The MNE conference is the flagship event of the International Society for Micro- and Nanotechnology (iMNEs). The research fields covered by the MNE conferences have consistently driven advancements in the development of smaller and smaller structures. To emphasize the significance of micrographs in this field, the conference features a micrograph contest, sponsored and hosted by Zyvex Labs. Entries are judged based on both their technological relevance and artistic merit.
This year, Peng Qi from the X-ray Nano Optics group, LXN, CPS, earned third place and an honorable mention for his two submitted images.
The centerpiece of the prize-winning micrograph titled Empire State Building, showcases a monolithic X-ray achromatic lens. This lens is a combination of two chromatic optics—a compound refractive lens and a Fresnel zone plate—designed to compensate for each other’s chromatic aberrations. In the image, the yellow-colored Fresnel zone plate, fabricated using electron beam lithography, is positioned beneath the blue-colored compound refractive lens, which was fabricated using two-photon polymerization. Credit for this image goes to Peng Qi, Umut T. Sanli, and Joan Vila-Comamala.
The second image, titled Harmony of Light and X-ray Condenser, features an X-ray condensing beamshaper captured under a light microscope. Its intricate structure diffracts visible light, revealing a vibrant spectrum of radiant colors, each representing a unique wavelength. Credit for this image goes to Peng Qi and Joan Vila-Comamala.
