A SQUID fabricated directly at the tip of silicon cantilever is able to achieve magnetic field imaging with a resolution of less than 100 nanometers at low temperatures. (Image: Department of Physics, University of Basel) Ultrasensitive SQUID nanoprobes for high-resolution magnetic field images Researchers from the SNI network have developed innovative, extremely small, and robust magnetic field probes that enable high-resolution images of na- noscale magnetic structures. The sensors are based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) – superconducting components that are among the most sensitive magnetometers precisely detecting even very weak magnetic fields. SNI post Original publication Toxin with a Useful Twist Researchers from the SNI network have discovered a novel way to fuse lipid vesicles at a neutral pH. By har- nessing a fragment of the diphtheria toxin, the team achieved vesicle membrane fusion without the need for pre-treatment or harsh conditions. Their work, re- cently published in Communications Chemistry, opens the door to new applications in lab-on-a-chip technol- ogies, biosensors, and artificial cell prototypes. SNI post Original publication In an interview, Piotr Jasko explains how he uses part of the diphtheria toxin to fuse vesicles in a controlled and gentle manner. When quantum light works Members of the SNI network have developed a new theoretical approach to thermodynamics for quan- tum systems that interact with light. The researchers led by Prof. Patrick Potts (Department of Physics, University of Basel) consider how the light emitted by such systems could contain useful energy and not just waste heat. SNI post Original publication When laser light passes through a cavity filled with atoms, part of it can do useful work, for example charge a quantum battery (top); whereas the other part turns into heat waste (bottom). (Image: Enrique Sahagún, Scixel and the Department of Physics, University of Basel) 34 SNI INSight December 2025
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