Today's Tech News: Notable or Not?

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-high-refractive-index-polymers-sustainable.html ">92% transparent (amorphous) poly(thiourea)s controlling light: eco-friendly high light-extraction, easily/ low-cost processing/ recycling... each repeating polymer (monomer) unit a simple aromatic ring linked to a thiourea group... sulfur atom polymer strands attract hydrogen atoms linked to nitrogen in another thiourea group due to local electric charge differences, causing dense packing/ networks, high 1.81 refractive index... wearable lighting, thinner/ lighter/ degradable polymer eyeglasses, OLEDs, photodetectors"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-plasticity-ceramic-materials-room-temperature.html   "introducing high-density defects in brittle ceramics under high temperatures adds deformability, ductility... dislocations (defects) change atoms' arrangement, gliding within crystals to enable deformability, are preloaded during deformation at high temperatures, once coolethere is room temperature ceramic plasticity... scalable... single-crystal titanium dioxide achieved 10% strain, aluminum oxide 6 - 7.5% strain... aerospace, transportation, power plants, bearings, capacitors, electrical and thermal insulation, electrodes" Related: B₄C–TiB₂ composite ceramics with adjustable mechanical and electrical properties https://phys.org/news/2024-04-bctib-composite-ceramics-adjustable-mechanical.htm

