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Showing posts from October, 2024

Modulating and encoding quantum photonic information on a single photon light stream for control of quantum emitters

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063341 "NRL developed/ patented... 2D  tungsten disulfide/ diselenide  quantum emitter hosts ...  planar, atomic layered structure readily integrated... proximity to surface facilitates light extraction, emission (by external effects) control... nonvolatile, reversible procedure controls single photon emission purity by integrating with ferroelectric material... organic ferroelectric polymer serves as deformable polymer... secure communication/ quantum encryption, metrology, sensing, quantum information processing/ computation" Related: NTU breakthrough manipulating light that could potentially usher in the era of quantum computing. https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=66172.php

Solidion's US patented graphene-enabled lithium battery with pre-heating/ cooling system charges in 5 minutes

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/10/30/2971489/0/en/Solidion-Develops-a-Lithium-Battery-that-can-be-Charged-in-5-minutes-With-Key-Newly-Granted-US-Patent.html "cost-effective weather-independent fast charging, avoids thermal runaway... graphene-based heat spreader quickly moves heat from battery warming it up before or during fast charging, cooling when battery in use... commercialization in 2-3 years" Related: Solidon Partners Taiwan’s Bluestar Materials Co To Advance 5-Minute Charge Capable EV Battery Tech https://www.motoring-trends.com/alternative-energy/solidon-partners-taiwans-bluestar-materials-co-to-advance-5-minute-charge-capable-ev-battery-tech

Efficient, stable organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells capture near-Infrared light, surpassing existing efficiency limits

https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=228240 "complements existing perovskite material and extends absorption range to near-infrared... thin dipole layer  adjusts energy levels facilitating charge transport, forming potential difference at interface,,, combines organic bulk heterojunction with perovskite, allowing up to near-infrared absorption... sub-nanometer dipole interface layer alleviates the energy barrier between both, increasing current density by 4.9mA/cm²... power conversion efficiency increased from 20.4% to 24.0% 78% internal quantum efficiency in near-IR, 800 hrs" Related: Linking Energy Loss to Interfaces in Organic Solar Cells Could Make Them Much More Efficient https://news.ncsu.edu/2024/10/interfaces-in-organic-solar-cells/ A review of chalcogenide-based perovskites as the next novel materials: Solar cell and optoelectronic applications, catalysis and future perspectives https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383942731_A_review_of_cha...

Sensitive cationic epoxy photoresist with enhanced sensitivity/ speed: 3D nanofabrication for advanced microdevices

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063193 "photon laser direct writing lithography... 600X greater sensitivity to 2-photon laser... 100 mm/s writing speed using nanolattices, fine features <200 nm, minimum width 170 nm... bimolecular photosensitized initiation separates light absorption/ energy transfer enhancing light absorption... captures light wavelengths down 430 nm... fabricated topological liquid diode with nanoscale features... optical gratings, diffraction elements, micro-electromechanical systems, microfluidic devices, tissue engineering scaffolds"

Dual-gradient for Li-ion battery’s cathode increases energy storage capacity, stability and lifetime while reducing costs

https://www.anl.gov/article/argonne-builds-on-past-success-with-cathode-design-for-lithiumion-batteries "nickel/ order gradually decreases/ cobalt gradually increases from core to surface... maximizes energy density at high-voltage (heat tolerant) operation, minimizes reactivity, overcomes tendency for cracking of layers... also contains manganese...  charging/ discharging the material 500 times lost only about 2% of its storage capacity...  plans to reduce the cobalt level down to 1%... patented/ licensed"

Large-scale optical programmable logic array achieves complex computations

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063204 "optical nonlinear computing: faster, lower energy consumption, high parallel spectrum modulation 8-input system... without relying on electronic components for  computing... advanced logic: decoders, comparators, adders, multipliers... also a new platform for simulating complex phenomena... runs cellular automata models including Sierpinski triangle, highlighting the optical PLA's capability to support intricate computational tasks"

Unidirectional imaging technology enables efficient/ compact asymmetric visual information processing/ optical communication.

  https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063040 "forms images from 1 field of view to another, while blocking image formation in reverse direction... work exceptionally well under partially coherent light (where some degree of phase correlation)... high quality and high power efficiency... spatially engineered asymmetric linear diffractive layers optimized for partially coherent illumination... imagers are compact, <75X wavelength of light in thickness... independent of light polarization... compatible with various light sources including broadband radiation"

Molecular systems for harvesting and storing solar energy efficiently

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063065 "stores solar energy for several weeks/ months as chemical bonds (photoswitches)... overcomes trade-off between energy storage capacity and efficient absorption of solar light... indirect light harvesting incorporating a sensitizer, absorbs light/ transfers energy to photoswitch, which cannot be directly excited... increased solar energy storage efficiency > 1 order magnitude... each absorbed photon can trigger a chemical bond formation process... household heating. up to large-scale energy storage"

Magnon field effect transistor paves the way for energy-efficient computing in the post-Moore era

https://communities.springernature.com/posts/magnon-field-effect-transistor-paving-the-way-for-energy-efficient-computing-in-the-post-moore-era "nonvolatile, lateral structure 3-terminal, room temperature, energy efficient magnon transport control via gate voltage pulses... as transistors shrink/ higher speeds, heat generated increases substantially, mitigated by transmitting spin information without electron motion... also, can switch magnetic moments enabling information transmission/ storage... ferrimagnetic insulator layered on ferroelectric material with 3 platinum stripes patterned on magnetic layer serving as injector, gate, and detector, respectively... strong modulation"

