What if a sensor sensing a thing could be part of the thing itself?
Rice University engineers believe they have a two-dimensional solution to do just that.
Rice engineers led by materials scientists Pulickel Ajayan and Jun Lou have developed a method to make atom-flat sensors that seamlessly integrate with devices to report on what they perceive.
Rice engineers have developed a method to transfer complete, flexible, two-dimensional circuits from their fabrication platforms to curved and other smooth surfaces. Such circuits are able to couple with near-field electromagnetic waves and offer next-generation sensing for optical fibers and other applications. Illustration by Zehua Jin