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-storage-memory-device-paves-ai.html "enduring temperatures up to 600° C, >2X higher, for >60 hours... non-volatile ferroelectric aluminum scandium nitride... stable, strong bonds between atoms... fast switching between electrical states,,, metal–insulator–metal structure, incorporating nickel and platinum electrodes with 45 nm layer of AlScN, which is not too thick and not too thin... high-temperature silicon carbide logic devices compatible... memory-enhanced compute: improved memory and processing integration... memory devices, sensors, AI"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-hydride-frontiers-accessible-superconductivity.html "yttrium-cerium hydrides and lanthanum-cerium hydrides... enhanced chemical pre-compression effect through their cerium components, maintaining relatively high transition temperatures at lower pressure... far beyond recognized standard set by copper oxides (cuprates)... still have a way to go to reach truly ambient conditions: achieving superconductivity at room temperature and in pressure equivalent to our familiar ground-level atmosphere"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-topologically-multiskyrmions-family-quasiparticles.html "stable long-range, large-capacity dynamic optical communications... spin textures created in higher-dimensional structured light fields...  new optical multiskyrmion quasiparticles with extended topological structures and orders, possessing multipole-like extended configurations... generation/ flexible photonic control, many on-demand topological states, constructed from simple GRIN lenses enabling immediate widespread implementation, compact... photonics, condensed-matter topologic informatics, logic devices"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-bacteria-nanowires-green-electronics.html "mimics photosynthesis' electron movement... bacteria produced protein filaments, a fiber genetically engineered using E. coli, and adding a heme molecule, conducts electricity over short distances, harnesses energy from air's moisture... thick amounts of the material sandwiched between 2 gold electrodes... humidity creates gradient of charge across material's depth enabling current... eco-friendly, low power, scalable, tunable... energy harvesting, biomedical (human–machine interface), environmental (humidity) sensing"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-metalair-paper-battery-wearable-devices.html "paper-based magnesium–air battery based on plant respiration mechanism... photosynthesis analogous to battery charge/ discharge: magnesium substrate generating power from oxygen and water... bonded magnesium foil onto paper, adding cathode catalyst, gas diffusion layer to paper's other side... open circuit 1.8V, 1V current density 100 mA/cm-2, maximum output 103 milliwatts/cm-2... nontoxic: carbon cathodes, safe pigment electrocatalyst... wearable pulse oximeter and GPS sensors"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-discovery-catalyst-cheaper-fuel-cells.html "carbon based organic catalyst modified using hydrogen, nitrogen, fluorine... won't break down into useless component parts... reacts with reaction products, then reverting to original state... more environmentally friendly, less energy intensive and lower temperature hydrogen peroxide production... electrifying catalyst changes way it reacts, useful for  medicine synthesis... hydrogen peroxide and medicine production, fuel cells"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-strategy-boost-efficiency-perovskiteorganic-solar.html "incorporate trace pseudo-halogen thiocyanate (SCN) ions in iodide/bromide mixed halide perovskites, forming I/Br/SCN alloy, occupying iodine vacancies, enhancing crystallization, thiocyanate slowing down crystallization blocking halide ion migration via steric hindrance, facilitating electric charge movement, reducing grain boundaries...  certified 25.06% PCE, 1,000 h operational stabiliy... future; enabling stability under varying light intensities"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-intelligent-liquid-metafluid-programmable-response.html "produced 100's of 1,000's highly-deformable elastomer spheres (50 - 500µm) filled with air, silicon oil suspended... capsule number, thickness, size, applied pressure... changes their force, springiness, optical properties, viscosity, transition ability between Newtonian and non-Newtonian... scalable, easy-to-produce... hydraulic actuators, programmable robots (gripper), intelligent shock absorbers dissipating energy based on impact, optics transitioning from clear to opaque, e-inks changing color based on pressure"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-comprehensive-unravels-quantum-mechanical-effects.html "focused laser beams at 13 - 40 nm gold films, emanating photoluminescence, enabled production 1st quantitative model phenomenon in 2D gold, applicable to any metal... exactly where photoluminescence process occurred, prerequisite for the metal's use as probe, including of material's own surface temperature...  batteries, CO2 reduction back into carbon-based solar fuels"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-vaporize.html "as water began evaporating, air temperature above surface cooled down, so not due to thermal energy... photomolecular effect: photons liberate entire molecules from liquid surface, effect strongest when light hits water surface at 45° angle, with transverse magnetic polarization, and/ or with green light... optimum color, angle, polarization, evaporation 4X thermal limit... drying consumes 20% industrial energy usage... significantly higher evaporation rates than known thermal mechanism... solar desalinization, material drying"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-universal-based-technique-valley-polarization.html "main aim of valleytronics to reach the valley polarization in materials, without being restricted by specific chosen material, enabling creation of classical and quantum gates and bits, furthering low-energy consumption, efficient, fast switching information storage... initial measurement was tried on bulk MoS2, saw valley polarization signature... trefoil field, whose symmetry matched triangular sub-lattices constituting hetero-atomic hexagonal materials... rotating incident light field modulated valley polarization"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-unveiling-quantum-frontier-frequency-domain.html "frequency beam splitter alters individual photon's frequency with 50% success... 2-photon NOON state within single-mode fiber, double resolution of its single-photon counterpart... transform interference concept from occurring between 2 spatial paths to between 2 different frequencies, enabling channeling both color components through single-mode optical fiber, creating stable interferometer... quantum sensing, secure communication networks"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-memory-technology-multiferroic-nanodots-power.html "pulsed laser multiferroic BFCO deposition onto conductive Nb:SrTiO3 (001) substrate using anodized aluminum oxide malonic acid masks with adjustable pore sizes... produces 190-nm diameter nanodots, resulting in multi-domain vortex ferroelectric and magnetic structures indicating strong magnetoelectric coupling... both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic, more efficient and versatile memory... magnetization direction reversible with electric field"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-heralded-photon-entanglement-photonic-chip.html "stonger photonic interaction quantum computing, room temperature, minimal decoherence, near-deterministically generated entangled clusters validating success without perturbing target state... 6 photons injected into 10-mode passive interferometer... InAs/GaAs quantum dot single-photon source, interferometer 50% efficiency... specific unitary transformation, output state across ports 1-6 dual-rail... fault-tolerant photonic quantum computers... future: multiple 3-GHZ resource states amalgamated using 8 photons"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-high-energy-density-capacitors-2d.html "1X1 inch, scalable... improved permittivity, dielectric breakdown, charge polarization... layered polymers with oriented (utilizing mechanical exfoliation, transfer techniques) mechanically exfoliated 2D nanofiller flakes... 75 J/cm³ energy density, efficiency... mica, hexagonal boron nitride... continuous organic-inorganic interfaces... pacemakers, defibrillators, consumer electronics, EVs, aviation, defense... other polymeric systems: polymer topology manipulation, polymer grafted nanoparticles, layered block copolymers"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-storage-efficiency-durability-capacitors.html "improved energy storage, decreased energy loss when charged/ discharged, increased number of times can charge/ discharge... capacitor using multiple thin layers of different materials, increasing efficiency to >90%, 2X less energy loss... temperature range 25 – 200°C, charge/ discharge up to 10 billion times... pacemakers, defibrillators, radar, EVs"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-deformed-crystal.html "deforming 2D photonic crystal with regular hole pattern in silicon layer containing light... breaking this regularity in exactly right manner deforms array locking photons... similar effect on photons as magnetic field, insulator-like, on electrons... adjusting deformation pattern adjusts magnetic fields steer light concentration, strength, over entire crystal surface... stop light waves from moving, meaning Landau energy levels... nanophotonic chip development, efficient lasers or quantum light sources"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-combines-dna-origami-photolithography-closer.html "cheaper, faster, smaller, more powerful computers... molecular machine self-assembly emulating natural evolution, synergy with current chip manufacturing... large-scale, low-defect, accessible nanofabrication and assembly... replaces sugar-phosphates backbone with photosensitive diacetylene polymerize when primed by UV or electrons... complementary hydrogen-bonded end groups driving self-assembly analogous to DNA/RNA bases... 4-letter alphabets occurred in 15−25 kcal/mol binding energies region"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-dimensional-superconductor.html "placed graphene domain walls (highly conductive) between 2 superconductors, achieving ultimate proximity between counterpropagating edge states while minimizing effects of disorder... supercurrents at temperatures up to 1°K at high magnetic fields... gate voltage propagates in 2 opposite directions within same nanoscale space without scattering... standing electron waves modulate superconducting in quantum Hall regime... topological quasiparticles combining the quantum Hall effect and superconductivity"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-tiny-chip-safeguard-user-enabling.html "digital in-memory compute: digital IMC chip performs computations inside device's memory where pieces of machine-learning model stored after being moved over from central server... data split into random pieces, re-used without adding more pieces, lightweight cipher encrypts model stored off-chip, generated key decrypting cipher directly on chip... resists millions hacking attempts, cipher remained unbreakable, slightly more expensive and less energy-efficient... health-monitoring, financial, AR VR, autonomous driving"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-unconventional-technology-composites-important-automotive.html "stronger, tougher... withstands strain despite interphase between 2 diverse materials. rigid fibers and a soft matrix, or a binder substance, being improved... deposited thermoplastic nanofibers like cobwebs to chemically create supportive network toughening... nanofiber and matrix material high-surface-area scaffolding load transfer pathway where stress passed between reinforcing fibers and surrounding matrix material... simple, scalable, low-cost, increase strength almost 60%, toughness 100%"