Single thin polymer composite film absorbs over 99% of multi-band electromagnetic waves, a world first

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1061807 "absorption/ shielding <0.5mm thick, <1% reflectance... flexible, durable maintaining shape even after being folded/ unfolded thousands of times, making suitable for use in rollable phones/ wearables... synthesized magnetic material altering ferrite crystal structure... incorporated conductive patterns on film’s back side... adjusting conductive pattern's shape reduces electromagnetic wave reflection at specific frequencies... carbon nanotube thin film applied to the back... smartphones, autonomous vehicle radar”

Ensuring flawless metal 3D printing: New research tackles high-fidelity, high-resolution process monitoring

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062802 "for laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing, using microphones, photodiodes, machine learning,.. >90% accuracy with 0.1 ms temporal resolution in detecting keyhole pores (vapor depression formed in melt pool during printing)... intelligent, closed-loop control, faster qualification/ certification for metal additive manufacturing parts...  simple light/ sound sensors monitor printing, high-speed synchrotron x-ray imaging trains machine learning model to recognize conditions that lead to pore formation"

Significant extension of zinc battery lifespan to several hundred thousand charge cycles

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062911 "addresses dendrites and unwanted hydrogen formation/ corrosion, using porous organic polymer TpBD-2F forms stable, ultra-thin, highly ordered film on zinc anode, allowing zinc ions to flow efficiently through nano-channels while keeping water away from anode... large-scale energy storage... also safer, cheaper,  than lithium... prototype button cell, but scalable" Related: Electrochemically and chemically in-situ interfacial protection layers towards stable and reversible Zn anodes https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1064864 Breakthrough in Zinc-Sulfur Rechargeable Batteries: A Safer, Sustainable Alternative https://www.newswise.com/articles/breakthrough-in-zinc-based-rechargeable-batteries-a-safer-sustainable-alternative

Inspired by ancient invention of movable type, researchers use blocks of DNA to dramatically increase writing speed

https://www.science.org/content/article/dna-printing-press-could-quickly-store-mountains-data "cost effective, no synthesizing DNA 1 letter at a time... gram of DNA stores up to 215 PB data, for millennia... data readout traightforward/ fast using DNA sequencing machines... “paper”: long standardized template pieces of single-stranded DNA... “type: 100's short single-stranded DNA “bricks,” each 24 bases long, with sequence designed to bind to specific region along DNA template... methylation bricks encoded 0 or 1... placed in solution, bricks quickly found/ connected to their sequences on template"

World's first powerful permanent magnets free of neodymium and other rare earth elements

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241010091386/en/Niron-Magnetics-Opens-the-World%E2%80%99s-First-Manufacturing-Facility-for-Powerful-Rare-Earth-Free-Permanent-Magnets "Niron Magnetics opens 70,000 square-foot Minneapolis commercial pilot plant... production capacity >5 tons  per year of its proprietary Clean Earth Magnets based on Iron Nitride®.. full-scale manufacturing facility will produce 1,500 tons per year and is expected online in 2026... EVs, wind energy, consumer electronics"

Dizzying discovery: mysterious electron-path-deflecting effect unlocks new quantum behaviors

https://scitechdaily.com/dizzying-discovery-mysterious-electron-path-deflecting-effect-unlocks-new-quantum-behaviors/   "spirally stacked tungsten disulfide crystals causes light to manipulate electrons analogous to Coriolis force, particularly when shining circularly polarized light causing electrons to deflect in different directions based on material’s internal twist, enhancing optics... as though magnetic field were present even when none...  material’s response to light amplified...  moiré length scale on par with light wavelength, coupling increases control... quantum materials with adjustable properties... photonics, sensors"

Listening to noise in specially designed transistors identifies and characterizes atomic-scale defects in hexagonal boron nitride

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062361 "detects: carbon replacing boron atoms... analyzing tiny/ rhythmic fluctuations in electrical current... atomically thin structure, excellent insulating properties... overcomes electronic property degradation... transistor sandwiching 2D molybdenum disulfide between hBN layers, cryogenic cooling/ applying precise electrical voltages... analyzing signals at different temperatures/ voltages determining energy levels/ spatial defect locations... create more perfect quantum material, single-photon emitters for secure communications"

Metalenses for compact, ultrafast, reliable, and versatile imaging systems without sacrificing performance

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062642 "integrating nanophotonics, compressed sensing, deep learning, ultra-compact femtosecond photography utilizing super-dispersive metalens... synergizes compressed sensing/ streak imaging... data acquisition, subsequent image reconstruction... transmissive binary coding pattern achieving uniform pixel intensity distribution... polarization-insensitive cylindrical meta-atom design provides full 2Ï€ phase coverage with >90% transmittance... captures temporal/ spatial information in single compressed recorded photo"

Hydrogel semiconductor for tissue-interfaced brain-machine interfaces, biosensors, and pacemakers

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062233 "tissue-level moduli as soft as 81 kPa, 150% strain stretchability,  up to 1.4 cm2 V-1 s-1  charge-carrier mobility ... soft mechanical properties/ large degree of hydration... hydrogel very porous allowing efficient diffusion transport... solvent exchange, dissolving semiconductors in organic solvent, then immersed into water dissolving out organic solvent/ letting water in... semiconducting properties/ hydrogel... reduces immune response/ inflammation... elevated biosensing response, stronger photo-modulation effects:"

