Hi Guys,
I think I will stick with my TH6A.  73

Walt
WA4QXT
New London CT
[log in to unmask]
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Senk, Mark J. (CDC/NIOSH/NPPTL)" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 11:07 AM
Subject: Smallest radio ever made


> For those who might have missed this=20
> From www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071031135307.htm
>
> First Fully-functional Radio From A Single Carbon Nanotube Created
> ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2007) - Make way for the real nanopod and make =
> room in the Guinness World Records. A team of researchers with the U.S. =
> Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley =
> Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley have created the first =
> fully functional radio from a single carbon nanotube, which makes it by =
> several orders of magnitude the smallest radio ever made.
>
> Wielding a single carbon nanotube 10,000 times smaller than a human =
> hair, this is definitely the smallest radio yet. The nanotube vibrates =
> at radio frequencies to receive the signal, then acts as both amplifier =
> and demodulator. With only a battery and sensitive earphones, it can =
> pick up AM or FM. With such a small receiver or transmitter, you could =
> put a tracking collar on a bacterium.
>
> "A single carbon nanotube molecule serves simultaneously as all =
> essential components of a radio - antenna, tunable band-pass filter, =
> amplifier, and demodulator,"
> said physicist Alex Zettl, who led the invention of the nanotube radio. =
> "Using carrier waves in the commercially relevant 40-400 MHz range and =
> both frequency and amplitude modulation (FM and AM), we were able to =
> demonstrate successful music and voice reception."=20
>
> Given that the nanotube radio essentially assembles itself and can be =
> easily tuned to a desired frequency band after fabrication, Zettl =
> believes that nanoradios will be relatively easy to mass-produce. =
> Potential applications, in addition to incredibly tiny radio receivers, =
> include a new generation of wireless communication devices and monitors. =
> Nanotube radio technology could prove especially valuable for biological =
> and medical applications.
>
> "The entire radio would easily fit inside a living cell, and this small =
> size allows it to safely interact with biological systems," Zettl said. =
> "One can envision interfaces with brain or muscle functions, or =
> radio-controlled devices moving through the bloodstream."
>
> It is also possible that the nanotube radio could be implanted in the =
> inner ear as an entirely new and discrete way of transmitting =
> information, or as a radically new method of correcting impaired =
> hearing.=20
>
> Zettl holds joint appointments with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences =
> Division (MSD) and the UC Berkeley Physics Department where he is the =
> director of the Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems. In recent =
> years, he and his research group have created an astonishing array of =
> devices out of carbon nanotubes - hollow tubular macromolecules only a =
> few nanometers (billionths of a meter) in diameter and typically less =
> than a micron in length - including sensors, diodes and even a motor. =
> The nanotube radio, however, is the first that - literally - rocks!
>
> "When I was a young kid, I got a transistor radio as a gift and it was =
> the greatest thing I could imagine - music coming from a box I could =
> hold in my hand!"
> Zettl said. "When we first played our nanoradio, I was just as excited =
> as I was when I first turned on that transistor radio as a kid."
>
> The carbon nanotube radio consists of an individual carbon nanotube =
> mounted to an electrode in close proximity to a counter-electrode, with =
> a DC voltage source, such as from a battery or a solar cell array, =
> connected to the electrodes for power. The applied DC bias creates a =
> negative electrical charge on the tip of the nanotube, sensitizing it to =
> oscillating electric fields. Both the electrodes and nanotube are =
> contained in vacuum, in a geometrical configuration similar to that of a =
> conventional vacuum tube.
>
> Kenneth Jensen, a graduate student in Zettl's research group, did the =
> actual design and construction of the radio.=20
>
> "We started out by making an exceptionally sensitive force sensor," =
> Jensen said."Nanotubes are like tiny cat whiskers.Small forces, on the =
> order of attonewtons, cause them to deflect a significant amount.By =
> detecting this deflection, you can infer what force was acting on the =
> nanotube. This incredible sensitivity becomes even greater at the =
> nanotube's flexural resonance frequency, which falls within the =
> frequencies of radio broadcasts, cell phones and GPS broadcasting.
> Because of this high resonance frequency, Alex (Zettl) suggested that =
> nanotubes could be used to make a radio."
>
> Although it has the same essential components, the nanotube radio does =
> not work like a conventional radio. Rather than the entirely electrical =
> operation of a conventional radio, the nanotube radio is in part a =
> mechanical operation, with the nanotube itself serving as both antenna =
> and tuner.
