Spectroscopic Analysis and Microbicidal Effect of Ag/TiO₂-SiO₂ Bionanocatalysts.

Silver, especially nanostructured silver, has been found to exhibit antimicrobial properties by disrupting the function of bacterial cell walls. Nonetheless, strains of bacteria have been reported to resist silver nanoparticles. The highly efficient mutational mechanisms of bacteria, capable of overcoming modern antimicrobial compounds, make it critical to develop new materials that target genetic material, regardless of nucleotide sequence or protein structure, without being toxic to the patient.

Coherent interaction of atoms with a beam of light confined in a light cage.

Controlling coherent interaction between optical fields and quantum systems in scalable, integrated platforms is essential for quantum technologies. Miniaturised, warm alkali-vapour cells integrated with on-chip photonic devices represent an attractive system, in particular for delay or storage of a single-photon quantum state. Hollow-core fibres or planar waveguides are widely used to confine light over long distances enhancing light-matter interaction in atomic-vapour cells.