Smart, green 3D energy device features both reversible solar absorption heating and radiant cooling

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062621   "3D structure opens through mechanical peeling process... silicone elastomer/ silver lower layer exposed generating radiative cooling... when closes, surface coated with black paint absorbs solar heat... tested on skin, glass, steel, aluminum, copper, polyimide... adjusting structure's angle enabled  heating/ cooling control/ performance... buildings/ electronic devices/ industrial at both macro/ micro reducing energy consumption"

CZTSSe thin-film solar cells more efficient with silver precursor doping promoting crystal growth and suppressing defects

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062624 "enables commercialization, scalable... resource-abundant, low-cost, eco-friendly... overcomes low efficiency/ high current losses due to electron-hole recombination, inhibiting Sn loss/ better low temperature mixing/ allowing faster/ lager crystal grow... performance varies significantly depending on where doping occurs... improved absorber layer density/ crystallinity/ energy band structure, fewer defects, smoother charge transport in the solar cell"

Replacing organic solvents with molten salt grows nanocrystals unlocking a new synthetic frontier for quantum dots

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062728 "making these previously inaccessible materials accessible for colloidal synthesis.... overcomes researchers assumption with small crytals salt’s positively/ negatively charged ions would be too weak to push back as salt’s ions pull in, that any growing crystals would be crushed before they could stabilize... unlockex ability to synthesize nearly dozen new nanocrystal compositions which will enable future technologies... lasers, quantum QLED, solar cells, medical devices faster quantum/ classical computers"

Ion-pairing, assembly method with charged π-electronic molecules, produces desirable optical and electronic properties

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062289 "lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal assembly through iÏ€–iÏ€ interactions (stabilized by electrostatic/ dispersion forces)... self-assembling molecules into organized structures... amphiphilic charged Ï€-electronic systems... ordered arrangement of 1au⁺ stacked with PCCp⁻ anion via iÏ€–iÏ€ interactions... achieved (1) horizontal orientation under static magnetic field, (2) vertical orientation under rotating magnetic field, (3) orientation changed in response to temperature, (4) ferroelectric control”

The world’s first non-electric touchpad takes sensor technology to extreme conditions

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062478 "senses contact force area, location, recognizes handwritten letters on its surface, distinguishes multiple simultaneous touches... soft silicone with 32 embedded pneumatic channels, each only few hundred nm wide... not affected by magnetic fields, radiation, conditions where small spark of electricity is otherwise serious hazard... wearable devices, MRI, soft robots, rehabilitation aids"

Room-temperature colossal nonreciprocal Hall effect: vast potential for THz communication, imaging and energy harvesting

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062559 "does not require magnetic field... microstructures comprising textured platinum nanoparticles deposited on silicon... arises from flowing conduction electrons interacting with textured platinum nanoparticles... asymmetric electron scattering reveals uneven features in what would otherwise be a uniform landscape, which is where we will find new discoveries... making electrical signals from light, broadband frequency mixing, wireless microwave detection, converting alternating currents to direct current"

Memristive device capable of self-compliance, multilevel operation as synaptic crossbar array for forming neural networks

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062356 "semiconductor memristor resistive random-access memory remembering past electrical states, from conductive filament formation/ dissolution in insulator layer of its metal-insulator-metal structure... self-compliance on high-density 2-terminal memristor, vector-matrix multiplication on 32 x 32 memristor array... aluminum oxide/titanium-oxide layer on top of insulator layer, acting as internal resistor, preventing overshoot currents... low power use... 92.36% online learning accuracy...  neuromorphic computing" Related:  Memristive effect in supercapacitors https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062290

Non-volatility, multibit storage, high switching speed, low switching energy, and high endurance in a single optical computer platform

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062352 "efficient, scalable, directly programmable with CMOS so can be integrated into today’s computer technology... 3 orders magnitude better endurance with 2.4 billion switching cycles at ns speeds... resonance-based, leveraging non-reciprocal phase shift in magneto-optic memory cells comprised of heterogeneously integrated cerium-substituted yttrium iron garnet on silicon micro-ring resonators... magnetic field controls light speed depending on its clockwise/ counterclockwise flow"

Laser generated guided high-frequency acoustic waves on the surface of a microchip

https://www.newelectronics.co.uk/content/news/scientists-harness-sound-waves-on-the-surface-of-a-microchip "chips with wave guide use cooler light, sound instead of electricity... soft glass from germanium, arsenic, selenide measures strong interactions between light/ sound... stimulated Brillouin scattering created by enhanced feedback loop between photons/ phonons (coupling, enhancing power) creating vibrations transporting processing information... 5G/6G, broadband networks, sensors, communication (satellites), radar systems, defence systems, radio astronomy, signal processing"

Crystalline-silicon heterojunction back contact solar cells with 27.09% efficiency

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53275-5 "better manages charge carrier recombination/ transport... laser patterning... recombination losses primarily arise from hole-selective contact region/ polarity boundaries... relationship between contact resistivity, series resistance, and rear-side pattern design... wafer edge becomes main channel for current density loss once electrical shading around electron-selective contact region mitigated... advanced nanocrystalline passivating contact, wafer edge passivation, front anti-reflection coating/ rear reflector optimization"