https://www.uni-muenster.de/news/view.php?cmdid=13997&lang=en "...of visible light by several degrees at certain wavelengths under small magnetic fields... miniaturised optical isolators for on-chip integration of optical computer technologies... also, bulky magnets, which are also required for optical isolators, could be made 2-D magnets, reducing size of photonic ICs... bound electron-hole pairs (excitons) in 2D semiconductors rotate light polarisation when the 2D material is placed in small magnetic field"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-plasma-treatment-electrode-material-fuel.html "fuel cells oxidize natural gas producing more useful power, less greenhouse gases and no pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, aerosol particles)... economic air plasma catalytic activity boosted incorporating defects into carbon electrode without incorporating additional materials or production steps... introduce oxygen and nitrogen atoms in various proportions into highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and one other carbon-based material... results fairly close to those using noble metals"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-2d-material-remarkable-precision-minimal.html "ferroionic 2D material CuCrP2S6 achieves efficient, tunable modulation across IR maintaining precise phase control at low signal loss with compact footprint... minuscule ring structures on silicon chips... finely tune optics of transmitted signal without attenuation... precise control over refractive index, minimizing optical losses... phased arrays, optical switching, environmental sensing and metrology, optical imaging, neuromorphic computing, light-sensitive artificial synapses, optoelectronics, communication networks'"

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240422640698/en/ "fit 40-foot shipping container, scalable... stores heat instead of electricity... heat engine enables electricity 24 hours/ day... electricity as low as $0.01/ kWh or less... deployable rapidly and cost-effectively – and it's available this year,... Exowatt is built to respond quickly to the escalating energy demands of the modern world, especially those spurred by the rapid growth of AI... backlog >500 MW for data centers"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-universal-cocktail-electrolyte-ultra-stable.html   "multi-component additive synergies enable  LiCoO 2  (also high-Ni and Co-free) cathode, 4.6 V, ultra-fast 12 minute charging, wide temperature range (-20 to 45o C).... robust and kinetically fat electrode/electrolyte interphases on both cathode and anode, enriched with LiF and Li3PO4,... sable, enhanced ionic conductivity, preventing cathode surface degradation, unwanted interfacial reactions suppressed, accelerated reaction kinetics, dendrites miigated.... capacity retention 73.2% over 1K (long term 3.8K) cycles" Related: An ultralow-concentration electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries | https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-ultralow-electrolyte-lithium-ion-batteries.html

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/intel-neuromorphic-computer-hala-point "50X faster, 100X less energy... artificial neuron and synapse networks... parallel processing, up to 20 quadrillion operations per second... >15 trillion operations per second per watt, consuming maximum of 2,600 watts, comparable to household appliance... Intel’s Loihi 2 neuromorphic processor.. packs 1,152 Loihi 2 processors into microwave-oven-size space... supports up to 1.15 billion artificial neurons and 128 billion synapses... neuron capacity roughly equivalent owl... neuromorphic computing, large-scale AI"

https://newatlas.com/transport/ironlev-passive-ferromagnetic-rail-tracks/ "cushion of air that physically separates the vehicle from the track... U-shaped passive ferromagnetic levitation... no wheels... move a 10-ton wagon with the same force that is needed to lift a 22-lb backpack... existing iron railways tracks... tracks not modified, no elements added to infrastructure, extremely cost-effective... future: 20-tonne vehicle and ramping the speed up to 200 km/h (124 mph)"

https://innovationorigins.com/en/breakthrough-research-on-iron-powder-kickstarts-clean-energy-cycle/ "combustion and reduction iron powder from steel-making or mining residues, water treatment sludge... iron powder storage high energy density, compact, cheap, safe, environmentally friendly, easily transported, recyclable... retrofit coal power plants... Brabant-based startup RIFT already heats hundreds of households with iron powder" Related: Rocks with infinite energy inside them in the United States: the science-fiction, but real, discovery https://www.ecoticias.com/en/rocks-infinite-energy/924/

https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=65068.php "1.2 M calcium chloride electrolyte evaporation-induced electrical power densities up to 10 W/m2, rivaling wind power... electrokinetic effect, sustainable... delignified balsa and cellulosic balsa increased surface area 10 and 21X... increased hydrophilicity, surface charge density, number vertically aligned negatively charged cellulose nanofibrils serving as ion nanofluidic channels... 2 mm thick DBWG generated open-circuit 0.77 V, short-circuit current 148 µA, biodegradable, environmentally friendly... self-powered sensors"

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/industry-metal-carbone-nanotubes/1024/ "already approved by specialized materials development company DexMat... carbon nanotubes made into NTCs, or negative temperature coefficient thermistors, stand out for their robustness, flexibility, light weight and outstanding electrical conductivity... resistance to sudden changes in temperature... also uses methane as raw material which acts as a carbon sink... production carried out with renewable energy... vehicles, construction, medical devices, electronics (electrically efficient)"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-hydrocarbon-molecule-supplier-energy-storage.html "at least 30% of original converted energy lost using battery storage... new type of organic solar modules either convert sunlight into electricity or long term chemical storage... norbornadiene 2 molecule rings hydrocarbon isomer exposed to UV partially reorganizing atomic bonds, converting to similarly structured but more highly strained quadricyclane... enables recovery from storage as electricity (not just heat)... energy density comparable to lithium-ion battery... future: not just UV but wide sunlight spectrum"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-compact-quantum-advances-optical.html "quantum interference among several single photons using resource-efficient platform... light's wave-particle duality induces interference patterns, enabling encoding, processing quantum information... temporal encoding manipulates photons' time (not spatial) domain... optical fiber loop enables repeated use of same optical components, facilitating efficient, less resources multi-photon interference... quantum interference among up to 8 photons... interference pattern can be reconfigured, scaled, without changing optical setup"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-semiconductors-featuring-ultrafast-electrons.html "electron mobility comparable to graphene, but having band gap enabling regulating electrical current and use as semiconductor... steric hindrance from triazacoronene periphery given bulky pendant functional groups, suppressed 2D monomers intermediates stacking,  increasing intermediates' solubility, facilitating synthesis with higher degree of polymerization and fewer defects, resulting in outstanding electrical conductivity after p-type doping... coherent multi-carrier transport, finite n-type carriers... batteries, catalysts"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-proof-concept-nanogenerator-sustainable-power.html "industrial  polyamine gel absorbs CO 2,,  skeleton 2D boron nitrate generates positive (large size) and negative (smaller) ions  moving at different speeds, generating diffusion current amplified into electricity to power light bulbs or any electronic device...  ion transportation more efficient than electron transportation...  embedded in  90% water  hydrogel cut into 4-cm disks and small rectangles used in small box pumped full of CO 2 "

