Today's Tech News: Notable or Not?

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-recycling-previously-unrecyclable-polyvinyl-chloride.html   "system to have a negative charge. This breaks the carbon-chloride bond and results in a negatively charged chloride ion. Because the researchers are using electrochemistry, they can meter the rate at which electrons are introduced into the system—which controls how quickly hydrochloric acid is produced... acid used by industries as reagent for chemical reactions... chloride ions used to chlorinate small molecules called arenes which can be used in pharmaceutical and agricultural components See also: Researchers discover a way to recycle one of the most problematic plastics https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/new-way-to-recycle-pvc Solar-powered system converts plastic and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/solar-powered-system-converts-plastic-and-greenhouse-gases-into-sustainable-fuels Enzymes from bacteria and fungi break down plastic http

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-superconducting-memory-centers-carbon-footprints.html "switch between two states, like how bit in computer 0 or 1... very little energy to read and switch between two states... groove in the superconducting part of the ellipse ensures the current is conducted through the magnet... superconducting current can determine the magnet's state... current consumes no energy reads... ellipse 1,500 nonometers long, yet big if compare with the transistor in phone, thousand times smaller memory element... retain its memory as computer heats up and is no longer superconducting" Related: Scientists invent spray cooling to lower carbon footprint of data centers https://techxplore.com/news/2023-04-scientists-spray-cooling-carbon-footprint.html How to build greener data centers: Scientists say crank up the heat https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-greener-centers-scientists-crank.html Simple superconducting diode can dramatically cut energy use in transistors,

https://www.popsci.com/technology/quantum-computer-heat-window-glass/ "machine learning and quantum computing teamed up to test models within fractions of a second, parsing through virtually ever possible mixture and material combination to find the best one. The result is a 1.2 micron-thick layering of silica, alumina, and titanium oxide upon a glass base that is then coated with the same polymer used in contact lenses. The new combination subsequently outperformed ever other heat-reduction glass coating currently available" Related: Researchers develop biodegradable, biorecyclable glass https://phys.org/news/2023-03-biodegradable-biorecyclable-glass.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-protons-long-standing-issue-silicon-carbide.html "fault suppression technique proton implantation prevents bipolar degradation in 4H-SiC semiconductor wafers when applied prior to device fabrication process... diodes that had undergone proton implantation performed just as well as regular ones but without signs of bipolar degradation... deterioration of current–voltage characteristics of diodes caused by proton implantation at lower doses not significant... more reliable and cost-effective SiC devices that can reduce power consumption in trains and vehicles"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-tomography-high-potential-copper-sulfide.html "The formation of large crystallites enables a detailed investigation of the reaction by means of X-ray tomography. Thus, the (dis)charge reaction could be traced in 3D and for the first time the movement of the cathode particles within the battery could be tracked. In addition, it was shown that cracking can be effectively reduced by higher pressure"

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-stable-faster-memory-storage-nanometer.html "HfO2 undergoes a two-step transition resulting in a change in the arrangement of its atoms when grown on a thin film. This allows it to "transition from one phase, which isn't very useful, to a special one that could be useful for the next generation of information storage devices... paves the way for developing the next generation of materials that could someday soon integrate both processing and memory onto a single chip"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-stable-efficient-solar-cells-based.html "oligomer acceptor prepared by the researchers achieved power conversion efficiencies above 15% and an extrapolated T80 lifetime over 25,000 h... inherits the appropriate crystallinity from SMA, but also presents comparable thermal stability to polymer acceptors, contributing to the development of solar cells that combine a high efficiency with a long lifetime... oligomer acceptor appropriate crystallinity from SMA... comparable thermal stability to polymer acceptors" Related: Enhancing organic solar cells' green glow https://techxplore.com/news/2022-12-solar-cells-green.html Recent progress in non-fused ring electron acceptors for high performance organic solar cells https://phys.org/news/2023-01-non-fused-electron-acceptors-high-solar.html Reduced energetic disorder enables over 14% efficiency in organic solar cells https://phys.org/news/2023-02-energetic-disorder-enables-efficiency-solar.html R

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-high-speed-uni-traveling-carrier-photodiode.html "low-dark-current and high-bandwidth photodiode... low defect density high doping accuracy... adjusting growth parameters, MOCVD temperature, V/III ratio, and doping concentration... plasmonic InP/InGaAs uni-traveling-carrier photodiode... low dark current 2.52 nA, −3 V bias voltage, high bandwidth 40 GHz, high responsivity 0.12 A/W... absorption efficiency photodiode 2X improvement using plasmonic resonance generated by nanodisks at 1550 nm responsivity 147% and higher signal-to-noise ratio"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-magnetometer-microelectronic-chips.html "Lorentz force MEMS magnetometers measure magnetic field to provide direction during navigation, like compass—for integration into smartphones and wearables or automotive... large measuring range without limitations... does not require ferromagnetic materials. Ferromagnets make it difficult to take measurements because they retain memory of previous measurements... magnetometer that could be integrated into a microelectronic chip... combine electronic and mechanical parts into single chip"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-star-wars-science-harvest-air.html "keep surface cool, drawing warm water vapor to it,condense water into droplets and collect on surface T-shaped channels 2 centimeters wide made of silicon coated with slippery lubricant,,, fill glass of water seven minutes in humid conditions... also applications like air conditioning... further work needed to make scalable and affordable" Related: These “hydropanels” attach to homes like solar panels — and they produce hundreds of gallons of fresh drinking water https://ustoday.news/these-hydropanels-attach-to-homes-like-solar-panels-and-they-produce-hundreds-of-gallons-of-fresh-drinking-water/ Researchers discover a new approach to harvesting aerial humidity with organic crystals https://phys.org/news/2023-03-approach-harvesting-aerial-humidity-crystals.html Researchers find way to extract more water from air using a metal-organic framework https://techxplore.com/news/2023-03-air-metal-organic-framework

