Today's Tech News: Notable or Not?

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-scalable-graphene-technology-significantly-battery.html "defect-free graphene foils with thermal conductivity up to 1,400.8 W m–1 K–1, nearly 10X higher... readily integrated into existing production... enhances energy density/ longevity... dense, aligned graphene provides barrier against oxygen permeating battery cells/ flammable gas formation... graphene foils meters to kilometers in length... prototype 200-meter-long graphene foil with a thickness of 17 micrometers, retaining high electrical conductivity >100K bendings... EVs, batteries, flexible electronics" Related: A new plasma-based technological design boosts graphene production by more than 22% https://phys.org/news/2024-10-plasma-based-technological-boosts-graphene.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-basis-reprogrammable-coding-metasurface-generating.html "broadband, compact, high scalability... orthogonal circular polarization incident electromagnetic wave components a complete basis state set... holographic image under arbitrarily polarized incident electromagnetic waves... spin-controlled meta-holograms with identical/ variable focal length, coplanar dual-polarized pixel synthesis meta-holograms, full-polarized Poincaré detection... high capacity information storage, dynamic holographic display/ detection, multi-functional electromagnetic information processing"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-transparent-electronics-transparency-microdisplays.html "organic silicon backplane, containing entire active matrix drive pixel electronics, monolithically integrated on topmost metallization layer, simultaneously drive contact for OLED... 2nd connection of OLED is semi-transparent top electrode shared by all pixels... aluminum or copper. metal layer connectors... highly reflective bottom electrode ensures high optical efficiency upwards... transparent areas between pixels, column/ row wiring minimization, anti-reflective coatings... OLED microdisplays, microlens array for AR"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-generation-polarization-randomly-interleaved-plasmonic.html "full set of polarization states (left/ right-handed circularly polarized light, linearly polarized light in different orientations) switchable across multiple channels, integrated into single optical metasurface... reflective gold-silica-gold plasmonic metasurface with 6 randomly interleaved metasurface regions, each outputting/ collecting different polarization states at distinct reflection angles simultaneously... integrating nanoscale plates bearing different rotational angles enables simultaneous output... imaging, sensing, communication"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-reconfigurable-smart-antenna-complexity-high.html "highly localized EM fields, flexible/ tunable dispersion, externally perceivable, cheaper, small, low-crosstalk, conformal transmission lines, active/ passive devices/ communication systems... wide frequency band, high gain, large angle beam scanning, fewer active components, lower design complexity... automatic real-time switching between detecting/ not detecting eavesdropper, beam tracking towards recognized moving target... adaptive beamforming/ interference mitigation... communication, sensing, radar"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-silicon-chip-propels-6g-communications.html "ultra-wideband integrated THz orthogonal polarization (de)multiplexer implemented on substrateless silicon base... multiple data streams transmitted simultaneously over same frequency, doubling data capacity with lower data loss... cost effective, scalable, can be seamlessly integrated with the team's earlier beamforming devices on the same platform to achieve advanced communications functions... telecommunications, imaging, radar, internet of things"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-advances-semiconductor-patterning-block-copolymer.html "improved integration/ miniaturization in semiconductor manufacturing... directed self-assembled compound arranges into perpendicular lamellar structures when applied as thin film without a top coating, half-pitch width <10 nm, outperforming conventional block copolymers... finer circuit patterns on semiconductor chips... refine repulsive interactions between different blocks in resulting polymer... promising templates for use in lithography in semiconductor manufacturing" Related: Scientists develop eco-friendly microfabrication method using water and paper https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-scientists-eco-friendly-microfabrication-method.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-optical-microchips-applications-communications.html "cheap, chip-scale IR source... quantum mechanics' bound-state in the continuum, leveraging specific wave patterns/ resonances within structured material creating optical chips generating coherent, single-wavelength light sources akin to lasers, heated on hot plate... generating 10 to 12μm mid-IR useful for molecular detection/ analysis... coherent single-wavelength essential, as light sources emitting too many wavelengths complicate signal interpretation... cell phones, microscopy, sensing, wireless communication"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-scientists-dmg-equalization-strategy-femtosecond.html "Mode Division Multiplexing exponentially expands communication systems' capacity using multiple mutually orthogonal spatial modes within few-mode optical fiber as independent transmission channels, now with enhanced capacity and reach... differential mode gain equalization strategy via femtosecond laser micromachining induced refractive index tailoring... 5.4 dB maximum equalization range satisfying flexible application of current FM-EDFA... works well even when guided mode group increases to higher orders"

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-spatially-decoupling-bromide-boosts-propylene.html "bromide reaction spatially decouples electrolysis/ propylene conversion, in propylene's electrocatalytic oxidation, producing propylene oxide... Br2 produced at anode then transferred to independent reactor, reacting with propylene, even at high currents... inexpensive carbon paper anode... >99.9% selectivity under all applied potentials... 91% faradaic efficiency at 1.9 V, stable >30 days at 250 mAcm-2 current density with only 0.73% faradaic efficiency decay... electrolysis for 50 h, 6.25 A, produced 262 g propylene oxide" Related: New catalyst developed for sustainable propylene production from biomass https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/info/research-news/entry-62985.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-kagome-superlattice-method-tune-graphene.html "in situ and continuous control through gating and moiré heterostructures, of spectral weight redistribution among multiple Dirac peaks, reverting back using magnetic field... reconstructing band structures through different contributions, leading to dispersion-selective band modulation... van der Waals assembly techniques, and electron beam lithography... creating kagome-lattice pattern functioning as local gate for graphene.... control strength of artificial potential, carrier density, in graphene"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-thermochromic-material-indoor-temperature-energy.html "adjusts transparency with changes in temperature without consuming energy... thermochromics keep heat out/ allow light through... organic and inorganic salt, 2-polymer blend... estimated 60 year life... sustainable architecture... practical and scalable solution for enhancing energy efficiency in buildings" Related: More transparent than glass, new material cools rooms and self-cleans https://newatlas.com/materials/metamaterial-glass-radiative-cooling-self-cleaning/ Multispectral smart window: A step toward healthier indoor environments https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-multispectral-smart-window-healthier-indoor.html MIT startup AeroShield has opened a new facility for manufacturing highly insulating windows that will reduce building energy use and cut carbon emissions. https://news.mit.edu/2024/affordable-high-tech-windows-comfort-energy-savings-aeroshield-0916