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-material-supercharges-electrostatic-energy-storage.html "electrostatic capacitors enable ultrafast charging/ discharging, now with less energy loss using ferroelectric 2D/3D/2D heterostructures, by controlling time it takes for charge to dissipate, modulated by a small gap in material... engineered chemical and nonchemical bonds between each layer... sweet spot between conductivity and nonconductivity where semiconducting materials optimize energy storage... energy densiy up to 19X higher, efficiency >90%...  doesn't polarize and lose charge capability... EV capacitors"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-skyrmions-future.html "skyrmion magnetic nanobubbles can be moved by electrical currents, at up to 900 m/s... tiny size provides great computing, information storage capacity, low energy consumption... Until now, these nanobubbles moved no faster than 100 m/s, which is too slow for computing applications. However, thanks to the use of an antiferromagnetic material as medium, the scientists successfully had the skyrmions move 10 times faster than previously observed... higher-performance and less energy-intensive computing devices"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-molecular-compound-technological-applications-nanoscale.html "2D heterostructure acts as magnetic refrigerant... massive lattice-type material of metal cations and organic MOF ligands magnetic surface coolant... growing as nanocrystals on semiconducting silicon surface... magnet molecules alternatives to miniaturization of information storage, where each Gd(III) molecule or ion acts as a bit... lowers temperature inside electronic circuits or devices... with related rare-earths terbium, europium or mixtures thereof can also obtain highly luminescent materials usable as security inks"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-embossing-production-bipolar-plates.html#google_vignette "bipolar plates: fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, and electrolyzer catalyst coated membrane... continuous process, high unit volume output: 120 BPP half plates/ minute, 1/2 costs, small... machine technology: bipolar plate embossed using pair of rollers, wafer-thin metal band running continuously between punch and die, reduces process forces 10X... number of roller sets adjusted individually, depending on bipolar plates' geometry... real-time sensors, smart algorithms monitor and control quality"

  https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-energy-efficient-probabilistic-combining-cmos.html "exceptional computational performance, 3 order magnitude energy-saving, 4 order magnitude area reduction... sometimes inconsistencies between how software and hardware work together, leading to discrepancies in outcomes... spintronic probabilistic bit comprising stochastic magnetic tunnel junction generates physical random number driving pseudo random number generators programmed in CMOS circuit, or field-programmable gate array... AI, machine learning"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-nano-enable-lighter-tougher-composite.html "high-performance fibers embedded in polymer sheets stacked and pressed into 1 extremely lightweight, durable multilayer... prevent cracks from spreading between composite layers by up to 60% by depositing chemically grown (vapor deposition) carbon densely packed nanotubes between composite layers... composite 3 mm thick comprising 60 layers, each made from stiff, horizontal fibers embedded in polymer sheet... lighter, stronger airplanes"

https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/geothermal-power-gyrotrons/8564288/ "using same amount of energy required to power typical drilling rig... millimeter-wave source targeted through 20 cm waveguide blasts basketball-size hole into rock at 20m/ hour... continuous drilling for just over 25 days at that rate would create the deepest hole in the world... drilling for geothermal energy would be the fastest and cheapest"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-gigahertz-switchable-wavefront-lnoi-empowered.html "real-time high-speed beam shaping, spatial light modulation, information processing, in compact photonic IC's... subwavelength metasurfaces manipulate light in both spatial and temporal domains leveraging lithium niobate's electro-optics... applying different electric signals to electrodes enables shaping any wavefront in reconfigurable arbitrary polarization states... lateral focal position and focal length control, orbital angular momentum, Bessel beams... optical communication, computation, sensing, imaging"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-internet-quantum.html "mechanical memory for quantum data... quantum drum: small ceramic glass-like membrane with holes scattered in neat pattern along edges... light emitted through existing high-speed fiber-optic cable between quantum computers pass through periodic quantum drums receiving and re-transmuting signals, avoiding noise while keeping data in quantum state... record-long 23 ms of memory time... quantum drum a kind of quantum RAM, temporary working memory for quantum information" Related: Crucial connection for 'quantum internet' made for the first time https://phys.org/news/2024-04-crucial-quantum-internet.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-advance-based-capabilities-future-smart.html "tiny transparent pixels array produces low-power, broadband, low-loss and fast nonlinearities, from low-power ambient light... incoming images processed without conversion to digital signal... cheap low power camera like one with super-resolution... transparent plane 1 cm square using 2D semiconductor... does not absorb much light, but sufficient so that each pixel can change from completely transparent to partially transparent to opaque... reduced glare smartphone camera, sensors, image encryption"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-team-universal-programmable-multifunctional-photonic.html "on-demand programming and interconnecting of wireless and photonic segments of communication networks, avoiding the generation of bottlenecks that can limit both the capacity and bandwidth available... converter behind antenna, and interface chip, tiny as possible to support higher frequencies... already been integrated into iPRONICS' Smartlight, Vodafone is testing... data centers, telecommunications, AI, 5G, autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, satellites, drones"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-battery-robotic-lab-vets-reaction.html "chemically complex battery materials often difficult to manufacture at scale with high purity.... now, up to 80% fewer impurities, fewer costly refinement steps, increasing economic viability... chemical bonds in intermediate compounds difficult to break, hanging around as impurities... solved working with only 2 ingredients at a time until fully reacted... robotic lab (costs $120,000) synthesizes up to 24 different battery materials every 72 hours.... computers automatically record the results for optimization"