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-pixel-imaging-sensor-atomically-thin.html "molybdenum disulfide... on sapphire base via vapor deposition... laid on base of wire etched silicon dioxide, etching additional wiring on top... 30x30 grid, each pixel its own device capable detecting light and could be drained using electrode that made it ready for use again after something has been sensed... more efficient... each pixel used less than picojoule... responded slower to light so an all-purpose light sensor, but not fixture in camera... ideal sensing solution in a wide variety of IoT applications"

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-27/this-startup-may-have-the-key-to-unlock-millions-of-tons-of-copper "common type of ore that traps copper behind thin film, making it too costly and difficult to extract... specialized catalyst disrupt layer... rock-eating microbes releasing copper... needs to be proven large scale... BHP Group trial plant at Escondida in Chile... Freeport-McMoRan Inc. began implementing Jetti’s technology at an Arizona mine this year, while rival Rio Tinto Group offering its competing but similar Nuton technologyis"

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-scientists-easier-safer-carbon-nanotubes.html "epoxy nanocomposites fabricated from expanded (RESS), pristine, compressed (briquette-shaped), and commercial masterbatches—the latter are nanotubes additionally predispersed in polymer... morphology, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, stability, thermal, and electrical behavior proved same regardless of nanotube bulk density.... similar spatial distribution in epoxy... aerosolization and associated safety risks avoided utilizing briquettes... cheap, simple, and scalable"

https://www.dgist.ac.kr/en/html/sub06/060202 "triboelectric nanogenerator, the physical energy generated through body movements... rectifier provides negative charge to the body... rate of decrease in body electric potential varies based on voltage, current, and charge triboelectric nanogenerator, and type and surface area of discharger... triboelectric nanogenerator applied to sole of shoe... increase in the electric potential of the body was prevented. This is significantly more efficient than existing wireless antistatic wristbands in the market"

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-cylinder-magnetic-triples-energy-output.html "Placing it in a strong magnetic field would create an electric current strong enough to tear the cylinder apart, so they made a new one from an alloy of gold and tantalum. They also switched the gas from hydrogen to deuterium (another kind of hydrogen), then covered the whole works with a tesla magnetic field using a coil. Then they fired up the lasers. The researchers saw an immediate improvement—the hot spot on the sphere went up by 40% and the energy output was tripled" Related: U.S. aims to create nuclear fusion facility within 10 years https://www.thegardenisland.com/2023/09/25/news/u-s-aims-to-create-nuclear-fusion-facility-within-10-years/ Scientists say they can use AI to solve a key problem in the quest for near-limitless clean energy https://ground.news/article/scientists-say-they-can-use-ai-to-solve-a-key-problem-in-the-quest-for-near-limitless-clean-energy_4bcc7f Princeton Scientists Unvei

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-worlds-first-kerosene-powered-engine "deliver passengers anywhere on the globe in only a few hours... succession of explosions are set off by the detonation wave. These explosions occur almost rapidly and release a lot more energy than traditional combustion does with the same amount of fuel, especially at speeds beyond Mach 8... adding a thumbnail-sized bump to the engine's air inlet surface facilitates kerosene ignition while maintaining a compact chamber... lowering construction and operating costs is still a significant problem" Related: Air-breathing ion engines could continuously boost spacecraft anywhere there's an atmosphere https://phys.org/news/2022-11-air-breathing-ion-boost-spacecraft-atmosphere.html Unlikely union of 3D-printed bronze and steel holds promise for jet engines https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-union-3d-printed-bronze-steel-jet.html Saving jet fuel with flexible sensor strips https://techx

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-scientists-world-continuous-wave-lasing-deep-ultraviolet "LED sterilization time-inefficient... lasers disinfect large areas in short time over long distances reducing drive power needed... 1.1W at room temperature... inability of effective current paths... strong crystal strain creates these defects... tailoring side walls laser stripe suppressed crystal defects, efficient current flow to active region of laser diode... sterilized operating rooms and tap water... virus detection, particulate measurement, gas analysis, high-definition laser processing" Related: Just add salt: Researcher discovers a safe, simple way to make disinfectants work better https://phys.org/news/2023-10-salt-safe-simple-disinfectants.html Scientists manufacture a surface that has virucidal properties but does not use any chemicals https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-surface-virucidal-properties-chemicals.html

https://newatlas.com/energy/hybrid-battery-72-second-ev-charging/ "cross between traditional batteries and ultracapacitors... 7.2-kWh eTechnology prototype recharge to 80 percent in just 72 seconds, 98 percent in 120 seconds, and 100 percent in 2.5 minutes at up to 900 A/360 kW.... best-suited to applications requiring fast, semi-frequent charges of five minutes or less. The example automobile with 7.2-kWh battery would be a small city car like the Citroën Ami and its 5.5-kWh battery pack... more than 50,000 cycles, tens of times more than traditional battery packs" Related: Lotus Flash Charger: Superfast Charging That Rivals Gas Stations https://afronomist.com/lotus-flash-charger-superfast-charging-that-rivals-gas-stations/