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-technique-mass-fabricating-exotic-quasi.html "unique structure's quantum effects producing unusual electrical, optical, mechanical properties... van der Waals forces between 1D chains arrange them into stackable 2D sheets... Dirac and Weyl semimetal's electrons behave as have 0 mass enabling even more exotic optics/ magnetics... physical vapor deposition (sputtering) via RF magnetron, achieving large-scale growth of quasi-1D zirconium pentatelluride... crystallizes upon heat treatment in an argon atmosphere... quantum computing, nano-electronics, spintronics"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-nanotubes-boost-liquid-phase-synthesis.html "liquid-phase cobalt and iridium nanoparticle catalyst synthesis... production efficiency, scalability, yield, structural integrity, better control over reaction environment... catalysts retain effectiveness through multiple cycles lowering costs... iridium catalysts allow precise nanotube diameter/ chiral adjustment... high-performance transistors, sensitive sensors, electronics, flexible displays, cutting-edge batteries, future: adapted synthesizing different nanostructures"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-air-based-refrigeration-refrigerants.html "ultra-high-speed compander used in air refrigeration, instead of vapor compression cycle... -60°C in 1 hour (-100 coolest)... reverse-Brayton cycle compresses air, then goes through heat exchange/ expansion cooling air... gaps between components and shaft displacement require tolerance within 0.1 mm... connects compressor, expander, motor on single shaft, ensuring stable operation even at ultra-high rotational speeds... higher refrigeration efficiency below -50°C... semiconductor processes, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-molecular-electronics-rigid-ladder-molecules.html "precise conductance control using molecules with rigid backbones (shape-persistent ladder-type molecules)... 1-pot molecular synthesizing... prototype butterfly-like stable/ robust molecular junction conductance, overcoming organic molecules' flexibility/ motion causing 1,000X differences in conductance... ladder-type contain uninterrupted sequence of chemical rings with >=2 shared atoms between rings, which locks molecule into certain conformation... consistent conductance enables commercialization"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-miniaturized-brain-machine-interface-neural.html "direct, low power brain-to-text communication... fast, efficient, scalable, fully implantable, recording/ processing on 2 tiny silicon chips with a8mm2 total area... signals generated when imagines writing letters/ words, electrodes recording neural activity associated with handwriting motor actions... 91% accuracy, decodes 31 (future: 100) different characters... integrates 192-channel recording/ 512-channel decoder... needs only 100, not thousands bytes data processed for each letter... ALS, spinal cord injuries"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-dimensional-power-consumption-field-effect.html "overcomes problems with high gate leakage...  1.25 nm thick single-crystalline aluminum oxide smooths interactions between 2D materials and other parts... aluminum gate just 100 µm wide, 250 nm long... complete insulation by leaving gap between gates.... van der Waals transfer properly aligns materials on underlying wafer before moving stack over as single step... smaller, thinner computer chips, smartphones recharging less often, 5G devices with AI apps, IoT components few atoms thick" Related: Engineers develop a bendable, programmable, non-silicon microprocessor that requires only 6 mW of power https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-bendable-programmable-silicon-microprocessor-requires.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-flexible-metasurfaces-efficiency-optoelectronic-devices.html "metasurfaces modify electromagnetic propagation across entire spectrum... low-cost soft lithography fabricating dielectric metasurfaces of 2 complementary nanodimple/ nanobump shapes on flexible polymer substrate... self-assembled photonic crystal with nanometric feature size as master pattern... optoelectronics with improved efficiency through surface effect... easy control of haze scattering surrounding transmitted/ reflected beam increases light absorbed in solar cells or extracted in LEDs"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-world-micromachine-2d-materials.html "microelectromechanical nonlinear optical fingernail-sized, on-chip... enables light output with tunable polarization, including circular carrying angular momentum... swirls appeared when 2 hexagonal boron nitride pieces twisted, resembling half-skyrmion topological quasiparticles... tunable light source for standard light bulbs, as well as for converting blue to red light in quantum computing.. twisted graphene/ other van der Waals materials, twistronics... future: hybrid 2D/ 3D structures for condensed-matter physics"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-nanotechnology-special-micro-crystals-devices.html "optoelectronic, stable at high temperatures, durable, reliable... solvothermal synthesis enables growing large, high-quality ferroelectric crystals near room temperature, maintaing electric polarization that is reversible applying electric field, using solution dissolving materials needed to form crystals... allows very low current flow in dark, detecting very low light or radiation... 100X more sensitive than silicon photodetectors... optical switches, ultrasensitive photodetectors, advanced solar cells, more efficient LEDs"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-molecular-wires-high-molecule.html "carbon-based oligomer chains conducting electricity... long stretch of alternating single/ double-bond conductive oligomers/ polymers enable quantum delocalized electrons hopping between pi-conjugated regions...  more uniform energy levels (higher conductivity), nm-scale molecular wires with rigid fused regions separated by evenly spaced periodic twists... flexible substrates... cheaper thin-film organic light-emitting components in smartphones/ computers, individual molecular wire biocompatible sensors"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-unconventional-interface-superconductor-benefit-quantum.html "topological superconductor using delocalized state of electron/ hole robustly carrying quantum information/ processing data... combined non-magnetic chiral trigonal tellurium with superconductor generated at surface of thin film gold... quantum states at interface hosting spin polarization enabling excitations (qubits)... spin energy 6X more than in conventional superconductors... suppresses decoherence sources from defects (niobium oxides)... 1 order magnitude thinner... 1 million quality factor low-loss microwave resonators" Related:  Quantum coherence’ survives in ultracold molecules https://www.technology.org/2024/09/09/quantum-coherence-survives-in-ultracold-molecules/

