Nano-Technologies Extended to Coax

With all the research on nanotechnology, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that one of the latest technologies to involve is coaxial cables on a nano-scale. The main interest in the nano-coaxial cable is as an energy storage device due to the very high capacitance between the inner and outer conductor.

Researchers at Rice University have created a tiny coaxial cable that is about a thousand times smaller than a human hair. Study co-author Jun Lou said, “We didn’t expect to create this when we started. At the outset, we were just curious to see what would happen electrically and mechanically if we took small copper wire known as interconnects and covered them with a thin layer of carbon.” 

The study found that the capacitance of the nanocable is at least 10 times greater than would be predicted with classical electrostatics. The capacitance of the new nanocable is up to 143 microfarads per centimeter-squared. 

For energy storage, Lou envisioned a large scale energy storage device consisting of millions of tiny nanocables side by side in large areas. 

“The nanoscale cable might also be used as a transmission line for radio frequency signals at the nanoscale,” said Lou added. “This could be useful as a fundamental building block in micro- and nano-sized electromechanical systems like lab-on-a-chip devices.”

I wonder if this technology could be applied to research going on at the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California in San Diego. Researchers there have created self-assembling nanocubes for the next generation of antennas and lenses. Andres Tao, a professor in the Department of Nanoengineering at the Jacobs School, said, “Our findings could have important implications in developing new optical chemical and biological sensors, where light interacts with molecules, and in optical circuitry, where light can be used to deliver information.” 

Perhaps these two technologies could be combined someday--nanoantennas receiving solar energy that's stored in an array of nanocables for power at night. 

Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.