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-individual-quanta-high.html "switch individual photons on chip back and forth between two outputs... gigahertz frequencies... acoustic quantum technologies or complex integrated photonic networks... minute conducting paths for light quanta... waveguides 30X thinner than hair... quantum light sources called quantum dots nanometers in size, islands inside waveguides emit individual photons... quantum dots included in chip... don't have to use complicated methods to generate individual photons by means of another source" Related: A method to accurately center quantum dots within photonic chips https://phys.org/news/2024-03-method-accurately-center-quantum-dots.html

https://www.westinghousenuclear.com/energy-systems/evinci-micro-reactor "Transportable energy generator... Fully factory built, fueled and assembled... Delivers combined heat and power – 5 MWe and up to 13MWt... 8+ years of full power operation prior to refueling... Target less than 30 days onsite installation... High speed load following capability... High reliability and minimal moving parts... Capable of autonomous operation... Near zero Emergency Planning Zone with small site footprint No spent fuel or waste storage on site... Simplified decommissioning and remediation" Related: Lockheed and BWXT Win $500 Million to Build a Nuclear Rocket Engine https://www.barchart.com/story/news/19127654/lockheed-and-bwxt-win-500-million-to-build-a-nuclear-rocket-engine

https://www.zmescience.com/science/agriculture-science/cheap-sensor-based-agriculture-could-slash-water-use-by-up-to-70/ "antennas that make transmission of data easier and are able to broadcast information to irrigation systems up to 650 feet (200 meters) away... between 20% to 72% of water usage can be reduced... estimating soil nutrient levels and identifying pests" Related: Sensing water for smarter agriculture https://phys.org/news/2023-02-smarter-agriculture.html Researchers use calcium materials to reduce arsenic availability in agricultural soil https://phys.org/news/2023-03-calcium-materials-arsenic-availability-agricultural.html

https://www.graphene-info.com/researchers-turn-waste-byproduct-asphaltene-graphene "flash Joule heating process to convert asphaltenes instantly into turbostratic (loosely aligned) graphene and mix it into composites for thermal, anti-corrosion and 3D-printing applications. The process makes good use of material otherwise burned for reuse as fuel or discarded into tailing ponds and landfills. Using at least some of the world’s reserve of more than 1 trillion barrels of asphaltene as a feedstock for graphene would be good for the environment as well" Related: Paving the way for more asphalt recycling https://techxplore.com/news/2023-09-paving-asphalt-recycling.html New asphalt binder alternative is less toxic, more sustainable than conventional blend https://techxplore.com/news/2023-09-asphalt-binder-alternative-toxic-sustainable.html Mechanical engineering professor uses coal to create graphene https://phys.org/news/2023-10-mechanical-professor-coal-graphene.html UK CAER’s co

https://wccftech.com/china-taps-in-graphene-technology-to-replace-silicon-based-chips-breaking-the-monopoly-with-10-times-the-performance/ "Graphene comprises an individual layer positioned "in a hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms." Graphene is two hundred times stronger than steel. The strength is unmatched compared to silicon. At the same time, thermal and electrical conductivity is better than copper, which would be essential in the development of not only semiconductor chips, but thermal heat dissipation, efficient batteries, and more. Lastly, graphene is lightweight, measuring less than one milligram per square meter" Related: Team develops graphene-based nanoelectronics platform https://phys.org/news/2022-12-team-graphene-based-nanoelectronics-platform.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-scientists-paper-battery-smartphones-electric.html "joined and laser cut thin sheets of kraft paper form lattice geometries resembling spikey piñata... heated to 1200°C in  furnace without oxygen... convert to carbon, forming anodes... superior durability, flexibility, and electrochemical properties... strength and mechanical toughness... phones, laptops and automobiles better withstand shocks from falls... extend life of batteries... from electronics to electric vehicles... durability, shock absorption, electrical conductivity... sustainable and scalable" See also: How cardboard boxes will make your battery 90X better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-w5O5H-O-U Related: Valmet launches a zero effluent system for enzymatic starch cooking for board and paper makers https://news.cision.com/valmet-oyj/r/valmet-launches-a-zero-effluent-system-for-enzymatic-starch-cooking-for-board-and-paper-makers,c3723875 Upcycling leftover cardboard to make

https://www.anl.gov/article/a-possible-game-changer-for-next-generation-microelectronics   "skyrmions are arranged in ordered pattern at -60 degrees F and above... cool the sample the skyrmion arrangement changes.” Like bubbles in beer foam, some skyrmions became larger, some smaller, some merge and some vanish... minus 270, nearly complete disorder, order came back when temperature returned to minus 60... order-disorder transition with temperature change could be exploited for memory storage... energy efficiency could be 100 to 1000 better" Related: An electrical change of phase using skyrmions https://phys.org/news/2023-02-electrical-phase-skyrmions.html