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-nontoxic-ceramic-based-electronic-components.html "deformed when exposed to electric field, undergoing strains/ stresses producing tiny, precise movements (electrostrictors/ piezoelectrics)... cerium oxide laced with about 10% zirconium oxide: cheap/ inert/ simple manufacture... same deformation while having much lower dielectric constant, more energy efficient... zirconium, with 4 electrons in its outer orbit, caused electrostriction to shoot up about 200X, comparable to existing lead-containing components"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-validation-superconductor-theory-cooper-pairs.html "in Kagome metals, each star point contains different number of Cooper pairs, displaying wave-like (not uniform, as previously thought) distribution within sublattices at –193°C, acting collectively can create quantum state, moving through Kagome superconductor without resistance at –272°C (almost absolute zero) with their inherent spatial modulation of Cooper pairs, acting as superconducting diodes themselves... energy-efficient quantum devices"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-metasurfaces-thermal-unprecedented-ways.html "metasurfaces that not only control through meticulously engineered nanopillar shapes arrayed across their surfaces, but also do not require external laser sources or bulky, expensive excitation setups, instead fed by internal incoherent oscillations of matter driven by heat... single structured layer with 2D pattern... asymmetric emission of circular polarization towards single direction... LEDs with defined frequencies, custom polarization, wavefront shape created hologram... geology, biology, military, space"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-scientists-hot-emitter-transistor-future.html   "utilize carriers' excess kinetic energy, improving transistors' speed/ functionality... generated via stimulated emission of heated carriers... low power, multifunctional hot-emitter transistor of 2 coupled graphene/ germanium Schottky junctions... germanium injects high-energy carriers into graphene base, diffusing to emitter, triggering increased current  due to the preheated carriers there, enabling sub-threshold swing <1 mV/dec, peak-to-valley room temperature current ratio >100... multi-valued logic computing"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-scientists-perovskite-waveguides-edge-lasing.html "ICs with predefined shaped cesium-lead-bromide perovskite crystals in nonlinear room temperature photonics as waveguides, couplers, splitters, modulators... exciton-polariton condensate quasiparticles behaving partly light, matter -like... high exciton binding energy/ oscillator strength, for energy-efficient light amplification... formed into any shape... integrating nanolasers, waveguides, other elements on single chip utilizing single photons... solar cells, lasers, classical and quantum signal processing" Related:  Planar hyperbolic polaritons' nanolight manipulation for quantum computing and thermal management https://phys.org/news/2024-08-nanolight-insight-quantum-thermal.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-advanced-orbital-angular-momentum-mode.html "flexible arbitrary mode switching among 3 OAM modes within spatial multimode fiber... advanced gradient descent algorithm ensuring crosstalk between channels remains below −18.7 dB, thereby maintaining the integrity of the transmitted signals... significant advancement in the field of optical communications"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-repurposing-pencil-optical-material-plasma.html "various structural colors/ invisible characters only seen using IR camera... thin-layer interference between clay and graphite, the components of pencil lead... irradiating pencil lead with plasma, an electrically charged gaseous state, for extended periods of time resulted in optics causing interference in near/ mid-IR due to larger thickness of clay layer exposed by plasma etching... eco-friendly, cheaper: sensing, OLED displays, telecommunications, cancer treatment, new/ sustainable printing technologies"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-tensor-processor-chip-based-carbon.html "systolic array processor network rhythmically performing 2-bit integer convolution/ matrix multiplication in parallel... allowing free passage using 3K field effect transistors with carbon nanotube (instead of conventional semiconductor) channels, organized as 3*3, 9 total processing units, forming systolic array ... reduces read/ write of static random-access memory, saving energy... 5-layer convolutional neural network, image accuracy up to 88%, power consumption only 295μW... potential reduced latency. more bandwidth"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-bacteria-thermally-stable-plastics-similar.html "metabolic pathway recombining enzymes from other microorganisms that allowed E. coli to produce/ tolerate accumulation of polymers entirely of ring-like monomers with phenyllactate aromatic sidechains... enabled using polymerase enzyme engineered using computer-simulations... produces 12.3 g/L polymer (poly(D phenyllactate))... also developing polymers with higher molecular weights required for various industrial applications... biomedical (drug delivery)... goal: >100 g/L enabling commercialization" Related: Coaxing purple bacteria into becoming bioplastic factories https://phys.org/news/2024-08-coaxing-purple-bacteria-bioplastic-factories.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-eco-friendly-cooling-device-efficiency.html ">48% increased efficiency, T75°K lift on water side, 100% recyclable... based on latent heat in cyclic phase transition of nickel-titanium shaped memory alloys... different phase transition temperatures to operate cold, intermediate, and hot end, respectively. By matching the working temperatures of each unit with the corresponding phase transition temperatures, expanding overall device's superelastic temperature window >100 K, each unit operating within its optimal temperature range, enhancing cooling efficiency"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-breakthrough-molecular-bioinspired-helix-switchable.html "goal: artificial molecular systems matching/ surpassing DNA functionality... double-helical foldamers: artificial molecules folding into well-defined helical structures, like helices found in proteins/ nucleic acids, as stimuli-responsive switchable molecules, tuneable chiral materials, and cooperative supramolecular systems due to chiral/ conformational switching... improved balancing dynamic switching/ stability, reversal of twist direction... changing left/ right winding directions of both helix strands using different solvents"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-tiny-batteries-powering-cell-sized.html "0.1 mm long, 0.002 mm thick captures oxygen from air oxidizing zinc generating 1 volt... connected zinc and platinum electrodes, embedded into SU-8 polymer strip... small circuit, sensor (power to run 2 different types changing electrical resistance when encountering certain chemicals), actuator (robotic arm which raises/ lowers), memristor, clock circuit, drug delivery within human body (made of biocompatible materials that would break apart once they were no longer needed), locating leaks in gas pipelines"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-ultrathin-quantum-sources-scientists-excitonic.html "spontaneous parametric down-conversion generating entangled photon pairs is more efficient when harnessing many-body excitonic resonances/ transitions between excitons present in non-linear optical crystal...  further enhanced when pairs of opposite charges are closer together, or when pump beam frequency closely matches an excitation frequency in the crystal... use of ultrathin crystals eliminates phase matching problem... more easily integrated into hybrid quantum-photonic platforms"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-electric-reactor-industrial-emissions.html "magnetic induction heating/ heat-transfer... high frequency currents alternating very quickly inductively heating poorly conducting ceramic 3D lattice in reactor's core... lattice voids artificially lowering electrical conductivity even further, filled with catalysts, enabling much smaller reactor... heating large surface area right next to catalyst... >85% efficient... increasing size and/ or heat makes more efficient... converting carbon to valuable chemicals, cement manufacture"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-small-molecule-eutectics-potential-plastics.html "hydrophobic eutectics: small organic crystalline mixtures form glasses/ viscous liquids, replacing polymers... differential scanning calorimetry/ UV-vis spectroscopy determined compositions, trained partial least squares regression model optimized blends... durable, resistant to crystallization... good processability: low fragility indices... can incorporate plasticizers... non-covalent analog to dynamic reversible macromolecular covalent vitrimers... drug delivery, glassblowing, fiber pulling, film formation, molding"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-electronics-material-current.html "thin, bendable electronic circuits in sheets... electronics functioning in both positive and negative voltage modes, outperforming even most cutting-edge materials... intensely bright synchrotron light at University of Saskatchewan's Canadian Light Source helps analyze/ improve performance of material, understanding its nanoscale structure and what enables/ hinders good performance... vehicle roof solar cells, smart phones' flexible displays, Iot... plug and play replacement, commercial in 7 years"