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3258873/scientists-china-south-korea-devise-pioneering-strategy-breakthrough-semiconductor-technology "low cost, amorphous semiconductors with high electron mobility, using CMOS technology but with thermal evaporation created tellurium-based composite instead of silicon... amorphous better than crystalline forms that have low stability, complex synthesis processes, large-area non-uniformity, lack of industrial compatibility...  these new amorphous p-type semiconductors have outstanding electrical performance, cost-effectiveness, high-stability, scalability, processing potential, also beating previous amorphous technology" Related: Researcher develop high-performance amorphous p-type oxide semiconductor https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-high-amorphous-p-oxide-semiconductor.html

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3258854/could-chinas-taichi-light-based-chip-show-way-ai "faster, >1,000X more energy efficient than Nvidia H100... scalable, robust, distributed photonic ICs arranged into clusters forming shallow but broad architecture... computing resources distributed into multiple independent clusters organised separately for subtasks... on-chip 1K-category–level classification (91.89% accuracy in 1623-category Omniglot dataset) high-fidelity AI–generated content, up to 2 orders magnitude efficiency improvement... AGI (image recognition training), ChatGPT-like content generation"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-inorganic-functional-nanomaterials-quantum-dots.html "glutathione exposes thiol groups on Bcl-2 protein, enhancing reducing ability promoting Se/ Cd precursor generation enabling quantum dot synthesis in cell nucleus... transports glutathione into nucleus in large quantities... this isn't genetic modification... inorganic fluorescent nanomaterial synthesis with cellular organelles by regulating glutathione content and distribution within cells... nanodrugs, nanorobots in specified organelles transforming cells into super cells"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-microprinting-millions-microparticles-eye-multi.html "10X faster while maintaining exquisite detail... affordable, accessable, material compatibility... multiple focused beams instead of 1, boosting voxel throughput... crafting millions of microscopic parts within minutes... optimal focus and power delivery... (1) millions of custom-designed microparticles printed, uselful for medicine, drug delivery solutions, (2) massive, complex metamaterial containing >1.7 trillion voxels microprinted"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-advances-quantum-home.html "complete security, privacy, authenticity verification... Can be scaled up to large quantum computations... access remote quantum computers processing confidential data with secret algorithms... fiber network link between quantum server and device detecting photons at remote cloud services computer... needs real-time information to comply with algorithm using unique quantum memory and photons combination... devices plugging into laptops safeguarding data using quantum cloud" See also: The experimental demonstration of a verifiable blind quantum computing protocol https://phys.org/news/2024-04-experimental-quantum-protocol.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-high-terahertz-modulators-substrate-field.html "optoelectronics with strong light-matter interactions, 2D tellurium, fast carrier, layer-dependent bandgap, extraordinarily high fast carrier mobility/ recombination, strong optical response, good air-stability... high modulation ps depth, ultrasensitive response under low pump excitation... heterojunction with Ge/Te stacking order, ultrahigh modulation depth, short-lived carrier lifetime, low loss, broad bandwidth...  power-efficient, high-speed, low insertion loss, tunable THz photonic devices... communications"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-hydrogel-microplastics.html "3D 3-layer intertwined polymers: chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, polyaniline... infused with copper substitute polyoxometalate nanoclusters, catalyzed using UV to degrade, bind as Interpenetrating Polymer Network, strong hydrogel stable under various temperatures... up to 5 cycles microplastic removal without significant efficacy loss, then repurposed into carbon nanomaterials removing heavy metals like hexavalent chromium from polluted water... removes about 95% and 93% of 2 types of microplastics in water at near-neutral pH"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-metasurface-antenna-enable-future-6g.html "high-frequency (60 GHz), intelligent, highly adaptive, fine-grained, reconfigurable, high-speed fieldpogrammable gate-array digitally coded dynamic leaky-wave metasurface antenna beam control/ shaping mmWave: real-time 3D people and object holographs projected worldwide, beam focusing, wireless power transfer, integrated sensing and near-field communications, patient monitoring and care, autonomous vehicles, radar, fast data transfer." Related: New metasurface innovation unlocks precision control in wireless signals https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-metasurface-precision-wireless.html

