Nano-Ear Can Hear Microbial Sound - Ludwig-Maximilians University Research

If you think that humans cannot hear sound with frequency less than 20 KHz, then think again. Soon, you will be able to see an ear that can even hear the sound of bacteria and other microbes. Scientists at Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich have crafted a nano-ear which is capable of trapping sound waves much below the ordinary level. By studying the sound waves emitted by micro-organisms, scientists are trying to add a complete new chapter to #-Link-Snipped-# and biology.

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Image Credit: The Blaze

The breakthrough was achieved by a team of German engineers - Jochen Feldmann and Andrey Lutich. Both were working on principle of sensing sound waves at nano level. In an experiment, the duo worked out that if gold nano particles are used with a combination of lasers, an instrument with sensitivity 6 magnitudes less than human ears can be constructed. In this experiment, the team focused a beam of laser at specific point. They tried to create an electric field through an intelligent network of Lasers. This makes the electric dipole moment attract nearest nano particle in the web so created. Whenever sound waves make nano-particles vibrate, the frequency is sensed and related to sound waves of a particular frequency. The results and procedures of the experiment are published by the team in #-Link-Snipped-#.

The engineers claim that they are able to sense sound as low as -60dB. The breakthrough is promising for the future of acoustics and sound technology. Moreover, possibility cannot be denied that new aspects of micro-organisms will be revealed through the sound waves emitted by them. The applications of this laser nano-ear will make good sensors where accurate sensing is required.