A technology company in Dubai has helped to illuminate "an enigma" in the world of physics by uncovering how two types of crystals interact with light.
Scientists at XPANCEO, in Dubai Internet City, collaborated with Prof Kostya Novoselov, a Russian-British academic, to reveal unique properties that could prove useful for diagnosing illnesses such as cancer and developing faster computers.
Prof Novoselov, who works at the University of Manchester in the UK and the National University of Singapore, won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for work on graphene, a type of carbon in which the atoms are arranged in a hexagonal shape.
This discovery allows you to manipulate light, not by changing the material itself, but by changing the properties of the light
Dr Valentyn Volkov,
XPANCEO co-founder
Published in the Nature Communications journal on Wednesday, his latest research concerns crystals of two chemicals called rhenium diselenide and rhenium disulfide.
While graphene is known for its remarkable strength and lightness – it is much stronger than steel, but lighter than aluminium – the two substances analysed in the new study are notable because of how they interact with light.
"It required a lot of effort from the theory and experimental part," said Dr Valentyn Volkov, co-founder of XPANCEO and one of the authors of the study.
"There’s a big difference between this and traditional layered crystals. It was clear that this unusual and unique material should possess properties which are not very usual for solid optical materials. That was our main motivation – to dig in this direction and see what surprises came out."
Most layered crystals are symmetrical, so in all directions – in three dimensions – they are the same.
Breaking new ground
The two substances described in the latest study are notable because they are asymmetrical, so the position of atoms in all three dimensions is different. Such crystals are called triclinic.
The researchers aimed to find out what effects this asymmetry has on how the crystals interact with light.
"Before we started experiments, we usually study the scientific literature to know what’s already been done," Dr Volkov said.
"It was clear that this field was a kind of enigma. People didn’t really try to investigate these triclinic materials with high precision. Nothing was really done in this field."
What makes the properties of the crystals unique is that if the wavelength of light shone on them is changed, the direction in which the light spreads is deflected within the crystal. This is, Dr Volkov said, an "absolutely unique" property.
What next?
It could be useful in areas of technology including electronics, where light is used to send energy and information.
Light is a particularly good medium for sending energy or information, Dr Volkov said, because, unlike electrons, light does not have any mass.
"This discovery allows you to manipulate light not by changing the material itself, but by changing the properties of the light," he said. "It’s an additional level of freedom and opens up new and unique possibilities for making compact and novel optoelectronic devices.
"Our human species is always looking for new methods to control light. These new materials are already a significant step towards new mechanisms to control light."
The crystals could be used to help develop more powerful, heat-resistant computers for areas such as machine learning or artificial intelligence.
Another potential application is in the development of biochemical sensors to detect viruses or diseases including cancer at an earlier stage. They could also be used to develop cheaper and more accurate blood tests.
The study is co-written by eight of Dr Volkov’s colleagues at XPANCEO, along with researchers in Singapore, Spain and Switzerland.
The research by XPANCEO on rhenium diselenide and rhenium disulfide ties in with the company’s work to develop smart contact lenses that, the company said, can be used for a variety of applications, extending even to monitoring a person’s health.
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
