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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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These Microscopic Metamaterials Could Power Tomorrow’s Microrobots. Here's How

 Imagine a material that can change its shape all on its own, without motors, batteries, or any external force. Now imagine this happening on a scale so tiny it’s thinner than a human hair. This is no longer science fiction—physicists at Leiden University have made it a reality. Their groundbreaking research on microscopic metamaterials promises to revolutionize how we think about materials, robotics, and smart systems.

From Ordinary Materials to Extraordinary Metamaterials

Materials in our everyday lives—wood, metal, plastic—have fixed properties. A metal rod bends a certain way; a rubber band stretches in a predictable manner. Traditional materials behave according to their own composition. But metamaterials are different.

"Metamaterials have completely changed the way we think about materials," says Professor Daniela Kraft, a leading experimental physicist at Leiden University. "In these systems, movements are no longer set by the material itself, but by the structure—the way particles are connected."

In essence, metamaterials are engineered at a microscopic or nanoscale level so that their behavior comes from their architecture rather than the properties of the raw material. This allows them to perform extraordinary functions, like bending light in new ways, absorbing vibrations, or, in this case, changing shape spontaneously.

Building the Structures, One Particle at a Time

Creating these microscopic metamaterials was no small feat. Kraft, together with Ph.D. candidate Julio Melio and Professor Martin van Hecke, developed a way to construct functional structures using colloidal microparticles—tiny silica spheres that are about 10 times thinner than a human hair.

The team designed the structures carefully, block by block. "Diamond-shaped arrangements turned out to be the key," Melio explains. Each diamond was fixed tightly to make it mechanically stable, while the diamonds were connected at single pivot points. This allowed the diamonds to rotate relative to each other.

Starting with just a few diamond units, the researchers gradually built larger, more complex architectures, ultimately realizing a so-called Kagome lattice—a geometric pattern known for its mechanical flexibility and stability.

Motion Powered by Thermal Energy

When the structures were observed under an optical microscope, they revealed an astonishing property: they could fold and unfold spontaneously, without any external force.

"At this scale, particles are constantly in motion due to thermal energy," Melio explains. Thermal energy is the random motion of molecules that exists at any temperature above absolute zero. At the microscopic scale, this tiny, constant jiggling of particles becomes a powerful source of movement.

Remarkably, the motion of the metamaterial is not entirely random. When one set of quadrilaterals rotates in one direction, its neighbors rotate in the opposite direction, causing the entire structure to contract and expand rhythmically. It is as if the material has a mind of its own, orchestrated purely by the way it was built.

Adding Control: Magnetic Microparticles

While spontaneous motion is fascinating, real-world applications require some degree of control. To achieve this, the team incorporated magnetic microparticles into the metamaterials.

By applying an external magnetic field, they could command the structures to shrink or expand at will. This step marks a crucial milestone for potential applications, enabling engineers to switch the behavior of these materials on and off as needed.

"The combination of self-driven motion and controllability is what makes these metamaterials so exciting," says Kraft.

Theoretical Insights: Understanding the Microworld

Understanding how these microscopic structures work required more than just observation—it needed theory. Theoretical physicist Silke Henkes collaborated with the team to develop a framework explaining how thermal motion interacts with the metamaterial architecture.

The result was a model that accurately predicted the behavior of the metamaterials under thermal fluctuations. The agreement between theory and experiment was so precise that it not only validated their design but also provided a roadmap for creating even more complex structures in the future.

A Step Toward Smart Materials and Microrobots

The implications of this research extend far beyond academic curiosity. By demonstrating that microscopic metamaterials can move and change shape autonomously, the team has laid the groundwork for smart materials—materials that can respond to their environment without human intervention.

Such materials could one day form the basis of microscopic robots capable of navigating tight spaces, delivering drugs within the human body, or repairing damaged tissue. They could also lead to materials that self-heal, adapt their stiffness, or change shape depending on their surroundings.

Professor van Hecke emphasizes the scale of this achievement: "It's wonderful that we have now managed to create metamaterials at such a small scale. This opens the door to translating many other metamaterial concepts to the microscopic world."

Kraft adds, "This design could form the basis for smart materials or microrobots that autonomously respond to their surroundings—the field in which our research group has built an international reputation."

The Future of Metamaterials

While the research is still at a fundamental stage, the potential applications are enormous. Industries such as medicine, robotics, electronics, and materials science could all benefit from materials that move and adapt without requiring bulky machinery or complex electronics.

Already, the team's findings, published in Nature (2026), have attracted international attention. The study, titled Pivoting colloidal assemblies exhibit mechanical metamaterial behaviour, demonstrates a marriage of careful experimental work, precise engineering, and theoretical physics—all at the microscopic scale.

This is a vivid reminder that the future of materials science may not just lie in discovering new substances, but in engineering how particles are connected, opening doors to innovations previously thought impossible.

Conclusion: Tiny Particles, Huge Potential

The work by Kraft, Melio, and their colleagues represents a major step forward in the field of metamaterials. By harnessing thermal energy, careful design, and innovative engineering, they have created materials that can move, adapt, and respond at microscopic scales.

From medical microrobots to smart materials that adjust to their environment, the possibilities are vast. What was once the realm of science fiction—autonomous, shape-shifting materials—is now becoming reality, thanks to the power of microscopic metamaterials.

As research continues, these tiny structures may play a big role in shaping the technologies of tomorrow. From healthcare to robotics, from adaptive materials to miniature machines, the era of smart, self-moving materials is just beginning—and it all started with a few tiny silica spheres arranged in diamond-shaped lattices under the watchful eyes of pioneering physicists at Leiden University.

Reference: Julio Melio et al., Pivoting colloidal assemblies exhibit mechanical metamaterial behaviour, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10217-z

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