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-microlaser-chip-dimensions-quantum-communication.html "device's four-level qudits enable significant advances in quantum cryptography, raising the maximum secrete key rate for information exchange from 1 bit per pulse to 2 bits per pulse. The device offers four levels of superposition and opens the door to further increases in dimension... on a single chip"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-technique-flexible-circuits-surfaces-contact.html "smart contact lens built-in circuits... measure the fluid pressure of the eye—which is relevant for some biomedical applications. One was a flexible, transparent electrode with circuits printed in a grid pattern, which could be used in solar cells or on touch panels. The third is a latex glove that has circuits printed on it that serve as pressure sensors, which has applications in robotics and human-machine interface applications. We think this could be scaled up pretty easily, in terms of manufacturing" Related: Easy fabrication of next-generation, super-flexible electronic circuits https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-easy-fabrication-next-generation-super-flexible-electronic.html A cheaper method for making woven displays and smart fabrics of any size or shape https://techxplore.com/news/2023-04-cheaper-method-woven-displays-smart.html Researchers develop first-of-its-kind woven material

  https://phys.org/news/2022-11-fluxonium-qubits-creation-quantum-closer.html "high-precision two-qubit gates: fSim and CZ... bring qubits into resonance with each other, parametric modulation of flow of one qubit of the system used... accuracy of two-qubit operations above 99.22%, but also to suppress the residual ZZ interaction between the qubits, which allowed to perform parallel single-qubit operations with an accuracy of 99.97%... subgigahertz electronics in qubit control lines reduces complexity quantum processor control"

https://electrek.co/2022/11/10/laguardia-flywheel-based-ultra-fast-ev-charging-pilot-zooz/ "patented flywheel technology that drives 200,000 high-power charge and discharge cycles... four pilots will be operational within a few months... signed a binding memorandum of understanding with an as-yet-unnamed “worldwide leading car rental services provider" Related: Utah man creates company devoted to flywheel energy storage https://www.ksl.com/article/50607964/utah-man-creates-company-devoted-to-flywheel-energy-storage ADS-TEC Energy Presents Storage-Based Ultra-Fast Charging System ChargePost at Hannover Messe 2023 in Energy Solutions Section https://www.ads-tec-energy.com/en/ Flywheel energy storage system designed as a fully automatic charging station https://techxplore.com/news/2023-06-flywheel-energy-storage-fully-automatic.html DC Fast Charging Off-Grid With Hydrogen! GM Hydrotec Powercube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB6k1TMkXFc Creating reliable networks of electric ve

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-evidence-ions-differently-fusion-reactions.html "built reactor that involves firing multiple lasers at a cylinder containing sphere deuterium and tritium... atoms fusing to become helium atoms, releasing large energy... keeping reaction going without continuous firing lasers.... plasma forms as heat builds up... ions inside plasma have higher energy than theory has been predicting, at least during the highest-performing stages... the researchers may find a way to achieve ignition—the beginnings of a self-sustaining reaction"

https://www.tuni.fi/en/news/optical-foundations-illuminated-quantum-light "quantum light with a well-defined photon number behaves differently from standard focused laser beams... measure more complex beams of structured photons... push forward application of observed effect, and potentially bring to light more differences between quantum and classical light fields"

https://engineering.princeton.edu/news/2022/11/18/insights-energy-loss-open-doors-and-coming-solar-tech "As disorder solar cell increases, nonradiative energy loss componet we have control over, grows rapidly... nonradiative energy loss grows with square of disorder component... better-performing organic solar cells... highly crystalline or highly amorphous materials and avoid mixing the two within a device. If you have anything in between, some heterogeneity in which parts of a film are slightly crystalline and some parts are amorphous, that’s when you lose the most energy" Related: Researchers optimize performance and stability of multi-layer organic solar cells https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-optimize-stability-multi-layer-solar-cells.html

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-scientists-closer-superconducting-puzzle-applications.html "As the temperature is increased, their ability to carry current is dramatically reduced. The low-energy spin fluctuations could scatter the conduction electrons and explain this strange metal behavior... superconductor cooled and superconductivity suppressed with magnetic field, spin fluctuations stronger and slow down close to magnetic order... importance of spin fluctuations in understanding cuprates" Related: Destroying the superconductivity in a kagome metal https://phys.org/news/2023-03-destroying-superconductivity-kagome-metal.html Viable superconducting material created in Rochester lab https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/highest-temperature-superconducting-materials-metals-reddmatter-551382/ Researchers reveal electronic nematicity without charge density waves in titanium-based kagome metal https://phys.org/news/2023-08-reveal-electronic-nematicity-density-titanium-based.html

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-optical-inversion-strategy-unscrambling-propagation.html "wide-field microscopy... loaded into needle to view scenes deep inside body... localization-based super-resolution imaging... parallelized super-resolution microscopy, structured illumination microscopy and single-objective light sheet microscopy... single-shot wide-field imaging... photonic crystal waveguides, photonic lanterns or biological tissue... mode division multiplexing for high capacity optical communications... quantum cryptography, classical and quantum optical computing"