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breakthrough-in-memory-technology-next-generation-optoelectronic-memory-with-tellurene-302114374.html "rhenium disulfide/ hexagonal boron nitride layers on top of hBN layer followed by 2D tellurene Van der Waals heterostructure, silicon dioxide substrate... weak inter-layer bonds, stable, room temperature, broad adsorption spectrum, reduced size and power consumption, high on-off switching ratios (106), loating-gate, long-term data retention... multi-bit storage states by varying gate voltage, input laser wavelength and power... broadband optical programmability for digital circuits, next-generation flash memory"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-defect-2d-semiconductor-crystals-oxygen.html "control 2D transition metal (tungsten and sulfur, with formula WS2) dichalcogenide defect states using h-BN encapsulation... oxygen molecules adsorb onto crystal defect sites, sulfur vacancies where sulfur atom is missing from WS2 lattice sites... adsorbed oxygen molecules fix in place when WS2 crystals encapsulated within hexagonal boron nitride monolayers, above and below WS2 layer, altering/ stabilizing TMD electronic behavior (passivation)... flexible devices, solar cells"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-quantum-material-efficiency-solar-cells.html "average photovoltaic absorption 80%, high photoexcited carrier generation rate, external quantum efficiency 190%... distinctive intermediate specific energy level band states have energy levels within optimal subband gaps of around 0.78 and 1.26 electron volts... high UV, visible absorption levels... generating/ collecting >1 electron from each high-energy photon... capture photon energy otherwise lost through reflection, production of heat... Cu-intercalated GeSe/SnS, via van der Waals gaps"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-embedding-silver-nanoparticles-lining-cotton.html "silver nanoparticle hybrid material adds antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, electrical, optical properties to consumer products: aerogels, packaging, composites, textiles, coatings, paints, pigments, electronics, optics... simple, cost-effective, environmentally friendly producing/ embedding silver nanoparticles within cotton gin waste, water containing silver ions, and heat... silver nanoparticles continues to kill harmful bacteria wash after wash... upcycle large quantities cotton gin waste produced annually"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-microbial-plastic-factory-high-quality.html "bacteria (can use CO2 as raw material) produce more processable, scalable plastic modifier... mix polylactic acid with bacteria-produced LAHB bioplastic...bacteria naturally produces precursor, then manipulate organism's genome through gene addition/ deletion enabling LAHB chains up to 10X longer... high degree of melt tension during LAHB manufacture in high amounts, using glucose as feedstock... highly transparent plastic, moldable, more shock resistant, biodegrades in seawater within week" Related: Researchers develop eggshell 'bioplastic' pellet as sustainable alternative to plastic https://phys.org/news/2024-04-eggshell-bioplastic-pellet-sustainable-alternative.html Biodegradable 'living plastic' houses bacterial spores that help it break down https://phys.org/news/2024-04-biodegradable-plastic-houses-bacterial-spores.html

https://newatlas.com/marine/sharrow-contra-rotating-toroidal-propellers/ "...in CleanTech Breakthrough Awards program... already 30% more efficient, all-new CX boasts coaxial propellers rotating around single shaft in opposite directions... even more energy-efficient (30% more range), reduced outboard noise, faster (50% more reverse thrust),... Volvo, Mercury. Suzuki outboards and sterndrives... independent opposite rotations counter energy otherwise lost in tangential flow, better focusing on thrust... tipless blades... $8,995 to $11,995, depending upon make/ model, delivery Spring 2026"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-advancing-real-3d-holographic-display.html "real-time computer-generated holograms significantly reduced computational overhead... virtual digital phase modulation split Lohmann lens-based diffraction enabling rapid 3D hologram synthesis through single-step backward propagation calculation... highly accurate reconstruction of 3D scenes with precise depth perception... consistent computation speed regardless of depth sampling density, enabling seamless integration into immersive 3D visualization... entertainment, medical imaging, VR" Related: Holographic displays offer a glimpse into an immersive future https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-holographic-displays-glimpse-immersive-future.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-technique-secret-wireless-communication.html "walls, furniture, people are obstacles, gotten around by curving light... THz 100X data-carrying capacity of microwaves... THz following curved trajectory around obstacle, instead of being blocked by it... self-accelerating beams naturally curve to one side as they move through space... transmitter manipulates em wave strength, intensity, timing... shuffles data along patterns engineered into transmitter... when one pattern blocked, data transfers to next one(s)... faster, more stable.. future: how much can be curved, how far away" Related: First curved data link side-steps key 6G wireless challenge https://phys.org/news/2024-04-link-side-key-6g-wireless.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-bessy-ii-pulsed-batteries.html "service life up to eight years when charged with constant current flow, with solid electrolyte interface at anode significantly thicker, and more cracks in NMC532 cathode and graphite electrode structure, impairing capacity... pulsed current charging led to homogeneous distribution of lithium ions in graphite, thinner solid electrolyte interface with fewer structural changes, reducing mechanical stress, improving graphite anode structural stability with less Ni-O bond length variation" See also: Improving sodium ion batteries with mechanically robust nanocellular graphene  https://phys.org/news/2024-04-sodium-ion-batteries-mechanically-robust.html  and: Researchers use self-organized crack-free nanocellular graphene film to enhance sodium ion batteries  https://www.graphene-info.com/researchers-use-self-organized-crack-free-nanocellular-graphene-film-enhance Related: KAIST’s Breakthrough: New Sodium Battery