Breakthrough synthesizing carbon nanotubes with precise chirality advances semiconductor manufacture and utilization

https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/going_chiral_breakthrough_in_synthesizing_carbon_nanotubes_with_precise_chirality.html "catalyst allows precise control over chirality... single-chirality-controlled synthesis, chiral index (6,5) at ultra-high purity >95%... highly specialized growth NiSnFe ternary catalyst enabling selective synthesis of (6,5) chirality CNTs... chirality-pure bundle (6,5) CNT structures show >20X increased photoluminescence lifetime, compared to isolated (6,5) CNTs. This technique could potentially be used in the future to achieve other chiralities as well... semiconductors,  aircraft/ spaceship and biomedical device construction"

FeSn2 anodes exhibit high elasticity and deformation energy, ensuring good electrochemical stability without cracking

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1061804 "solid-state batteries... mitigates dendrite growth... particle size reduction due to recombination reactions during repeated charging and discharging, contact between internal solid particles maintained resulting in dense/ uniform electrode... 15.54 mAh/cm² areal capacity, 5X higher, high-rate charging/ discharging >1K cycles under 3-minute (20C current density) 6-minute (10C current density) with >70-80%capacity retention... pouch cell format high energy density >255 Wh/kg demonstrating its commercial potential"

Viscous electronics: Fluid-like electrons are unlocking new tech possibilities

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1061990 "quantum material graphene exposed to Thz causes electron fluid to heat up reducing viscosity, lowering electrical resistance... viscous electron bolometer harnesses viscosity reduction effect... detects THz, sensing electrical resistance changes at fast picosecond scale... 6G, IoT, self-driving cars, medical imaging, industrial quality control"

EnerConnect project: Quick charging electric cars from household power outlets, made possible by innovative transistors

https://www.izm.fraunhofer.de/en/news_events/tech_news/enerconnect.html "bidirectional blocking gallium nitride transistors, used with active converters/ rectifiers.... no separate conversion stage, 99% efficient, power dense... buck-boost converter works with higher or lower input voltages... lower voltage reduces transistor switching losses... 300 kHz switching frequency allows 15 kW per liter, 800% increased... compact converters on vehicles... perfect choice for the idea of using car batteries as storage for electricity and for use in photovoltaic systems"

Electronic chip amplifies signals leading to more efficient microchips with fewer components and lower energy use

https://www.electronicsforu.com/news/revolutionary-chip-design-harnesses-the-edge-of-chaos "long metal wires on semi-stable materials overcome signal losses, act like superconductors, no need for separate transistor amplifiers... mimics brain transmitting signals rapidly through axons despite their resistive nature... amplification powered by static bias applied to medium, rather than requiring external amplification components... allows continuous, active signal transmission... lanthanum cobaltite accesses semi-stable edge of chaos... AI, telecommunications, automotive. chip manufacture, data centers"

Synthetic photonic lattice generates/ manipulates quantum light states for quantum computing, secure quantum communication

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1061639 "simple, powerful quantum information processing... greater photon propagation control, improving photon coincidence detection/ number, system efficiency... quantum walks in simple fiber systems increasing computer algorithms' speed/ complexity... simulate parity-time symmetry, light/ topological structure... better  evolution control of quantum walks in time domain, simultaneous classical light/ entangled photon manipulation... uses fiber-optics, using devices, techniques, and infrastructures that are within reach" Related: Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1068898

Photonic computing method uses electromagnetic waves to solve partial differential equations rapidly

https://spie.org/news/photonic-computing-harnesses-electromagnetic-waves#_=_ "model phenomena such as heat diffusion, particle motion, wave propagation, solving Helmholtz wave equation... less: time-consuming, computationally intensive... high-speed calculations using light–matter interactions... interconnected waveguide metatronic network filled with dielectric inserts mimicking circuit elements... effectively behaves like a grid of T-circuits... adjusting dielectric inserts' dimensions/ permittivity helps solve various boundary value problems, such as EM wave scattering and light focusing"

Revolutionary Energy Storage: NASA’s Sulfur Selenium Solid-State Battery Innovation

https://agogs.sk/en/revolutionary-energy-storage-nasas-sulfur-selenium-solid-state-battery-innovation/ "higher energy density 2X or 3X that of lithium so operate longer between charges with longer overall lifespan, more abundant than lithium, cobalt, nickel... solid minimizes leakage/ thermal runaway, allows greater operating temperature range... hurdles: selenium copper refining byproduct so could lead to supply constraints, can be toxic in high concentrations, ensuring material purity, developing cost-effective manufacturing... also useful in space for long flights and extreme conditions" Related: NASA has unveiled a new solid-state sulfur selenium battery that has the potential to revolutionize the aviation industry https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/groundbreaking-nasa-battery-will-revolutionize-air-travel/

Sound wave control/ filtration unlocks potential for faster, clearer wireless communication and quantum information processing

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/picking-acoustic-signals-through-better-filtration "isolate important signals from noise/ interference... pushed Klein tunneling to GHz range... etched piezoelectric aluminum nitride membranes convert electrical signals into mechanical and vice-versa...  transmission-mode microwave impedance microscopy visualizes wave movement... waves transmit through energy barriers without loss... controlling angle at which waves entered these phononic crystals...  more users connecting simultaneously... wireless communication, medical imaging, quantum computing"