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-scheme-efficient-coupling-iii-v-silicon.html "III-V devices can be efficiently coupled with Si elements by direct epitaxy. The integration strategy can be easily applied to the integration of various III-V devices and Si-based components, thereby enabling the ultimate goal of integrating photonics with electronics on silicon photonics platform for data communications...photonic integrated circuits and fully integrated Si-photonics, light coupling between III-V lasers and Si components can be realized through this method"

https://www.lina.energy/2022/11/16/key-milestone-for-lina-energy-as-it-successfully-demonstrates-its-sodium-ion-technology-for-battery-energy-storage-systems/ "1 kWh system containing LiNa’s lithium- and cobalt-free solid state sodium battery cells. In order to ensure a robust test, a 1kW Dynamic Containment commitment was simulated against a repeating abnormally volatile frequency input, specifically EFA Block 3 on 6th Jan 2022. The test was performed continuously for 5 days and tested over a range of states-of-charge. The test was also run simultaneously with a charge and a discharge profile to demonstrate the critical ability to stack revenue streams" Related: BYD to launch electric hatchbacks with new Sodium-ion batteries https://thedriven.io/2022/12/02/byd-to-launch-electric-hatchbacks-with-new-sodium-ion-batteries/ Heterostructured nanoflowers for high-performance sodium storage https://phys.org/news/2023-02-heterostructured-nanoflowers-high-performance-sodium-storage.h

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-electronicphotonic-chip-sandwich-boundaries-transmission.html "The resulting optimized interface between the two chips allows them to transmit 100 gigabits of data per second while producing just 2.4 pico-Joules per transmitted bit. This improves the electro-optical power efficiency of the transmission by a factor of 3.6 compared to the current state-of-the-art. A picojoule is one-trillionth of a Joule, which is defined as the energy released in one second by a current of 1 ampere through a resistance of 1 ohm—or about 0.24 calories" Related: New photonic chips for high-capacity data transmissions https://phys.org/news/2023-10-photonic-chips-high-capacity-transmissions.html

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apples-ar-vr-headset-will-scan-your-iris-when-you-put-it-on/ "features that differentiate Apple's headset from Meta's just-announced Quest Pro,... mesh fabrics, aluminum, and glass...thinner and weigh less than Quest Pro, whose headset won't feature Iris scanning... scan wearer's legs so positions of legs portrayed by  virtual avatar... Meta's Quest Pro was first revealed on October 11, and it will be available for purchase for $1,499.99 starting October 25. Apple's headset has faced several delays, but it is now slated to release sometime in 2023 at a higher price"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-iron-based-cathode-protonic-ceramic-fuel.html "cathode materials from basic physical-chemical principles and density functional theory... Ba0.875Fe0.875Zr0.125O3-δ (D-BFZ) promising cathode material... D-BFZ has an exceptional electrochemical activity to react with oxygen... high peak power density and excellent operational stability. Moreover, D-BFZ can be produced using simple, mass-production-suitable synthesis techniques, which is a major step toward realizing commercially viable protonic ceramic fuel cells" Related: New study on optimizing microbial fuel cells shows electrode material can make all the difference https://phys.org/news/2022-12-optimizing-microbial-fuel-cells-electrode.html Predicting efficient oxygen reduction electrodes for ceramic fuel cells https://phys.org/news/2023-01-efficient-oxygen-reduction-electrodes-ceramic.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-3d-printing-microrobots-multiple-component-modules.html "moving or grasping microsurgery performed by autonomous robots... cancer cell elimination... assembly, integration and reconfiguration tiny mechanical components, and movable actuators driven by chemical energy, remains difficult time-consuming process... Soft microrobot structures... shining laser light harden photo-inducible biocompatible hydrogel, poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate... combine various modules: joints, grippers, or artificial muscles... scalable mass production... gripper, fish, and robot arm" Related: This bio-hybrid robot walks using lab-grown mouse muscles https://www.inverse.com/innovation/walking-biorobot-muscle-cells Scientists discover ‘bond villain’ DNA that could transform cancer treatment https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/bond-villain-dna-transform-cancer-treatment-stanford-b1061350.html New CAR T-cell immunotherapy shows promising results for treating

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-all-3d-printed-lithium-metal-batteries-high.html "3D printed MXene scaffolds prevented the infinite volume change and dendritic formation of Li anodes... pairing ultra-thick LFP cathodes lattices with high-efficiency electron and ion networks, the all-3D printed LFP||MXene@Li LMBs delivered unprecedented areal capacity (25.3 mAh/cm2) and energy density (81.6 mWh/cm2) under an ultrahigh mass loading of 171 mg/cm2, exceeding all reported 3D printed batteries so far" Related: EV battery has 50% more energy density than traditional lithium-ion, 10-minute charge https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/02/08/ev-battery-has-50-more-energy-density-than-lithium-ion-10-minute-charge/ Novel microscope developed to design better high-performance batteries https://phys.org/news/2023-02-microscope-high-performance-batteries.html The past and present of 3D-printed critical materials for rechargeable batteries https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-3d-printed-critic

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-chemists-boost-eco-friendly-battery-catalysts.html "4H/fcc Ir nanostructures created through phase engineering are more favorable for the reversible formation of amorphous/low-crystalline discharge products (Figure 2), thereby lowering the overpotential and promoting the cycling stability of electrochemical redox reactions. The unusual phase 4H/fcc Ir nanostructures performed much better than common fcc Ir, and achieved outstanding charge potential and energy efficiency compared to other reported metal-based catalysts used in aprotic Li-CO2 batteries"

https://103degrees.com/this-teenager-designed-motor-has-the-potential-to-revolutionize-the-electric-vehicle-industry/ "synchronous reluctance motor better torque and efficiency... 3-D printed plastic, copper wiring, steel rotor ... eliminate air gaps by adding another magnetic field... improve saliency ratio... at 300 rpm 39% more torque and 31% more efficiency... 37% improvement efficiency achieved increasing speed to 750 RPM... couldn’t test at higher revolutions per minute because the plastic pieces would overheat"

