SPS_Nano · Three-Dimensional Imaging of Selective Particle Storage in Nanocapillaries

Precise manipulation of colloidal particles is essential to foster nanotechnology applications in chemistry, materials, biology, and devices. Fundamental insights into their dispersion, assembly, and reactivity, enable precise engineering of advanced materials and the development of innovative nanoscale devices, thus revolutionizing fields ranging from catalysis to electronics. For instance, colloidal particles with antagonistic electrophoresis (DEP) properties can be selectively inserted into a nanocapillary. When considering nanoparticles as carriers of data in a medium like water, arranging them in a specific sequence in the nanocapillary enables data storage. The feasibility of this particle storage relies on the ability to visualize and manipulate the nanoscale motions of the nanoparticles. One of the most sensitive and accurate ways to track particle movement is by monitoring individual particle fluorescence in optical microscopes, which is crucial for non-invasive imaging of particles in any colloidal environment. SPS_Nano aims to develop a three-dimensional dynamical imaging method to track and understand the controlled motion of nanoparticles using dielectrophoresis. This colloidal data storage is an alternative to current state-of-the-art solid-state devices which have fundamental limits to the scaling potential hindering the way to cost-effective memories. SPS_Nano lays the foundation of colloidal data storage technology which can enable low-cost high-density memory by reducing the particle size and increasing the nanocapillary aspect ratios in the future.