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-layered-superconductor-coaxed-unusual-properties.html "lattice with alternating layers, 1 of ultra-thin conventional superconductor tantalum disulfide, the other of left-handed or right-handed molecular layer of a different compound, fabricated into nanoscale devices and tested for properties of chiral superconductors... superconducting diode effect (electricity from 1 direction allows notably higher current than the other, achieved by chiral superconductors) enables more efficient/ stable qubits... quantum computing, and fast, energy efficient conventional electronics/ communications"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-energy-efficient-reusable-versatile-catalytic.html "doesn't use expensive palladium or rhodium... cobalt abundant, requires lower temperatures/ pressures without harmful ammonia... convenient/ consistent production of hexagonal close-packed cobalt nanoparticle crystal phases using hydrosilane-assisted synthesis (catalyst reusable)...  97% yield for benzonitrile hydrogenation into benzyl amine, with half the pressure of competing methods... also works for diverse range of nitriles/ carbonyl compounds... food, pharmaceuticals, materials, petrochemicals" "

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-electrolyte-longer-lithium-metal-batteries.html "nm-scale solvation forming thin/ stable solid electrolyte interphase of large compact aggregates with densely packed ion-pair aggregates... overcome constant/ severe electrolyte degradation... commercially available/ affordable chemistry... homogeneous lithium ion flux/ dendrite-free lithium deposition... good oxidative stability/ suppresses dissolution of transition metal elements from cathode... retains 91% energy after 130 cycles... goal: energy density >600 Wh/kg, cycles >1k" 

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-polarization-wavelength-routers-based-diffractive.html "series of continuous diffractive layers... transmission/ reflection coefficient variations at different positions cause light's phase/ amplitude changes... fast, efficient optical signals... 3 types all-optical routers: (1) routing 2 orthogonally polarized light beams,  (2) routing 1550, 1300, and 1100 nm wavelengths with excellent polarization maintenance, (3) integrates wavelength/ polarization degrees of freedom, handling 6 types of input light, increasing information processing capacity... optical computing, faster internet"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-tech-boosts-real-compression-ai.html "energy efficient, faster, compact data compression modules without additional processors, memory... avoids compressing/ storing data in finite chunks which requires bulky memory/ processors increasing compressor size, limiting real-time compression to finite data streams... automatically detects frequently occurring data patterns, compressing to minimum of 1 bit after single pass through compressor... simultaneously compresses multiple data units to 1 bit, enhancing compression efficiency 10%–30%"

https://www.postech.ac.kr/eng/revolutionizing-thermoelectric-technology-hourglass-shaped-materials-achieve-a-360-efficiency-boost/?pageds=1&k=&c= "3D printed high-density micro-layered defects minimizing thermal conductivity and increase the thermoelectric performance index (ZT) to 2.0. This is the highest value achieved for thermoelectric materials produced via 3D printing... controls thermal and electrical transport, instead of conventional microstructure-focused research on thermoelectric materials. It is expected that this approach can be universally applied to all thermoelectric materials and can also be utilized in thermoelectric cooling technologies"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-hybrid-rf-vlc-power-consumption.html "high data transmission with less power consumption/ electromagnetic radiation... utilizes power with respect to user demand, maintaining Quality of Service/ Quality of Experience for particular application in use... transmits binary data as LED light... photo-sensitive photodiode or camera receiver in line of sight extracts information from light... high energy efficiency 37 low Specific Absorption Rate... lower incident/ absorbed power density... enhances battery lifetime of mobile device, increasing lifetime 7 hours"

https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/news/dartmouth-contributes-to-a-breakthrough-in-understanding-of-thin-film-materials "voltage applied to most piezoelectric films would be blocked when film is clamped to substrate, but in this case the energy barrier doesn't become too high... in most materials, stretching in 1 direction leads to contraction in another. but here leads to expansion in all directions... miniaturized electronic systems... future: find a piezoelectric material with this property that is lead-free"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-unveiling-power-hot-carriers-plasmonic.html "can be used to control light, drive chemical reactions at the surface of nanostructures, enabling advanced photocatalysis... can also generate electrical currents, opening doors for new ultrafast detectors and optoelectronic devices, improving efficiency of solar cells, and even revolutionizing nanomedicine through precise control. This research paves the way for further exploration and development of hot carrier technologies, bringing us closer to a future shaped by light and nanostructures" Related: New insights into hot carrier solar cells: Increasing generation and extraction https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1059152