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-explore-catalytic-applications-semiconductors.html "less expensive and less rare oxide nanomaterials... small environmental footprint... production of textile fibers and electronic devices... lowering energy demand. It also breaks down pollutants that are emitted into the environment. In addition, new processes, partly based on nanotechnologies, are being used to couple physical and chemical properties... greater efficiency in the conversion and use of renewable energies, especially solar energy"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-optoelectronic-synapse-reservoir-based-alpha-indium.html "possesses both ferroelectric and optoelectronic properties... two distinct and physically coupled mechanisms for reservoir computing... reservoir computing system... mixed-signal input... tunability and enhanced network performance, while here multiscale signal processing is achieved by modulating the relaxation time of the device with light or back-gate voltage... multimode reservoir computing system... handwritten digit recognition task and QR code recognition tasks with accuracies above 80%"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-cerium-quirk-advance-grid-scale-energy.html "more efficient cerium-based batteries... less voltage loss during charging and discharging... cerium picked up and dropped off electrons... when cerium short three electrons, surrounded by water, while when it gives up that fourth electron, sulfate or bisulfate ions hanging off cerium ion... when we oxidize cerium by taking away that electron, or reduce it by giving the electron back, both an electron transfer has to occur and the molecules around it have to rearrange" Related: Salgenx Reveals the Future of Energy Storage with a Grid-Scale Multifunctional Industrial Powerhouse https://www.eqmagpro.com/salgenx-reveals-the-future-of-energy-storage-with-a-grid-scale-multifunctional-industrial-powerhouse-eq-mag/

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-low-loss-chip-scale-programmable-silicon-photonic.html "2-µm-wide arm waveguides, and thus the random phase errors in the MZC/MZS arms are negligible, in which case the calibration for these MZSs/MZCs becomes easy and furthermore the power consumption for compensating the phase errors can be reduced greatly. In addition, each channel has a Ge/Si photodetectors and grating coupler to detect the signal... tunable time-delay, microwave photonic beamforming, arbitrary optical signal filtering, and arbitrary waveform generation"

https://www.metalenz.com/technology/ "When compared to meta-optics (MOEs), diffractive optics (DOEs) exhibit substantially higher stray light and lower imaging performance at low f/# and across temperature... 4x improvement in signal to noise in 3D imaging systems... Multifunctional optics replace an entire set of refractive lenses, resulting in lower cost of integration and assembly... Metalenses are fabricated with a single semiconductor layer for high yield, cost effective mass production" Related: Gigapixel 3D microscope captures life in unprecedented detail https://phys.org/news/2023-03-gigapixel-3d-microscope-captures-life.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-mushroom-skin-base-chips.html "depositing metal electronic circuitry components onto skin using physical vapor deposition... followed up with ablated laser... skin worked nearly as well as the traditional plastic substrates... withstand being bent repeatedly—they found no breakage after 2,000 bends. They also found the skin could be used to make battery components. More work is required to ensure that the skin works as hoped in an industrial setting. Also, a clean process for removing the skin from the chips for disposal still needs to be found" Related: Lab Demos ‘Living’ PC Powered by Mushrooms https://www.tomshardware.com/news/lab-demos-living-pc-powered-by-mushrooms

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-gate-tunable-heterojunction-tunnel-triodes-based.html "2D InSe or WSe2 is combined with silicon all three major performance characteristics of the device mentioned above can be simultaneously improved... stamped InSe crystal onto p-doped silicon wafer... created contacts using lithography deposited top gate-dielectric, and patterned gate electrodes... steep sub-threshold swings, ON/OFF current ratios and On current density for tunneling devices, making them some of the most energy efficient and effective switches based on tunneling phenomena"

https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/breakthrough-solar-technology-extracts-400-more-salt-from-seawater "rotating hollow cylinder inside solar distiller to accelerate water evaporation... forming thin film  water on outer and inner surface of cylinder...  increase temperature of water under cylinder use solar collector... rotation speed cylinder inside solar distiller 0.5 rpm...  intensity and time evaporate thin film water from surface of cylinder... performance improvement factor... 280% in... hot months... 300% and 400% in cooler months... cumulative water distillation capacity 12.5 l/m2 summer and 3.5 l/m2 per day winter"

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/11/08/1134461777/they-made-a-material-that-doesnt-exist-on-earth-thats-only-the-start-of-the-stor "a combination of two base metals, nickel and iron, which were cooled over millions of years as meteoroids and asteroids tumbled through space. That process created a unique compound with a particular set of characteristics that make it ideal for use in the high-end permanent magnets that are an essential component of a vast range of advanced machines, from electric vehicles to space shuttle turbines... scientists have found a way to make it in a lab"

