Story perspectives

Breakthrough Light-Powered Motors Revolutionize Microscopic Technology

9/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg developed light-powered gears on a micrometer scale, creating the smallest on-chip motors.
They replaced traditional drive trains with laser-powered gears, overcoming size limits.
Optical metamaterials enable precise control, with speed and direction adjustable by laser intensity and polarization.
Published in Nature Communications, the work suggests biooptics and medical uses, including manipulating cells and bacteria.

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Story summary

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg developed light-powered gears on a micrometer scale, creating the smallest on-chip motors.
They replaced traditional drive trains with laser-powered gears, overcoming size limits.
Optical metamaterials enable precise control, with speed and direction adjustable by laser intensity and polarization.
Published in Nature Communications, the work suggests biooptics and medical uses, including manipulating cells and bacteria.