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-technique-metal-oxide-thin-circuits.html "transparent, flexible, robust, high temperatures tolerant circuits (4 nm thick 600° C, 12 nm thick 800°C)... liquid metal oxide meniscus sticks to surface peeling off, exposing liquid on meniscus to air, constantly forming fresh oxide enabling continuous printing of 2-layer 4 nm thick metal oxide film .. films transparent/ highly conductive (films bond with gold preventing core from oxidizing, preserving conductivity over time)... printed metal oxides onto polymer, creating highly flexible circuits surviving 40K foldings" Related: Room temperature metalworking inspired by insects and crab shells https://newatlas.com/materials/room-temperature-metalworking-insects-crab-shells/

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-team-method-molecule-photoswitching.html "localized surface plasmons, light waves generated on nanoscale material surfaces, confine/ enhance electromagnetic fields... plasmon-resonant tip in low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope enables single organic molecule reversible lift-up/ drop-down on silicon surface... reversible switch rate precision tuned by tip position to 0.01 nm... photoswitching inhibited for molecule where 1 oxygen not bonding to silicon is substituted for nitrogen atom, so faster, smaller, more energy-efficient... sensors, LEDs, PV cells"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-electron-highly-efficient-upconversion-oleds.html "upconversion OLEDs utilize electron transfer from charge transfer state (weakly bound electron-hole pair at donor/ acceptor interface) to triplet excited state, through triplet-triplet annihilation, significantly lowering turn-on voltage of blue UC-OLEDs compared to conventional blue OLEDs, correcting for high driving voltage, low stability... <0.1 eV driving energetic force efficiency... PCAN/NDI-PhE novel donor-acceptor combination, fabricated efficient blue UC-OLED with low 1.57 turn-on voltage"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-electromagnetic-vortex-cannon-communication.html "ultra-wideband, radially polarized, conical coaxial horn antennas resiliently propagate toroidal electromagnetic self-healing vortices with skyrmion topological structures... maintain their shape/ energy over long distances... efficient/ robust data encoding. carries more information... more precise/ reliable object detecting/ locating... large data-set topological storage, high-precision measurement, high-capacity communication, defense, aerospace... future: wireless technology"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-semiconductor-material-alyn-energy-efficient.html "metal-organic chemical vapor deposition... yttrium concentration up to 16% (at 8% induces 2D electron gas)... impressive sheet resistance values, electron density, electron mobility... adapted well to gallium nitride's wurtzite structure with suitable composition... can be used in high electron mobility transistors... scalable, structurally uniform... large-area semiconductor structures, non-volatile memory with no layer thickness limitation, information and communications technology... future: reduce oxidation"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-solid-state-electrolyte-stability-helical.html "longer helices lead to higher ionic conductivity... helical structure increases material's overall stability to higher temperature/ voltage... polymer's backbone controlled/ designed forming helical structure, like DNA, wtih large-scale macrodipole separation of positive, negative charges, increasing conductivity/ dielectric constant of entire structure, improving charge transport... longer peptide = higher helix conductivity... can be degraded back into individual monomer units using enzymes/ acid, starting materials separated/ reused"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-photolithography-chips-potential-smaller.html "denser circuit patterns... type of light used in fabrication crucial for miniaturization, smaller wavelengths enable more tightly packed image structures... extreme UV wavelength 13.5 nm exceeded exposing indirectly rather than directly, achieving 5nm resolution (conductive track separations), exhibiting high contrast and sharp edges, in single exposure... available by end of 2025... autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, 5G" Related: Beijing claims breakthrough in chipmaking https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2024/09/17/2003823886

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-sources-energy-loss-quantum-gains.html "compact device stores quantum information (coherence) for >1 ms...  improved coherence by coating tantalum with thin layer magnesium preventing oxidation... tantalum thin film, rather than aluminum thin film, reduced surface loss... heating sapphire substrate and letting it cool slowly (annealing) reduces bulk dielectric loss... developed energy loss model predicting device's coherence ime based on its constituent materials and circuit geometry, and optimized circuit geometry for longer coherence time"

http://english.cas.ac.cn/newsroom/cas_media/202408/t20240809_682281.shtml "typically act as insulators in chips, but effectiveness diminishes at nanoscale... aluminum oxide identical to natural sapphire in terms of crystal structure, dielectric properties, insulation characteristics... intercalation oxidation single-crystal aluminum oxide dielectric, unlike traditional amorphous dielectric, achieves exceptionally low leakage at just 1-nm level... extended battery life... artificial intelligence and Internet of Things applications"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-full-fiber-perovskite-quantum-wires.html "compatible with textile fabrication... porous (5 nm pore size) alumina membrane templates fabricated on thin aluminum fibers using roll-to-roll solution-coating... pores filled with metal halide perovskite precursor solution, followed by surrounding annealing ensuring spatially uniform solvent vaporization/ perovskite crystallization enabling smooth surface... good bendability/ stretchability suitable for textile lighting... excellent spatial fluorescence uniformity, photo-, electro- luminescence efficacy" Related: Researchers develop ultra-high efficiency perovskite LEDs by strengthening lattice https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-ultra-high-efficiency-perovskite-lattice.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-automated-scheme-optical-lens-mobile.html "integrating complex lens system design into increasing complexity, incrementally increasing demands on resolution, aperture size, field of view... no need for starting point human-based design... reduces months of manual human work to single day of computation... extended depth-of-field computational lens. 6-element classical imaging system, microscopes/ telescopes/ cameras... future:  hybrid optical systems combining refractive-, diffractive-, meta- lenses, enabling miniaturization, spectral cameras, joint-color depth imaging"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-chip-entangles-photons-possibility-inviolable.html "4-photon Greenberg-Horne-Zeilinger entangled state... combines quantum dot technology with glass (easily prototyped) photonic circuits... single stage fabrication produces 3D waveguides... circuit reconfigurability via thermal shifters permits fine-tuning of photons' optical phases, essential for desired overlap... each photon entangled with other 3, so unauthorized access alters quantum correlations... security can't be broken... scalable production...  secure, efficient quantum communication"