A wearable in-sensor edge computing platform based on stretchable organic electrochemical transistors

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-stretchable-transistors-wearable-devices-enable.html "conformable/ stretchable minimizing mechanical mismatch between devices/ human body... small feature sizes, high density, miniaturized readout systems... >50% stretchability using adhesive supramolecular buffer layer during fabrication improving robustness at interfaces under strain... feature sizes down to 100 μm using high-resolution 6-channel inkjet printer... coin-sized data readout system for biosignal acquisition... prototype smartwatch-compatible in-sensor edge computing, wearable healthcare" Related: The DIME project concludes with key innovations set to transform Edge Artificial Intelligence https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1067090

A pulsed, helical laser to control other light signals, speeding up fiber-optic communication

https://ece.engin.umich.edu/stories/a-pulsed-helical-laser-to-control-other-light-signals-speeding-up-fiber-optic-communication "light signals no longer need conversion to electrical signals for data processing before further transmission... laser strength increased 2 orders magnitude pulsing circularly polarized light through mirrored optical cavity lined with 2D semiconductor tungsten diselenide... XOR gate produces output signal when 1 light input twists clockwise/ other counterclockwise... low power... strong, oscillating light enlarges electronic bands (Stark effect) producing 210 Tesla pseudo-magnetic field... energy of different spins can be controlled"

Using CRISPR to reduce lignin methoxy content in trees enables easier microbial fermentation for sustainable chemical production

https://scitechdaily.com/biotech-breakthrough-trees-engineered-to-replace-fossil-fuels/ "replaces need for petroleum-based chemicals, economically viable... thermophilic bacteria degrades cellulose in these trees... cheaper, more eco-friendly... microorganisms continually produce enzymes... high temperatures these thermophilic bacteria grow at avoids the need to otherwise create sterile conditions to avoid contamination... makes large amounts of acetone, ethanol, hydrogen gas from poplar trees, all in one step in a conventional industrial process, so more likely to be adopted"

Non-invasive imaging through scattering media using computational holographic wavefront shaping

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1061501 "fast, without need for guide stars, spatial light modulators... fewer measurements, corrects >190,000 scattered modes using just 25 holographic frames, shifting imaging burden from physical hardware to flexible, scalable digital processing... computationally emulating wavefront shaping experiments, optimizing multiple virtual high-resolution spatial light modulators simultaneously, allowing reconstructing high-quality images without requiring prior information... medical diagnostics, autonomous navigation, microscopy" Related: Orthogonal matrix of polarization combinations: concept and application to multichannel holographic recording https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1065427

Indenyl coupling on a surface enables soliton emergence in π-conjugated highly conducting carbon-based polymers

https://www.nanociencia.imdea.org/home-en/news/item/a-novel-chemical-reaction-on-a-surface-enables-the-emergence-of-solitons-in-conjugated-polymers "avoiding doping and resultant polymer structure/ stability degradation... structural parity drives emergence of solitons... single/ double bond alternation along their backbone enabling delocalized π-electrons... selective/ efficient indane-based monomer bonding on metallic surface, exploiting polymers' structural parity affording in-gap soliton state emergence extending several nm along backbone... nanomaterials hosting topological quasiparticles... efficient, cost-effective, sustainable electronics: 1D wires, solar cells, LEDs"

Atomically controllable insulator-to-metal transition in strongly correlated insulator iridate/manganate heterostructures

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1061664 "conductive interface of 2 correlated insulators has rich phase diagram even covering insulating/ metallic states by itself... d irac semimetal 5d  iridate CaIrO3,  robust half-metal  manganite La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructure... layered deposition with varying thicknesses of CIO and LSMO... under tensile strain, both metals stabilized into insulating states, electrical properties varied depending on CIO layer thickness... high saturation field >30 Tesla at 20 K... formed conductive path when subjected to high magnetic field"

Ultra-high brightness Micro-LEDs with wafer-scale uniform GaN-on-silicon epilayers

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1061659 "grown wafer-scale uniform green GaN epilayer on 4 and 6" Si (111) substrate... accurate color reproduction/ quality image, high energy conversion efficiency, balanced color spectrum, considerable brightness (>107 cd/m² nits)/ resolution (up to 1080×780)... epilayer with low 5.25×108 cm-2 dislocation density, low 16.7 μm wafer bowing, high STDEV<1 nm wavelength uniformity... high-definition movie/ image playback... seamless integration of Micro-LED displays with Si-based CMOS drivers"

Flow batteries for electric cars: 2000 km of range and fast recharging similar to fossil fuel refueling

https://www.actualidadmotor.com/en/baterias-de-flujo-para-coches-electricos-2000-km-de-autonomia/ "bi-ION metallic, non-metallic treated salt water redox reaction, non-toxic, non-flammable... NanoFlowcell QUANTiNO twentyfive leading tech... 2 electrolyte liquids, 1 positive/ 1 negative, separated by membrane... high energy capacity...  does not require high pressures... currently, only NanoFlowcell provides liquid solution, so creating a network of refueling stations requires high initial costs... 350.000 km charging cycles... future: organic flow: more sustainable, economic"

