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Thursday, 12th January 2006 (5687 views)

Optical physicists have found a way to detect single nanoparticles by measuring the amplitude of light scattered from them.

So far gold particles as small as five nanometres in diameter have been detected and researchers have said it is the first time such objects have been directly found.

Until now indirect techniques were used, but real-time detection was not possible.

Filip Ignatovich and Lukas Novotny, from the University of Rochester in New York carried out the research and hope that it can be used in the future to detect viruses.

Mr Ignatovich told Physics Web: "By improving the sensitivity of our method further we even hope to distinguish different virus strains."

Other uses for the technology include the possibility of building sensors to "provide early warning of biological weapons".

 

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