NanoRadio Zettl Research Group Group 1

Creation It was developed by Alex Zettl and a research team at the University of California in Berkeley. The nanoradio is normally configured as a receiver but will soon work as an transmitter.

What does it consist of? The nanoradio is a tiny radio consisting of a carbon nanotube anchored to an electrode, with a second electrode just beyond its free end. At the core of the nanoradio is a single molecule that can receive radio signals. They first anchored a nanotube to a metal electrode and wired it to a battery. On the opposite end is a second metal electrode to conduct electrical energy.

How does it work? When voltage is applied between the electrodes, electrons flow from the battery through the first electrode and the nanotube and then jump from the nanotube’s tip across the tiny gap to the second electrode.

How does it work? It then translates the electromagnetic fluctuations of a radio signal into the mechanical vibrations of a nanotube. Those vibrations are converted into a stream of electrical pulses that reproduce the original radio signal.

What is a Nanotube? A nanotube is a hollow cylindrical molecule usually made of carbon. Carbon nanotubes are the strongest and stiffest materials on earth A sheet of nanotubes can operate as a loudspeaker if an alternating current is applied

Design Simply consists of a single carbon nanotube that works as an all-in-one antenna, tuner, amplifier, demodulator that produces sound through the speaker.

Nanoradio Uses Better cellular devices Improve medical diagnostic equipment Create inexpensive wireless environmental sensors Play music, possibly replace the iPod A desecrate hearing aid that could be implanted into the inner ear

It’s Miniature Sized! The nanotubes that are used to create the nanoradio are about 10 nanometers in diameter A nanometer is one billionth of a meter! The nanoradio could fit inside a living cell 100 billion times smaller than standard radios

Picture This..

Benefits to the Business World Nanoradios are inexpensive and energy efficient which helps our economy Shrinking radios would also shrink the device that uses them Improve nanotechnologies Better medical diagnostic equipment Creating a new wave of technology