https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/08/06/1095707/air-conditioner-battery/ "charging themselves when renewable electricity available/ demand low, still cooling when grid stressed...  Nostromo Energy’s IceBrick: cools water and glycol solution freezing 1,000s of capsules each holding half-gallon water... insulation keeps capsules frozen until used, dropping temperature of water-glycol mixture, cooling water in building’s existing chilling system... discharges cooling power between late afternoon and evening..., helps grid when systems linked together... freezing stores more energy with much less material"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-quantum-memory-notoriously-difficult-ray.html "imprinting information into quasi-stationary polarization/ spin wave with long coherence time, releasing it back via re-emission of original photons... much longer memory times using nuclear rather than atomic ensembles, even at high solid-state densities and room temperature... in combination with tight focusing of high-frequency photons enables long-lived broad-band compact solid-state quantum memories, intrinsically less noisy... moving nuclear absorbers forms frequency comb in absorption spectrum"

https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2024/4/8/innovative-magnetic-levitation-new-material-offers-potential-unlocking-gravity-free-technology "floating platform within vacuum using graphite,which is highly diamagnetic, and magnets... chemically coating powder of microscopic graphite beads with layer of insulating silica binded using polyethylene glycol, mixing in wax, forms cm-sized thin square plate hovering above magnets arranged in grid... overcomes eddy damping (oscillating system losing energy over time because of external forces) and losses due to kinetic energy of oscillating platform. by transforming graphite into electrical insulator... sensors"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-high-density-carbon-tube-nanoarray.html "high energy density/ quick frequency response needed for line-filtering... precisely manipulating pore structure of 3D interconnected porous anodized aluminum oxide templates via chemical vapor deposition... continuously tuning vertical pore diameter from 70 to 250 nm, inter-pore spacing from 100 to 450 nm... . reducing pore diameter/ inter-spacing significantly augmented surface area... exceptional frequency response. ultra-low equivalent series resistance, rapid resistance-capacitance time constant...scalable"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-unique-combination-antennas-revolutionize-remote.html "higher resolution requires physically or effectively larger apertures... dramatically increasing effective aperture of remote radio-frequency monitoring system simply by tying rotating antenna to flat sparse array...  stitches together data from at least 3 antennas: 1D sparse antenna on 2D plane, and 2 antennas attached to either end of tether rotating at right angle to plane... effectively create an aperture area much larger than sum of physical components... faster cycle time.. numerous applications, including ground moisture monitoring"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-technology-engrave-erasable-3d-images.html "imprints high-resolution 2D (numerous stacked), 3D, or animated images inside any translucent polymer, ranging from thin films to 6" thick, containing photosensitive azobenzene acting as a switch, reacting to red light paired with boron difluoride, enhancing switch's optics... heat or blue light erases it.,, projector illuminates treated polymer from different angles with various light patterns... photosensitive chemical activated where these patterns intersect, producing 3D patterns... medical scans, architecture, education, art"

http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2024-08-09/detail-iheeyrtw7464348.shtml "photonic computing had restricted to preliminary computations, training now conducted directly on physical system eliminating need for extensive GPU use, reducing numerical modeling constraints... more precise training... high-performance intelligent imaging, efficient analysis of topological photonic systems. deep neural networks, ultrasensitive perception, topological photonics"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-material-optically-magnetic-memory.html "fast, energy-efficient... alloy of manganese, bismuth, tellurium magnetic properties changed quickly/ easily in response to light, enabling laser encoded information within its magnetic states... its electrons compete between 2 opposing states: topological state useful for encoding quantum information/ light-sensitive quasi-2D electronic state with tight coupling between magnetism and external photons of light, useful for optical storage with orders magnitude more efficiency than current storage (future: quantum data storage"

