security checks just as much as it is for material analysis in the lab. The wavelength of this radiation is in the millimetre range, meaning that it is significantly larger than the wavelength of visible light. It also…

Quantum physics is on the brink of a technological breakthrough: new types of sensors, secure data transmission methods and maybe even computers could be made possible thanks to quantum technologies. However, the main obstacle here is finding the right way to couple and precisely control a sufficient number of quantum systems (for example, individual atoms).…

They protect us from the onslaught of bacteria and viruses and also from cancer: T cells are an indispensable part of our immune system. They constantly renew their surface with thousands of highly sensitive T cell antigen receptors, which allow them to identify atypical or foreign molecules (antigens) in our body. If such antigens are…

When you bake a cake, you can combine the ingredients in almost any proportions, and they will still always be able to mix together. This is a little more complicated in materials chemistry. Often, the aim is to change the physical properties of a material by adding a certain proportion of an additional element; however,…

Accurately measuring electric fields is important in a variety of applications, such as weather forecasting, process control on industrial machinery, or ensuring the safety of people working on high-voltage power lines. Yet from a technological perspective, this is no easy task. In a break from the design principle that has been followed by all other…

It only takes a simple compass to demonstrate that the earth has a magnetic field – but it is quite difficult to explain how exactly it is created. Without any doubt, our planet’s hot core, consisting mainly of iron, plays an important part. In combination with the earth’s rotation, it builds up a powerful “dynamo…

A light wave sent through empty space always oscillates in the same direction. However, certain materials can be used to rotate the direction in which the light is oscillating when placed in a magnetic field. This is known as a ‘magneto-optical’ effect. After much speculation spanning a long period of time, one variant of this…

What happened right after the beginning of the universe? How can we understand the structure of quantum materials? How does the Higgs-Mechanism work? Such fundamental questions can only be answered using quantum field theories. These theories do not describe particles independently from each other; all particles are seen as a collective field, permeating the whole…

Recently, surprising physical effects were observed using special microscopic waveguides for light. Such “photonic structures” currently are revolutionizing the fields of optics and photonics, and have opened up the new research area of “Chiral Quantum Optics”. Physicists from Copenhagen, Innsbruck, and Vienna, who are leading figures in this field, have now written an overview on…

The idea is reminiscent of the ancient alchemists’ attempts to create gold from worthless substances: Researchers from TU Wien (Vienna) have discovered a novel way to fabricate pure gold nanostructures using an additive direct-write lithography technique. An electron beam is used to turn an auriferous organic compound into pure gold. This new technique can now…

In a tiny quantum prison, electrons behave quite differently as compared to their counterparts in free space. They can only occupy discrete energy levels, much like the electrons in an atom – for this reason, such electron prisons are often called “artificial atoms”. Artificial atoms may also feature properties beyond those of conventional ones, with…

An electron microscope can’t just snap a photo like a mobile phone camera can. The ability of an electron microscope to image a structure – and how successful this imaging will be – depends on how well you understand the structure. Complex physics calculations are often needed to make full use of the potential of…