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-blue-quantum-dot-technology-energy-efficient.html "blue quantum dots are highly complex and costly to produce, and their quality a critical factor in any display.... exposed to ultraviolet light produces blue light... hybrid mix organic and inorganic... lead perovskite, malic acid and oleylamine... cube 64 lead atoms, four to a side... malic acid key piece... 2.4 nanometers, 190 times smaller than wavelength of blue light we sought to create with it... blue quantum dot quite short-lived, though this was expected... improve its stability with aid of industrial collaboration" Related: How to make bright quantum dots even brighter https://phys.org/news/2024-01-bright-quantum-dots-brighter.html

  https://phys.org/news/2022-11-silicon-photonic-microelectromechanical.html "silicon photonic MEMS add-drop filter implemented by postprocessing on standard silicon photonics platform... integration of MEMS in silicon photonics that has been manufactured in a standardized foundry process represents a technology milestone. We demonstrate that photonic MEMS can be integrated alongside established high-performance photonic components on-chip and can be scaled to large volumes"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-neuromorphic-devices.html "neural network... tunable flexible MXene energy storage... postsynaptic electrodes... simulate information transmission in synaptic gap... voltage... synaptic weight of connection between two neurons... larger the standard deviation, the stronger memory capacity... control accumulation and dissipation of ions by regulating resistance value... accuracy of handwritten digit sets 95%... simulate adaptivity of human brain to achieve adaptive recognition of similar target data sets.... adaptive recognition accuracy 80%"

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-faster-efficient-chips-germanium.html "perfect interfaces between aluminum contacts and silicon germanium components... silicon layer and silicon-germanium... heating... contact created between aluminum and silicon... 500 degrees C diffusion occurs... atoms leave... start to migrate. Silicon and germanium atoms move into aluminum contact.. aluminum fills vacated space... interface with silicon layer in between... oxygen atoms never have the opportunity to get to this atomically sharp and highly pure interface"

https://newatlas.com/computers/ibm-osprey-worlds-most-powerful-quantum-computer/ "single layer of qubits atop several layers of control wiring, which helps cram more qubits in while reducing their error rate. An integrated filtering system has now been added, which helps reduce noise and improve stability of the device. IBM says this machine’s number-crunching capabilities far surpass any traditional computer, claiming that to represent a state on the Osprey processor, a regular computer would need more bits than there are atoms in the known universe" Related: US startup beats IBM to reach 1,000 qubit milestone https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/startup-reaches-1000-qubit-milestone

  https://phys.org/news/2022-11-optimize-thermoelectric-properties-telluride-material.html "doping PbTe matrix with antimony... small amount of Cu12Sb4S13 nanoparticles... optimizing carrier concentration in n-type PbTe using host element doping, combining energy band engineering/energy filtering... semi-coherent nanophases... multi-scale defects to scatter phonons... improve power factor, reduce thermal conductivity, and increase thermoelectric... Pb0.97Sb0.03Te + 1.5 wt. % Cu12Sb4S13 thermoelectric properties with ZT of 1.58 (773 K)... improvement 75% compared with Pb0.97Sb0.03Te" Related: A new method to evaluate thermoelectric materials https://phys.org/news/2023-01-method-thermoelectric-materials.html

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-material-mimics-brain.html "thin layer cobalt mononitride... applying electric field... accumulation N ions at interface between layer and liquid electrolyte... works with movement of ions controlled by electrical voltage... speeds similar to neurons, milliseconds... artificial synapse... applying voltage pulses... memory, information processing, information retrieval and controlled updating information without applied voltage... modifying thickness of cobalt mononitride layers which determines speed of ions motion and frequency of pulses" Related: Artificial neurons mimic complex brain abilities for next-generation AI computing https://techxplore.com/news/2023-05-artificial-neurons-mimic-complex-brain.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-reliability-circuit-boards.html "eliminates void spaces common reason for printed circuit board failure... reduce by factor of 20 extent surface roughening of copper surface onto which microvias deposited... not use nickel reductant... hydrogen bubbles did not disrupt integrity of copper–copper interface... deposition epitaxial... delamination, cracking, and other failures are less likely... improving electrical interconnects in high-density circuitry, in manner that does not substantially change well-established, trusted protocols"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-superfast-method-high-performance-thermoelectric-devices.html "intense pulsed light to sinter thermoelectric material in less than second... machine learning to determine the optimum conditions for ultrafast but complex sintering process... don't emit greenhouse gases, and they are durable and quiet since they don't have moving parts... wearable personal devices, to sensors and electronics, to industry Internet of Things" Related: Researchers develop a novel thermoelectric generator inspired by zebra skin https://techxplore.com/news/2023-03-thermoelectric-generator-zebra-skin.html Tuning thermoelectric materials for efficient power generation https://techxplore.com/news/2023-03-tuning-thermoelectric-materials-efficient-power.html Researchers develop a stretchable and efficient wearable thermoelectric energy harvester https://techxplore.com/news/2023-11-stretchable-efficient-wearable-thermoelectric-energy.html Realizing eco-friendly

  https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-high-speed-sequential-deposition-strategy-fabricate.html "high throughput... possible applications of OPVs... shifting focus from golden triangle to LCOE... LbL processing technique... photoactive layers for OPV systems... PM6:Y6, PM6:N3, PM6-Ir1:Y6, PM1:Y6 and PTQ10:Y6... scalable, cost-effective manufacturing of organic photovoltaics... high performance and high throughput... high efficiency, excellent stability, low cost of material synthesis and processability of high-speed coating, and the other is to construct a commercially available device architecture"