https://www.automotivepowertraintechnologyinternational.com/news/battery-management/researchers-develop-strategy-to-improve-all-solid-state-lithium-batteries.html "stable, zero-strain material, with 1.2%. specific capacity and minimal volume change, provides excellent mixed ionic and electronic conductivity, enabling efficient charge transport throughout charge/ discharge without need for additional conductive additives, enhancing energy density and extending battery’s cycle life... operates stably >20,000 cycles at room temperature, with 390Wh kg−1 energy density... may also apply to other batteries: solid-state sodium, lithium-ion, lithium-sulfur, sodium-ion, and to fuel cells" Related: Chemists create gel to prevent leaks and boost lithium-ion battery life https://phys.org/news/2024-09-chemists-gel-leaks-boost-lithium.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-high-quality-barium-titanate-ferroelectric.html "high-volume optical links in silicon photonic ICs... target transfer, enabling optimized thickness/ rotation angle enhancing eletrco-optic modulation, integrating via pulsed laser deposition single-crystal barium titanate film, exhibiting excellent ferroelectricity and flexibility, on top of silicon IC waveguide... large modulation efficiency: VπL as low as 1.67 V·cm... modulation efficiency VπL value as low as 1.67 V·cm... optical communication, signal processing"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-generation-solar-panels.html "based on leaves of Macodes petola jewel orchid thriving in low-light conditions...  have dome-like cells capturing >3X as much light as those of ordinary plants, and share that light with neighboring cells... silk-protein-based biomaterial flexible solar panels... domes spread light over leaf surface allowing also for non-directly illuminated cells to benefit with overall higher photoconversion efficiency... also mimics the curves and floppiness of the leaves, for greater access to light and ability to distribute light across the leaf" Related: Leaf-like solar concentrators promise major boost in solar efficiency https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-leaf-solar-major-boost-efficiency.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-korean-team-universal-principles-solid.html "design parameters: (1) balance threshold: ratio of solid electrolyte filling spaces between particles: 74% volume ratio of active material, 26% for solid electrolyte (2) percolation threshold: minimum density at which composite particles of active materials and solid electrolytes are in contact with each other: space between composite particles must be <=26% (3) loading threshold: voltage drop is within 100mV, optimizing electrode plate thickness.... pouch cell based on these principles 310Wh/kg energy density" Related: Material informatics aids in developing high-performance solid electrolytes for rechargeable batteries https://phys.org/news/2024-10-material-informatics-aids-high-solid.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-quantum-circuit-error.html "reduce costs, more efficient and fault-tolerant... 6 new parity-preserving reversible blocks (Z, F, A, T, S, and L), 4-bit unsigned multipliers: 25.04% quantum cost reduction, 51.03% gate count reduction, 20.89% garbage output reduction, 21.17% constant input reduction... 5-bit signed multipliers: 18.59% quantum cost reduction, 27.65% gate count reduction, 13.82% constant input reduction... reversible computing principles in quantum computing technologies"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-coupling-excitons-polaritons-solar-cells.html "controlling exciton-exciton annihilation by coupling excitons with cavity polaritons, varying separation between 2 mirrors that hold trapped photons, enclosing 2D perovskite LED, such as (PEA)2PbI4 (PEPI), or solar cell layer... stronger coupling, from tuning relative amounts of time polaritons spend as photons, produced longer excited state, lowering loss process by order magnitude... unlike excitons, photons do not annihilate each other when meet, but polaritons pass through each other if they happen to be more photonic"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-hidden-harmonies-team-magnonphonon-fermi.html "quantum antiferromagnets more energy-efficient (not using electrons produces less heat), 1,000X faster (due to magnons/ phonons coexisting in cobalt difluoride), more abundant than ferromagnets... excite spin dynamics by coupling with THz pulses, tuning center frequency by high external magnetic field up to several Tesla, enabling spin resonance frequencies to half the lattice vibration frequency (Fermi resonance)... hybridized 2-magnon-1-phonon state... pathway to spin-lattice coupling manipulation on demand" Related: Generating and detecting graphene plasmon polaritons with terahertz electronics https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-generating-graphene-plasmon-polaritons-terahertz.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-physicists-method-combine-conventional-internet.html "transmitting entangled photons over optical fiber... when entangled photons' color differed from conventional. conventional data transmission blocked... laser pulse color changed with high-speed electrical signal so it matches entangled photons' color, enabling combining laser pulses/ entangled photons in optical fiber, and separate them again later... photons can now be sent in the same color channel as the laser light, implying that all color channels could still be used for conventional data transmission"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-substrate-material-flexible-electronics-combat.html "flexible substrate enables scalable complex multilayered circuits' manufacture... form of polyimide polymer cures in seconds with UV, at room temperature... multilayered circuits' substrate... recyclability: ester subunits introduced into polymer's backbone rapidly dissolve away using alcohol/ catalyst solution, where circuits' precious metals, rare earth minerals, entire microchips, recovered... break polymer back into original small molecules" Related: Sustainable metal-recycling method reduces cost and greenhouse gas emissions https://phys.org/news/2024-09-sustainable-metal-recycling-method-greenhouse.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-energy-efficient-optical-neural-networks.html "scattered light from low-power laser performing accurate, scalable, nonlinear computations using fraction of energy of electronics... no need for high-power laser, by encoding data such as pixels in spatial modulation on low-power laser beam surface, reflecting back on itself several times, leading to nonlinear multiplication of pixels... pixels multiplied by themselves (squared), each time encoded, achieving non-linearity essential to neural network calculations, at fraction of energy cost... optical neural networks."

https://www.anl.gov/article/pursuing-the-middle-path-to-scientific-discovery "relaxor ferroelectric oxide alloy (lead, magnesium, niobium, titanium) has tiny positive/ negative charge pairs (dipoles), grouped into polar nanodomain clusters aligned in same direction, causing material to change shape (strain) altering dipole direction, creating electric field... sandwiched between nanoscale layer electrodes... self-assemble into mesoscale structures (10 billionths to 1 millionth of meter) consisting of dipoles that align in a complex tile-like pattern... small, low-power electrochemical devices"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-technology-energy-device-incurred-generating.html "self-heals mechanical damage caused by continuous friction... recyclable/ decomposed with microorganisms... imidazolium ions for self-healing/ high electro-positive properties, and polycaprolactone-based polyurethane... 436.8 mW/m2 power density, 90% self-healing efficiency,.. recycling: 21% initial mass remains >300 days biodegradation... soft electronics, wearables... future: commercialization" Related: Researchers solve long-standing challenge for piezoelectric materials https://phys.org/news/2024-08-piezoelectric-materials.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-newly-loop-pipe-kw-electricity.html "18% smaller, 1.6X increased heat transport, 4X increased heat transfer efficiency... thin, long wide, porous wick draws fluid using capillary action vaporizing on wick's surface, heat transported 2.5m to condenser releasing heat, condensing back into liquid, returning to cycle again,... parallel wicks/ channels increase capacity... thin wick enable less pressure drop/ lower operating temperature... industrial waste heat recovery, solar heat utilization, EV thermal management (especially for inverter), data center cooling" Related: Nvidia partner says it can cut data center energy use by 50% as AI boom strains power grid https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/27/nvidia-partner-sustainable-metal-cloud-ai-data-center-energy-consumption.html