Chalcogenide perovskite film generates electricity when squeezed or stressed

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-chalcogenide-perovskite-generates-electricity-stressed.html "environmentally friendly (does not contain lead): polymer film infused with 0.3 mm thick chalcogenide perovskite... deforms causing positive/ negative ions within (dipole)... contains barium, zirconium, sulfur..., powerd LED's... use in machines, infrastructure, bio-medical, tires charging vehicle as it drives, streetlights powered by traffic rumble, skyscrapers generating electricity as buildings sway, devices worn by runners or bikers that light up their shoes or helmets"

Light-induced exciton formation in perovskites shows powerful potential for quantum sensing

https://www.anl.gov/article/new-lightinduced-material-shows-powerful-potential-for-quantum-applications "control atomic spins in spintronics... light detecting spin state in methylammonium lead iodide perovskites... modulating neodymium concentration to that of excitons, neodymium probes for spins in excitons... extend exciton’s lifetime >10X adding neodymium... neodymium a quantum sensor under relatively low magnetic field... adjusting neodymium concentration, can detect excitons' spins, allowing entangling up to 10 electron spins, as qubit material for quantum computing... memory devices, quantum sensors"

Phone networks could be 9000 times faster with 6G than with 5G

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2451769-6g-phone-networks-could-be-9000-times-faster-than-5g/ "938 Gb/s, downloading >20 movies/ second, record for multiplex data... wider range: 5 to 150 GHz using radio waves and light... digital-to-analogue converters for lower range portion, lasers at higher end... in talks with smartphone-makers and network operators with rollout expected in 3 o 5 years, but other approaches under development are also vying for position" Related: Silicon Labs' Breakthrough Ultra-Low Power Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE 5.4 Modules Supercharge Device Deployment https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/silicon-labs-breakthrough-ultra-low-power-wi-fi-6-and-bluetooth-le-5-4-modules-supercharge-device-deployment-302320366.html

Janus-like metasurface acts according to the direction of light​

https://news.kaist.ac.kr/newsen/html/news/?mode=V&mng_no=40370 "overcomes metasurface limitations using thin, light Janus metasurface precisely controlling asymmetric light transmission through nanometer-sized artificial structures... enhances security by only decoding information under specific conditions... performing different functions in both directions: lens or hologram depending on incidence direction, selectively controlling intensity, phase, polarization... AR, holographic displays, LiDAR, quantum communication" Related: Janus graphene nanoribbons poised to advance quantum technologies https://phys.org/news/2025-01-janus-graphene-nanoribbons-poised-advance.html

Enhanced wavelength conversion enables fast, efficient quantum information transfer/ integrated photonics

https://spie.org/news/enhanced-wavelength-conversion-to-advance-quantum-information-networks "due to dispersion-designed structural geometry, interacting lights group-velocity mismatch 100% smoothed... qubit information transferred between different wavelengths without losing coherence, entanglement... nonlinear optical X-cut thin film lithium niobate... broadband 2nd-harmonic up to 13 nm usings mode hybridization allowing precise control in micro-racetrack resonator... enhanced quantum light sources, larger capacity multiplexing, more effective multichannel optical information processing"

Fully 3D-printed semiconductor-free devices

https://news.mit.edu/2024/mit-team-takes-major-step-toward-fully-3d-printed-active-electronics-1015 "1 step few hundred µm extrusion printed resettable fuses from inexpensive biodegradables, for basic control operations like regulating electric motor. speed... passed large electric current into polymer filament doped with copper nanoparticles exhibits huge resistance spike,  returning to original level after current stopped, enabling operation as switch... intersecting conductive regions enable resistance regulation controlling voltage fed into switch turning motor on/ off, >4K cycles... fabication uses less energy, waste"

Glass micro-supercapacitors 3D printed, reducing complexity and time forming intricacies, improves micro energy storage

https://www.nanowerk.com/news2/gadget/newsid=65921.php "inorganic silicon-rich glass featuring self-forming nanograting hierarchical structures... ultrashort laser pulse 3D printing enables more electrode surface area, nanoscale channels facilitating rapid ion transport... induces 2 simultaneous reactions in glass-like precursor hydrogen silsesquioxane, resulting in self-organized nanoplates, and precursor converts into silicon-rich glass... optical communication, self-sustaining sensors, wearables, 5D optical data storage, energy storage, more compact/ efficient micro-supercapacitors"

Bright future for solar panels, TV screens and more

https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/media-release/let-there-be-light-bright-future-for-solar-panels-tv-screens-and-more/ "'flatter, more even (nanoplatelet) zinc sulfide nanocrystals allow more ligands to attach to them more tightly, making various optoelectronics more efficient: brighter TV screens and LED lights, more detailed medical imaging, more efficient solar panels, photodetectors that sense light and convert it into an electrical signal, such as in cameras and sensors, plus laser diodes used in fibre-optic communication that convert electrical signals into light for data transmission"

Quantum computing and photonics discovery potentially shrinks critical parts by 1,000 times

https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news3/newsid=65920.php "entangle photon qubits in computer chip by producing linked pairs using 1.2 μm thick material without needing additional optical gear maintaining link... paired photons vibrating in sync at room temperature... niobium oxide dichloride produces photon pairs efficiently despite its thinness... thicken stacking 2 crystal flakes together positioning grains perpendicular to each other, synchronizing maintaining link... compact, scalable. efficient, secure quantum computers instant quantum communications" Related: ETRI, demonstration of 8-photon qubit chip for quantum computation https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1064647 Photonics breakthrough can drastically shrink quantum computing parts https://www.laserfocusworld.com/optics/article/55241614/photonics-breakthrough-can-drastically-shrink-quantum-computing-parts

