Metallic surface altered by laser can reflect any wavelength or cause water to defy gravity.
Posted 06.02.2009 at 4:45 pm
14 Comments
Femtosecond Laser
via University of Colorado/NSF
Using an unbelievably powerful laser over an unbelievably short period of time, scientists have been able to alter the surface of metals to control the flow of water across their surfaces down to the individual molecule.
And when we say an unbelievable amount of energy, we’re talking about the power of the entire grid of the United States at once. When we say an unbelievably short period of time, we’re talking about a femtosecond, which is to a second what a second is to 32 million years. Think about both of those for a femtosecond.
Related Articles
 | Laser Beam May Have Set Intensity Record |
Tags
Science, Dan Smith, antibacterial, gravity, laser, laser blast, light bulb, metallic surfaces, water moleculesThe result of this laser blast is that it can change microscopic areas of the metal's surface in such a way that it becomes hydrophobic, or water averse. This causes the individual water molecules on the metal to be more attracted to other water molecules than the metal surface, allowing for hyper-accurate direction of the water's flow--even uphill against gravity.
This could be used for medical diagnostic chips which can re-route bloodflow on a microscopic scale, or for more efficient cooling of incredibly small computer components.
A hydrophobic surface also makes the metal anti-bacterial, since it prevents bacteria, made up mostly of water, from growing. Other advancements that could be seen from this technique are the creation of much more efficient tungsten light bulbs or changing the surface of metal so that it reflects just about any wavelength, effectively "painting" it.
The process shines the laser at points the size of a pin, and it currently takes about half an hour to alter a piece of metal the size of a quarter. The most mind-boggling part of all is that despite the massive quantities of energy it seem to need, the laser can be plugged into just a regular wall socket.
Want to learn more about breakthroughs in electronics, medicine, nanotech, and more?
Subscribe to Popular Science today, for less than $1 per issue!
Subscribe to Popular Science today, for less than $1 per issue!
14 Comments
To comment, please Login.
140 years of Popular Science at your fingertips.
Innovation Challenges
Popular Science+ For iPad
Each issue has been completely reimagined for your iPad. See our amazing new vision for magazines that goes far beyond the printed page
Download Our App
Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone or Android phone with full articles, images and offline viewing
Follow Us On Twitter
Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed
June 2012: Invent Your Own Anything
The 6th annual Invention Awards are here, from an inflatable tourniquet to a better lobster trap to spring-loaded hocket skates. This issue is all about the celebration of invention.
Plus: Making synthetic biology breakthroughs in a garage, building a constantly-moving ping-pong table, and a ridiculously overpowered barbecue.
Popular on Popsci
Most Commented
Science
- The Most Amazing Science Images of the Week, May 7-11, 2012
- FYI: My Dog Is A Very Good Listener, But How Much Can He Understand?
- Electrical Engineer Can Feel Magnetic Fields Through Magnets Implanted in His Fingertips
- Video: MIT's Latest User Interface Employs Gravity-Defying, Levitating Metal Orbs
- Infographic: The New Planetary Habitability Index
- Chinese Physicists Teleport Photons Over 100 Kilometers
- 2011's Top 10 New Species: Spongebob Squarepants 'Shroom, Sneezing Monkey and a Worm From Hell
- FYI: Can Humans Hibernate?
- Pumping Well Water Out of the Ground May Be a Culprit in Rising Sea Levels
- Organic Carbon Found on Mars Rocks Is Not Life, New Study Says
Most Emailed
Science
- The Most Amazing Science Images of the Week, May 21-25, 2012
- The Most Amazing Images of the Week, May 21-25, 2012
- 2011's Top 10 New Species: Spongebob Squarepants 'Shroom, Sneezing Monkey and a Worm From Hell
- Organic Carbon Found on Mars Rocks Is Not Life, New Study Says
- Watch: Neil Armstrong Narrates His Moon Landing In a Rare TV Interview
- Gallery: The Top 10 New Species Of 2012
- A New Way to Keep Deep-Sea Creatures Alive at the Surface
- Pumping Well Water Out of the Ground May Be a Culprit in Rising Sea Levels
- Why Does Everyone Suddenly Want to Go to Astronaut School?
- DARPA and Craig Venter Fire Up Bio-Factories For Quick, Streamlined Genetic Engineering
Most Viewed
Science
- The Most Amazing Science Images of the Week, May 21-25, 2012
- The Most Amazing Images of the Week, May 21-25, 2012
- 2011's Top 10 New Species: Spongebob Squarepants 'Shroom, Sneezing Monkey and a Worm From Hell
- Organic Carbon Found on Mars Rocks Is Not Life, New Study Says
- Watch: Neil Armstrong Narrates His Moon Landing In a Rare TV Interview
- Gallery: The Top 10 New Species Of 2012
- A New Way to Keep Deep-Sea Creatures Alive at the Surface
- Pumping Well Water Out of the Ground May Be a Culprit in Rising Sea Levels
- Why Does Everyone Suddenly Want to Go to Astronaut School?
- DARPA and Craig Venter Fire Up Bio-Factories For Quick, Streamlined Genetic Engineering
Today on PopSci.com
Copyright © 2009 Popular Science
A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
HOLY COW! That's pretty dang cool. I'd love to see a video of water flowing uphill lol. Of course in order to start using this process on any consumer product it's going to need to be scaled up (ie. faster, effect more area, etc.).
Do I really need to say this?
Make a ramp out of this stuff, put the low end in a pool of water and have it dump into a higher tank, have that drain back into the lower pool Through a turbine for limitless energy.
Am I crazy or is this possible?
Would the author please comment?
It doesn't -quite- work that way, hans_lubricant... at least, not in my unprofessional understanding (don't quote me, heh). The surface is hydrophobic, so when the water is repelled from the surface and simultaneously attracted to other droplets of water, those towards the bottom of the ramp appear to "roll uphill" as the water collects towards the center. If you had an entire pool of water at the bottom of the ramp, the water would roll downhill towards the pool... which all the water will eventually anyhow after it has all collected.
"we’re talking about the power of the entire grid of the United States at once"
How much power input does it take to output that much power? Unless it's 1 to 1 or higher, then it sounds to me like it has the potential to supply the world's energy needs.
I'm imagining this sort of thing used in everyday life. Maybe like walking on walls or something.
How exactly does a water repellant surface aid in sticking to walls? Repellant =/= Adhesive
im sorry.. the us power grid from a wall outlet? care to clarify?
from Leechburg, PA
Yes. Please clarify.
You can output the power of the entire world from a single AA alkaline battery if the unit of time it is discharged over is small enough. A battery isn't likely to have the ability to discharge that quickly but there are probably special capacitors that can handle it.
all of the power in the US grid, duration, one femtosecond. so charge up at 120VAC for an hour and i'd guess you'd be all set, maybe.
P (watts) = I (amps) x E (volts)