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Enlarge ImageSkin deep. Ultrafast laser pulses change the colors (center circles) of various metals.Credit: University of Rochester It might never be able to compete with those dirt-cheap auto paint jobs, but a new laser technique could revolutionize the way metals are colored for varied applications such as jewelry, home appliances, military camouflage, and even optical filters in telescopes. It could also eliminate the need for environmentally unfriendly paints and other coatings. Among the seemingly miraculous properties of lasers is the ability to alter the optical characteristics of materials. The intense beam of laser light can change a material's color...

Close window Published online: 1 March 2007; | doi:10.1038/news070226-11 None more blackEngineers make the most anti-reflective coating yet.Dave Mosher Layers of tilted silicon nanorods make a soft landing for light.Fred Schubert/Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Shiny metal objects have been reduced to a dull, record-breaking black by a super anti-reflective coating. As Nigel Tufnel from This is Spinal Tap says in the film: "It's like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black." Today's anti-reflective coatings reduce the reflectivity of an object to less than 1%, which is pretty good. But they often miss...

Much discussed among computer circles is the so-called end of Moore's Law and its predictions of ever-smaller, faster circuits. Less known is a challenge facing the next generation of hard disk drives: lubricant coatings that can hold up to faster speeds and denser data. Perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs), the current industry standard, are running up against the polymer's limits in protecting hard drives against daily wear and tear. So University of Illinois PhD candidate Wei Xiao developed an entirely new lubricant, based on inexpensive and abundant polyester. She presented her work today for the first time at the 228th national meeting of...