Nanomachines can be remotely controlled by light, according to physicists from University of California at Berkeley.

By shining ultraviolet laser light on tiny molecules of azobenzene adhered on a layer of gold, they could force the molecules to change shape at will. Potentially, the molecules could be incorporated into nanomachines in the form of remotely controlled switches, Pistons or other movable components.

Scientists have experimented with shape-shifting azobenzene in previous studies, but the molecules only responded properly when suspended in liquids or incorporated into plastics, neither of which makes a very good foundation for complex nanomachines.

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[In Photo: Adding legs to molecules of azobenzene adhered to a gold surface allows them to change shape when illuminated with a UV laser. (Credit: M. J. Comstock et al. Physical Review Letters)]