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-02-architecture-picowatt-logic-based-biased.html "pseudo-CMOS self-biased molybdenum disulfide transistors...  energy efficient, fast, stable, smaller than previous size limit, excellent field-effect properties, immunity to short channel effects, better polarity control... connecting load and n-type field-effect transistors as driver in series...  pW static power, 1% and 0.3% of CMOS and NMOS... combining pass-transistor logic designs reduces number of transistors 80%... circumvents transistor polarity control reducing static power...  logic computing inverters, gate circuits"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-propagating-dimensions-deforming-versatile-diffractive.html "on-chip non-diffracting light fields: higher resolution, less difficulty encoding phase profile... metasurfaces using nanoscale antenna miniaturizing optical... reconstructed non-diffracting light field along propagation path, circularly Airy beams into non-diffracting bullet beam after propagating a distance... joint local-global phase control of radial phase gradient and encoding more complex, non-diffracting optical fields... triple birefringent nanoantennas doubled light field types to 6... high tolerance to manufacturing defects"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-robust-optimal-based-fuzzy-descriptor.html "mathematical fuzzy model transformed into Linear Matrix Inequalities...  robust-optimal controller combining Parallel Distributed Compensator managing deviations with optimal controller minimizing cost to obtain optimal control... demonstrated  inverted pendulum on rotating base stabilized when initial displacement angle small... high settling time reduced 6X (13 to 2 seconds), maximum amplitudes also reduced during oscillations... industrial robots, autonomous vehicles, health care, manufacturing"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-team-reconfigurable-photonic-architecture-lifelong.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter "L2ONN photonic computer lifelong memory consolidation and retrieval, sparse neuron connectivity and parallelly task-driven neurocognition... fast, and up to 14 times larger capacity than existing optical neural networks, with an order of magnitude higher energy efficiency than the representative electronic artificial neural networks... mitigates forgetting expertise gained from previously learned tasks when trained on something new... vision classification, voice recognition, medical diagnosis" Related: Neural networks can mediate between download size and quality, according to researcher https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-neural-networks-download-size-quality.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-proof-principle-3d-magnetic-hard.html "FePt grains combined with heat-assisted laser writing high anisotropy magnetic recording medium, sustaining areal recording densities up to 10 Tbit/in2. (>10 Tbit/in2 possible using 3 or 4 recording levels HDD storage... lattice-matched, FePt/Ru/FePt multilayer films, with Ru spacer layer... FePt layers have different Curie temperatures, so recording becomes possible adjusting laser power when writing... future: processes reducing FePt grain size, improving orientation and magnetic anisotropy"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-zap-california-startup-touts-battery.html "acts as universal adapter for devices that run on electricity... manipulating battery voltage to match device... uses SCiB Toshiba lithium titanium oxide batteries and talking to other major players... no thermal runaway... operating temperatures as low as -22°F... 80% charge in <6 minutes, lifespan >20,000 cycles with almost no degradation, even with fast charging/ discharging,.. scales across battery chemistries, producers and manufacturers—into all the markets you can conceive of in terms of rechargeable batteries"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-surface-emitting-semiconductor-laser-efficiency.html "20-junction VCSEL power electro-optical conversion room temperature efficiency >88%, multijunction cascaded active area technology reverse tunnel junctions realizing active region cascading, increasing gain volume (15-junction 74%, with slope efficiency 15.6 W/A, corresponding to differential quantum efficiency >1100%)... multiple stimulated emission lowers threshold current... sensing, communication, atomic clocks, optical/quantum computing, topological lasers, medical diagnostics. autonomous driving, AI"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-palladium-contact-issues-oxide-thin.html "hydrogen injection method where Pd electrode (high hydrogen diffusion rate and hydrogen solubility) catalyzes hydrogen dissociation at low temperature, transporting (up to 100 μm depth) atomic hydrogen to amorphous oxide semiconductor- electrode interface, enabling highly conductive oxide layer... contact resistance reduced 2 orders magnitude, charge carrier mobility increased from 3.2 cm2V–1s–1 to nearly 20 cm2V–1s–1... capacitor-less, high-density DRAM thin film transistors, displays"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-nonvolatile-quantum-memory-discovery-path.html "heat toggles iron, germanium and tellurium crystal between 2 electronic phases, each producing topologically protected quantum states, reducing decoherence-related errors... reheat and cool for either longer or shorter time period to switch phases... did not need melting and re-crystallization to change phases... vacancy order controlling lattice symmetry electronic topology... design, control topology through cooperation of strong correlations and space group symmetry"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-machine-enables-viability-vertical-axis.html "sensor technology and machine learning... 2 optimal pitch profiles for VAWT blades achieving 200% turbine efficiency increase, 77% structure-threatening vibration reduction... overcomes resistance to gusts by mounting sensors onto actuating blade shaft measuring air forces... generated pitch profiles by pitching blade back and forth at different angles, speeds, and amplitudes, performing >3,500 experimental iterations, selected most efficient and robust... use dynamic stall to redirect blade pitch forward producing power"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-propelling-atomically-layered-magnets-green.html "room temperature, controlled electrically without need for magnetic fields... iron gallium telluride 2D van der Waals magnet (low electrical current density) interfaced with 2D tungsten ditelluride (breaks 2nd mirror plane without outside help)... improved interface, gate voltage tunability, flexible and transparent spintronic technologies... electric current conversion to spin currents in heavy metals enables controlling magnets electrically... order magnitude lower switching current required, 2 orders magnitude more energy efficient" Related: Magnetic with a pinch of hydrogen: Research team develops new idea to improve the properties of ultra-thin materials https://phys.org/news/2024-04-magnetic-hydrogen-team-idea-properties.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-hidden-semiconductor-material.html "chip's substrate responds to changes in electricity... semiconductor material vanadium dioxide behaves similarly to its substrate titanium dioxide when semiconductor switches between insulator (stops electricity) and metal (letting electricity flow, film channel bulges) ... high-temperature superconductivity and enhanced magnetic properties... oxygen atom vacancies hold charge of 2 electrons, released when switches from insulator to metal... faster, more efficient electronics, neuromorphic computing" Related: The spontaneous emergence of 1D superconducting stripes at a 2D interface in an oxide heterostructure https://phys.org/news/2024-04-spontaneous-emergence-1d-superconducting-stripes.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-ultra-lowpower-memory-neuromorphic.html "nm scale, high speed, non-volatile phase changeable filament memory combines advantages of DRAM and NAND flash memory... electrically form phase change materials in small area enables consuming 15X less power... lower manufacturing cost... high-density 3D vertical memory, neuromorphic computing for next-generation artificial intelligence"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-method-hydrogen-chloride.html "hydrogen chloride by-product in traditional chlorination processes recovered and recycled in safer manner... more energy efficient electrolysis generating hydrogen and chlorine... can be handled more safely in its anhydrous (water-free) state...  safely bound to triethylmethylammonium chloride salt creating bichloride ionic liquid under ambient conditions and later safely released... bichloride also used to manufacture plastics or silicones"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-team-path-term-storage-based.html "proton or helium ion beam providing high spatial resolution, fast writing speed, low energy for storing single bit, read using lphotoluminescence using focused electron-beam excitation causing cathodoluminescence... storage density diffraction limit inherent to optical media overcome by encoding 3D plus 4th intensity dimension, controlling lateral position, depth, number of defects... retention time > a few generations under ambient conditions... areal storage density corresponds to Blu-ray disks"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-scientists-ai-power-hungry.html "keep energy costs in mind from outset, for design and training phases... convolutional neural networks utilizing benchmark AI models collection using less energy to solve given task, but performing approximately same level... 70–80% (conservative estimate) energy savings during training and deployment... 1% or less decreased performance; however, in some fields like self-driving cars or certain areas of medicine, model precision can be critical for safety"