>
> Incoming radio waves interact with the nanotube's electrically charged =
> tip, causing the nanotube to vibrate. These vibrations are only =
> significant when the frequency of the incoming wave coincides with the =
> nanotube's flexural resonance frequency, which, like a conventional =
> radio, can be tuned during operation to receive only a pre-selected =
> segment, or channel, of the electromagnetic spectrum.=20
>
> Amplification and demodulation properties arise from the needle-point =
> geometry of carbon nanotubes, which gives them unique field emission =
> properties. By concentrating the electric field of the DC bias voltage =
> applied across the electrodes, the nanotube radio produces a =
> field-emission current that is sensitive to the nanotube's mechanical =
> vibrations. Since the field-emission current is generated by the =
> external power source, amplification of the radio signal is possible. =
> Furthermore, since field emission is a non-linear process, it also acts =
> to demodulate an AM or FM radio signal, just like the diode used in =
> traditional radios.
>
> "What we see then is that all four essential components of a radio =
> receiver are compactly and efficiently implemented within the vibrating =
> and field-emitting carbon nanotube," said Zettl. "This is a totally =
> different approach to making a radio - the exploitation of =
> electro-mechanical movement for multiple functions.
> In other words, our nanotube radio is a true NEMS =
> (nano-electro-mechanical system) device."=20
>
> Because carbon nanotubes are so much smaller than the wavelengths of =
> visible light, they cannot be viewed with even the highest powered =
> optical microscope.
> Therefore, to observe the critical mechanical motionof their nanotube =
> radio, Zettl and his research team, which in addition to Jensen, also =
> included post-doc Jeff Weldon and graduate student Henry Garcia, mounted =
> their nanotube radio inside a high resolution transmission electron =
> microscope (TEM). A sine-wave carrier radio signal was launched from a =
> nearby transmitting antenna and when the frequencies of the transmitted =
> carrier wave matched the nanotube resonance frequency, radio reception =
> became possible.
>
> "To correlate the mechanical motions of the nanotube to an actual radio =
> receiver operation, we launched an FM radio transmission of the song =
> Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys," said Zettl. "After being received, =
> filtered, amplified, and demodulated all by the nanotube radio, the =
> emerging signal was further amplified by a current preamplifier, sent to =
> an audio loudspeaker and recorded. The nanotube radio faithfully =
> reproduced the audio signal, and the song was easily recognizable by =
> ear."
>
> When the researchers deliberately detuned the nanotube radio from the =
> carrier frequency, mechanical vibrations faded and radio reception was =
> lost. A "lock"
> on a given radio transmission channel could be maintained for many =
> minutes at a time, and it was not necessary to operate the nanotube =
> radio inside a TEM.
> Using a slightly different configuration, the researchers successfully =
> transmitted and received signals across a distance of several meters.
>
> "The integration of all the electronic components of a radio happened =
> naturally in the nanotube itself," said Jensen. "Within a few hours of =
> figuring out that our force sensor was in fact a radio, we were playing =
> music!"
>
> Added Zettl, "Our nanotube radio is sophisticated and elegant in the =
> physics of its operation, but sheer simplicity in technical design. =
> Everything about it works perfectly, without additional patches or =
> tricks."
>
> Berkeley Lab's Technology Transfer Department is now seeking industrial =
> partners to further develop and commercialize this technology.=20
>
> A paper on this work is now on-line at the Nano Letters Website. It will =
> also be published in the November 2007 print edition of Nano Letters. =
> The paper is entitled "Nanotube Radio" and the co-authors are Zettl, =
> Jensen, Weldon and Garcia. In that same print edition, there appears a =
> paper by Peter Burke and Chris Rutherglen of UC Irvine, reporting on the =
> use of a carbon nanotube as a demodulator.=20
>
> The nanotube radio research was supported by the U.S. Department of =
> Energy and by the National Science Foundation within the Center of =
> Integrated Nanomechanical Systems.=20
>
> Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located =
> in Berkeley, California. It conducts unclassified scientific research =
> and is managed by the University of California.=A0
>
> Adapted from materials provided by
> DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
>
>
>
> DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2007, October 31). First =
> Fully-functional Radio From A Single Carbon Nanotube Created. =
> ScienceDaily. Retrieved
> December 27, 2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com=AD =
> /releases/2007/10/071031135307.htm
>
> This image, taken by a transmission electron microscope, shows a single =
> carbon nanotube protruding from an electrode. This nanotube is less than =
> a micron
> long and only 10 nanometers wide, or 10,000 times thinner than the width =
> of a single human hair. When a radio wave of a specific frequency =
> impinges on
> the nanotube, it begins to vibrate vigorously. An electric field applied =
> to the nanotube forces electrons to be emitted from its tip. This =
> electrical current
> may be used to detect the mechanical vibrations of the nanotube, and =
> thus listen to the radio waves. (The waves shown in this image were =
> added for visual
> effect, and are not part of the original microscope image.) (Credit: =
> Courtesy Zettl Research Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and =
> University
> of California at Berkeley)
>