Novel visible light communication encryption technology uses chiral nanoparticles

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-visible-communication-encryption-technology-chiral.html "fast, no electromagnetic interference, carries vast information via spatiotemporal polarized superposition quantum communication... chiral nanomaterials adjust polarization axis rotational tilt... twisting crystal using proteins/ DNA possessing chirality whose optical properties cannot be replicated without complete sequence information... combines quantum nanorods with nanowire providing rotational properties to the light, 3D printed 100's µm spatial resolution ns of temporal resolution... local communication, military"

Optical switch using small amount of light and no electricity enables fast, energy-efficient secure telecom

https://energy.umd.edu/news/story/speedy-secure-sustainablemdashthatrsquos-the-future-of-telecom "consumes 100X less energy, 1/10th to 1 femtojoules... non-linear response, enabling quantum communication... Quantum Material Press automated tool including an exfoliator, cataloger, and stacker synthesizing high-quality, optimized exfoliated quantum 2D flakes"  

Researchers develop a laser that produces the strongest ultra-short laser pulses to date

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-laser-strongest-ultra-short-pulses.html "more reliable 550 W average (peak 100 MW) power, 5.5 MHz... lasts < ps, exit laser in regular sequence 5 million pulses p/sec... 100 μm thin ytterbium disk... mirrors send light inside laser through disk several times before it leaves through outcoupling mirror, amplifying light maintaining stability...Semiconductor Saturable Absorber Mirror, reflectivity depending on strength of light hitting it, coaxing into sending out short pulses (higher intensity) rather than continuous beam... machining, high harmonic frequencies, X-rays"

Powerful, efficient and portable optical frequency flat-top microcombs convert more light into a useful rainbow

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-powerful-compact-optical-frequency-unique.html "ultra low-loss silicon nitride waveguides... improved efficiency through coupled micro-resonators' better energy flow, broader pumping, improved temporal overlap between pump/ soliton... even power across comb lines enables consistent signal strength across multiple channels... methods: continuous-wave laser pumping, pulsed, parametrically-pumped microcombs... spectroscopy, optical frequency synthesis, astronomical calibration, compact atomic clocks, optical communications, LiDAR, microwave photonics" See also: Interdisciplinary advances in microcombs: Bridging physics and information technology https://phys.org/news/2024-10-interdisciplinary-advances-microcombs-bridging-physics.html Giving robots superhuman vision using radio signals https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1064371 Thorium Film: Future Replacement for Atomic Clock Crystals https://www.miragenews.com/thorium-film-future-replacem...

Dragonfly wing pattern reinforces vaults and domes better than ancient Roman and tech-generated methods

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-dragonfly-wing-pattern-vaults-domes.html "patterns stiffening ribs enabling withstanding both evenly distributed (topologically optimized best)/ asymmetric (turtle shells and dragonfly wings best) loads... ribs: more rigid counteract twisting, thinner ensures overall integrity... overall best: topological optimization with tight constraint on material expenditure allocating 70% of rib material to primary ribs, followed by parametric algorithm using up remaining filling in thinner secondary ribs (Voronoi pattern)... material conserved, greater creative architectural freedom"

USTC Achieves First Loophole-Free Test of Hardy's Paradox

https://en.physics.ustc.edu.cn/_t285/2024/0920/c7856a654003/page.htm "demonstrated Hardy’s nonlocality, closes detection efficiency loophole (optical losses), locality loophole (measurement choices could affect outcomes)... quantum mechanics prediction that where 3 Hardy events have 0 probability, non-0 probability for 4th, contradicting local realism... significance level of up to 5 standard deviations across 4.32 billion trials... deepens quantum mechanics understanding/ developing quantum technologies (quantum key distribution, quantum random number certification)"

AI and Physics-Assisted Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm unite to form Ka-band hexagonal meta-antenna

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-ai-physics-meta-antennas.html "wide scanning angle, compact, high transmission gain... algorithm particles' optimization direction guided by extremum conditions derived from variational method, reducing computation time/ decreasing likelihood of suboptimal designs... 94.62806 relative strength, comparable but at significantly lower computational cost... optimal state after only 650 iterations, 1/6th computation time... 22 mm focal length, 1.524 mm thickness... complex multivariate/ multi-objective optimizations, satellite communication, radar, 5G, IoT" 

Faster, greener indoor optical wireless communication: quantum inspired phased arrays within phased arrays

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-harnessing-quantum-principles-phased-arrays.html "overcomes limited bandwidth, signal congestion... IR delivers robust, interference-free signals... parallels quantum superposition principle in its execution... operates through arrays of smaller, complex optical antennas aligned on flat surface nested within larger arrays... collective behavior amplifies/ sharpens IR (can be adapted for other wavelengths)... dual wavelength clusters for redundancy... energy efficient selectively deactivating idle clusters... health care environments,  industrial/ office spaces"

Streamlining perovskite solar cell structure and fabrication enhances commercialization prospects

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1060954 "improved stability, reliability, efficiency, affordability, sustainability, lifetime... 2 innovations: (1) hole-selective materials/ perovskite layers integration, simplifying manufacture... (2) inorganic electron transport layer, tin oxide for excellent thermal stability... does not require organic transfer layer... >25% power conversion efficiency optimizing oxygen vacancy defects within tin oxide layer, retaining >95% efficiency after 2,000 hours continuous operation... future: applying to larger perovskite solar modules" Related: Computer simulations reveal stability factors in 2D perovskites for better solar cells https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-simulations-reveal-stability-factors-2d.html IIT Delhi team makes breakthrough in cost-effective solar cell technology https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/iit-delhi-team-makes-breakthrough-in-cost-effective-solar-cell-technology-2624345-2024-10-28 KAIST researchers i...