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quantinuum-partners-with-microsoft-in-new-phase-of-reliable-quantum-computing-with-breakthrough-demonstration-of-reliable-logical-qubits-302106318.html "qubit-virtualization system, path to hybrid classical-quantum supercomputing... fault tolerant quantum computing, the most reliable logical qubits with active syndrome extraction... can run 14K independent instances of quantum circuit error-free... fidelity, scalability, flexibility of Quantinuum's 32-qubit H2 quantum processor with 99.8% 2-qubit gate fidelities, 32 qubits, QCCD architecture powered by Honeywell, combined with Microsoft's highly innovative error correction capabilities"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-scientists-amorphous-flexible-mini-inductor.html "high inductance density (280–390 nH/mm2, about 10X higher.), reduced energy consumption, suitable for low-frequency applications... high-precision femtosecond laser ablation crafted without inducing crystallization... reduces magnetic leakage to <10-4 T minimizing interference between components... inductance density increases to about... can be stretched 3X, while retaining performance with only <10% decayed inductance value and quality factor after 2,500 bending cycles at 16-mm bending radius"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-blocks-greener-energy-reconfigurable-elastic.html "exploit relationships among wavelengths manipulating wave energy: light, vibration, sound... Timoshenko–Ehrenfest beam theory including shear deformation and rotational inertia... reconfigurable elastic metasurface enabling control: anomalous wave refraction, wave focusing, self-accelerated wave propagation, total wave reflection across, 8X piezoelectric electric output... metasurface operates across multifunctional, wide-frequency ranges... ambient energy (vibrations, passing vehicles)... health monitoring, wireless sensing, IoT"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-photonic-feature-extractor-broadband-radio.html#google_vignette "key information extracted directly in signal reception's analog link, reducing data redundancy and data rate... photonic chip imitates convolutional neural network, outputs key features without digital processing from RF received by antenna... compresses data rate 4X, maintaining 97.5% target recognition accuracy, 7.7% better recognition accuracy... spatiotemporal feature extraction performs 6% better than 1D feature extraction... radar, machine vision, medical imaging, autonomous driving, robotics, and smart factories"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-classical-optical-neural-network-quantum.html "optical neural networks (low: energy consumption, crosstalk, transmission latency) and quantum neural networks (algorithmic acceleration such as faster model convergence speed)... speedup analog to quantum neural network... classical optical correlations as information carrier, mimicking that of quantum... convolutional and pooling operation on correlated optical state... neural network includes: correlated light source, convolution, pooling, detections... properties of quantum neural network, cheaper... big data"

https://news.mit.edu/2024/mit-engineers-3d-print-electromagnets-solenoids-0223 "reduce costs, eliminate manufacturing waste... modified multimaterial 3D printer to print compact, magnetic-cored solenoids (fundamental building block of many electronics) in 1 step, eliminating defects that might be introduced during post-assembly processes... solenoids withstanding 2X electric current and 3X magnetic field than other 3D-printed devices... added ventilation for cooling... monolithic extrusion printing, 4-nozzles: 2 for soft magnetics, 1 for biodegradable thermoplastics, 1 for pellets of magnetic nylon" Related: Manipulating the geometry of the 'electron universe' in magnets https://phys.org/news/2024-04-geometry-electron-universe-magnets.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-acids-enable-adhesive-electrodes-thin.html "adhesive electrode enabling components to work synergistically...  overcomes interfacial displacement... combined heteropolic acids (inorganic nano-sized clusters with fast and reversible redox activity enabling quick and reliable energy charge and discharge) with amino acids (help heteropolic acids become more flexible) and carbon materials (contribute to electronic conduction)... bridged gap between parallel electrodes by injecting gel-electrolyte... supercapacitors for high voltage output with metal-free interconnects"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-scientists-high-boost-efficiency-dc.html "combines 10X higher frequency switching with soft switching (acts like resistor at zero voltage) reducing electromagnetic noise and power losses, dissipating heat, reducing number of components, keeping cost and complexity low... resonant tank circuits storing energy during switching period... planar transformer,:flat components printed onto circuit board... MHz drive's high energy efficiency up to 91.3%... electric power, renewable energy, transportation, information, telecommunications, medical... future: kW-class capacity" Related: A flexible and efficient DC power converter for sustainable-energy microgrids https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-flexible-efficient-dc-power-sustainable.html