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-bio-vision-sensor-spectrally-distinctive.html "in addition to detecting objects at night/ in shadows, can also handle smoke, fog, other strong light interference... collects data with minimal time latency, consuming very little power, small footprint... photodiode array arranged back-to-back with different spectral sensitivities, switchable between TiO2/Sb2Se3 shallow junction (enhances sensor's sensitivity to UV)/ Sb2Se3/Si deep junction (boosts sensitivity to visible wavelengths), very fast switching controlled through external bias voltage"

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-bright-prospects-quantum.html "rather than emitting photon, defect might instead cause atoms to vibrate, reducing light-emission efficiency... efficiency of single-photon emission drastically decreases when emission wavelength increases beyond wavelengths of visible light... to overcome, choosing best host material, conduct atomic-level engineering of vibrational properties, couple to photonic cavity... novel quantum emitters that will power the quantum networks of the future"

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-3d-materials-future-generations-stronger.html "studied: fused filament 3D printing using polyetherimide across 4 different lattice designs built at 3 different relative wall thicknesses... surprisingly, energy absorption attribute worst when >2 plastic strand layers laid next to each other... best-performing lattices had cell walls no more than twice as thick as that of polyetherimide strand... more crash-resistant cars, where plastic lattice helps absorb impact, aerospace design, where lightness could enable more fuel-efficient aircraft" Related: Scientists develop novel method for strengthening PVC products https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-method-pvc-products.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-tunable-ultrasonic-liquid-crystal-diffuser.html "LEDs smaller than traditional light sources, necessitating diffusers spreading light over larger area, but diffusion directivity unchangeable... now, tunable ultrasonic liquid crystal (LC) light diffuser without mechanical parts... non-coaxial resonant flexural vibration generation controlling molecular orientation/ refractive-index distribution of nematic LC layer sandwiched between 2 glass disks, and ultrasonic piezoelectric transducing vibrations on glass disks providing control over diffusion angle and direction"

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-ground-technologies-electron-hole-crystals.html "STM imaging insulators as well as conductors, by combining graphene with Mott insulator made from Alpha-ruthenium(III) chloride, allowing electrons to pass through revealing Mott insulator's electronic structure... creating/ visualizing quantum excitonic states enabled by 2 distinct coexisting electrons/ holes orderings spontaneously reorganizing when their numbers per unit cell changed by gating... can be unevenly distributed, switching states quickly... in-memory and quantum computing"

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-spontaneous-supercrystal-metal-insulator.html "thin-film Mott insulator Ca2RuO4 spontaneously forms anisotropic, organized 10-nm structure embedded in supercrystal with multiple spatial periods phase domain hierarchy with different length scales during cooling <200 to 250°K... it is a switch controlling electricity balance between competing ground states... switch between conductivity and non-conductivity, as well as switch in the preferential direction of the current... energy-efficient computer memory, optical switches"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-doping-problem-semiconductors.html "field-effect gate adjusts (adding/ removing electrons) hole density (doping) in valence band, and especially if also in band below, increasing conductivity, thermoelectric power output, in polymer semiconductors... other semiconductors (silicon) less likely to host these effects... seen only at about -30°C, where ions freeze, material is in non-equilibrium state, and Coulomb gap exhibits... field-effect gate currently only affects material's surface, future: also affect material's bulk, which would further boost power output"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-game-discovery-driven-artificial-intelligence.html "cheaper, less energy-intensive light sources, yet yieling higher resolution, more precise measurements... narrow portion of incoherent light spectrum (produced by electrically-pumped erbium-doped fiber amplifier). was evenly split/ distributed into different input channels forming parallel AI computational array, where parallelism of AI computation enhanced by N times in photonic accelerator with N input channels... can run AI models 100X faster compared to laser system, if photonic accelerator scales to 100 input channels"

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-3d-method-reveals-emission-nanowires.html "fabricate smaller light-emitting devices, from µm to nm diameter beams... highly directional light emission patterns from 3D-printed nanowires for first time... precise diameter control by restricting printing nozzle's aperture, fabricating light-emitting materials at desired locations... as small as 300 nm, light's internal reflection vanishes due to spatial confinement, leading to highly directional light, enhancing display, optical storage media, encryption performance... less optical crosstalk... 3D printing: simple, flexible, low-cost"

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-sustainable-reversible-3d-method-minimal.html "poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) polymer ink, extruded through needle into calcium chloride salt solution, instantly solidifies since salt ions draw water molecules out of polymer solution... ambient conditions, no: additional steps, specialized equipment, toxic chemicals, heat, pressure... reversible, solids easily dissolved in fresh water recycling ink... printed electrical circuit using this ink mixed with carbon nanotubes, which powered a light bulb, and then circuit was then dissolved back into ink"

https://www.physics.wisc.edu/2024/07/29/madison-symmetric-torus-operates-stable-plasma-at-ten-times-the-greenwald-limit/ "density is key to net-positive fusion energy... Greenwald density limit above which tokamak plasmas become unstable exceeded by 10X, preventing machine damage even at this higher density... unlike other tokamaks, metal donut housing MST plasmas thick/ highly conducting, for more stable operation... set power providing voltage needed to maintain steady 50K amps current in plasma... most tokamaks need less voltage since: thinner walls, higher magnetic field/ temperature, produce lower-resistance plasmas" Related: Computer simulations show Swedish fusion initiative could have global impact https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Computer-simulations-show-Swedish-fusion-initiative-could-have-global-impact

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-pyramid-optical-networks-unidirectional-image.html "Pyramid-D2NN: pyramid-structured diffractive all-optical transmissive layers optimized through deep learning performing computational tasks... scales layers pyramidally aligning with image magnification or demagnification direction... high-fidelity image formation in 1 direction/ inhibiting it in other, achieving unidirectional imaging with fewer diffractive degrees of freedom... optically isolated photonics, decoupling transmitters/ receivers in telecommunications, privacy-protected optical communications, surveillance"