  https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-super-fast-optical-lasers-radio-transmitters.html "fix upon a rapidly moving target in a turbulent environment, with an uninterrupted, high-speed signal... drone simulates rapidly moving target... higher altitude aircraft and ultimately a spacecraft, in low earth orbit... built, optical communications ground station... industry and governments alike, in applications as diverse as communications with spacecraft, meteorology, defense and disaster management

  https://phys.org/news/2022-11-electrons-quantum-highways-material.html "electrons transmitted between topological qubits by forcing electrons to flow one-dimensional conduction channel on edge of material... MnBi6Te10 fabricated... combination of two approaches—angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)—to study exactly how the electrons within MnBi6Te10 behaved and how the movement of the electrons varied with magnetic states"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-lithium-ion-cells-boosts-lifetimes-battery.html "high-fidelity, multi-timescale battery model... optimized and controlled embracing differences among constituent cells... electric vehicles to benefit... Drone-like aircraft with electric vertical takeoff and landing... general aviation and large-scale storage of renewable energy. "Lithium-ion batteries have already changed the world in so many ways," Onori said. "It's important that we get as much as we possibly can out of this transformative technology and its successors to come"

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-fast-infrared-3d-semiconductor-chips.html "non-conventional ultrafast bursts of pulses to circumvent metallization transition... split pulse energy into weaker pulses with extremely fast repetition rate... pulse trains avoid strong pulse excitation before light is focused... pulses repeat fast.. delivered laser energy accumulate efficiently... Refractive index engineering and Laser writing... may drastically change the way advanced micro-chips are today fabricated"

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-team-crystals-electricity.html "two crystal structures within same material... replacing small fraction of manganese with copper produced complex microstructures with interconnected nanodomains, defects, and coherent interfaces... affected material's transport properties for electrons and heat... stable up to 400 degrees C... range within waste heat temperature range. He is convinced that, based on this discovery, cheaper novel and nontoxic thermoelectric materials could be designed to replace more problematic materials" Related: Enabling nanoscale thermoelectrics with a novel organometallic molecular junction https://phys.org/news/2023-01-enabling-nanoscale-thermoelectrics-organometallic-molecular.html Breakthrough in waste heat to green energy: Materials boost record efficiency https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/breakthrough-waste-heat-green-energy-materials-boost-record-efficiency/

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-erbium-atoms-silicon-prime-candidate.html "endowed with nanometer-fine structures... light-conducting elements... irradiated silicon with erbium ions... comparatively moderate temperature... stable integration individual erbium atoms in crystal... narrow spectral lines in emission of infrared light 10 kilohertz...favorable for quantum network... excellent optical properties at 8 Kelvin (degrees above absolute zero). Such a temperature can be achieved by cooling in a cryostat with liquid helium"

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3198490/could-be-tech-leap-makes-your-next-smartphone-faster-and-cheaper "free-electron laser... extremely fine wire about 8cm (3.1 inches) in length, the new device can emit laser-like light in a broad range of wavelengths for a wide array of applications... extra energy excites electrons to move to higher-energy orbit... When return to normal orbit emit photons... light waves in a laser beam are “coherent”, meaning the beam of photons is moving in the same direction at the same wavelength... sync electrons like a team of honour guards generate greater power" Related: Milestone reached for superconducting undulator for European XFEL https://phys.org/news/2024-02-milestone-superconducting-undulator-european-xfel.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-07/brisbane-battery-uq-graphene-battery-solar-energy-power-grid/101611614 "eco-friendly, carbon-neutral cell that charges 70 times faster than a lithium ion battery and can be reused thousands of times.... graphene batteries... like a hybrid supercapacitor battery, which can be charged thousands of times... last time anyone did anything on aluminium batteries was Stanford and ours is four times better than Stanford's" Related: An Aluminum-Air Battery/Hydrocapacitor-Inspired Hybrid Device for Energy Conversion from Micro Water Droplets https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4614513

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-just-discovered-an-entirely-new-way-of-measuring-time "don't have to start the clock – you just look at the interference structure and say: it's been 4 nanoseconds... By looking for the signature of interfering Rydberg states amid a sample of pump-probe atoms, technicians could observe a timestamp for events as fleeting as just 1.7 trillionths of a second. Future quantum watch experiments could replace the helium with other atoms, or even use laser pulse of different energies, to broaden the guide book of timestamps to suit a broader range of conditions"

https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/quantum_metasurface/ "replace a roomful of equipment... entangling photons in complex ways... hundred times thinner than paper... light passes through ultrathin sample of glass covered in nanoscale structures made of gallium arsenide... scrambles all the optical fields... pair of entangled photons at different wavelengths emerge from the sample in the same direction as the incoming laser beam... complex webs of entangled photons several pairs all entangled together indistinguishable from each other"

https://www.technologytimes.pk/2022/10/19/chinas-first-photonic-chip-production-line-to-be-ready-in-2023-media-report/ "calculation speed and transmission rate are 1,000 times those of electronic chips... stability and low power consumption... don’t require extremely high-end lithography machines such as extreme ultraviolet lithography, and can be produced using raw materials and types of equipment that are already mature" Related:  Nvidia Speeds Key Chipmaking Computation by 40x Inverse lithography produces features smaller than the wavelength of light, but it usually takes weeks to compute https://spectrum.ieee.org/inverse-lithography