Ordered defects enhance solution-deposited CuIn5Se8 semiconductors enabling larger high-performance displays

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-defects-solution-deposited-semiconductors-enabling.html "production at lower temperatures, ambient pressure, forming high-speed logic circuits operating in MHz (with delay down to 75 ns) and 508 pixels/ inch micro-displays... requiring fewer transistors drive bright, durable inorganic micro-LED displays and high-speed printable electronics for health care, smart packaging, IoT... processing more efficient, lower cost, better substrate compatibility... copper-indium-selenium ratio 1:5:8 yields 500X greater. mobility... future: find a more eco-friendly caalyst than hydrazine"

Photonic-measurement-based quantum computation for enhanced efficiency

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-photonics-approach-quantum-efficiency.html "faster, fault-tolerant, capable of handling complex problems, scalable, resource-efficient using high-dimensional spatial encoding generating large cluster states... encoding multiple qubits within each photon through spatial encoding... cluster states with >9 qubits at 100 Hz... substantially reduces computation time by enabling instantaneous feedforward between qubits encoded within the same photon... quantum computing through photonics"

CGEN Engineering's lightweight, stackable generator reduces cost of offshore wind, wave and tidal renewables

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-generator-offshore-renewables.html "extend installation's lifespan... each module can be added, replaced, moved individually without long downtimes... 10 to 15% reduced cost of energy produced, 30 to 40% increased operational life, 50 to 70% reduced lifetime operating and maintenance costs"

Electrified reactor powered by renewables cuts emissions by 60%, improves efficiency and lowers costs in key industries

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-electrified-reactor-emissions-key-industries.html "alternative to high-temperature... 96% efficiency converting methane into usable energy (75% conversion for traditional)... compact, modular enabling easy integration into existing infrastructure, scalable... 3D-printed monoliths and a precise catalyst coating technique, we were able to optimize surface area and performance, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in methane reforming... chemical (methanol, ammonia, synthetic fuel) manufacturing, fertilizer production, hydrogen generation" Related: Scientists make weed control breakthrough that could soon replace harmful product: 'Mass production is the main goal' https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/biodegradable-paper-mulch-plastic-alternative-gardens-agriculture/

Bulk high-temperature superconductivity in bilayer nickelate under high pressure

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-bulk-high-temperature-superconductivity.html "Tc ≈ 80K, pressures above 14GPa, in La3-xPrxNi2O7-δ... can be prepared in a relatively large quantity with better controlled quality and reproducibility via the wet-chemistry sol-gel method... ideal Ruddlesden-Popper structure, but intergrowths of 327/4310 and 327/214 phases detrimental factors... diamagnetic response with 97% superconducting shielding volume fraction"

Nanoribbon ferroelectrics with switchable polarity store digital information or signal neurons

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2024/10/nature-and-plastics-inspire-breakthrough-in-soft-sustainable-materials/ "bio- compatible/ degradable, sustainably sourced, flexible, soft, formed by peptide amphiphiles/ piezoelectric fluoride plastic drives molecular self-assembly when placed in water... tunable peptide sequence tunes ferroelectricity... low external voltage switches multiaxial polarity in multiple directions around circle... ferroelectrics: biomedical devices/ implants, ultralight smart fabrics, human-computer interface, microscopic memory chips, sensors, catalytic processes in renewable energy storage”

Control of acoustic holograms allows storage of multiple images simultaneously in single hologram

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-holographic-3d-potential-revolutionize-multiple.html "tiny cavitation bubbles create extremely high temperatures/ pressure for trillionths of second quickly harden resin into complex acoustic holograms containing cross-sectional images... robotic arm movement based on algorithm-designed pattern... improve printing speed up to 20X, using less energy... can change image during printing... printing behind opaque objects: wall, inside tube, already approved for medical applications: print complex tissues (skin grafts), localized targeted drug/ cell delivery"

Electrode surface patterning minimizing bubble-interfering contact area lowers costs, enhances performance

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-insights-electrode.html "bubbles block parts of electrode surface reducing electrode performance 10 to 25% by area where bubble contacts surface... AI-based open-source software tool automatically recognizes/ quantifies bubbles formed on surface enable control of electrodes' morphology/ chemistry... reduces amount of platinum/ iridium wasted by reaction-blocking bubbles... hydrogen production, carbon-capture, aluminum production,  chemical production using the chlor-alkali process"

Reducing energy loss in metal nanostructures by reducing their height

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-energy-loss-metal-nanostructures-geometrical.html "called inverse square root law , shifts resonance from high-loss localized surface plasmon resonances to low-loss surface plasmon polaritons, resulting in 2-order-magnitude greater metal arrays' resonance quality... stronger nanoscale light-matter interactions... more powerful, efficient nanoscale optics: sensing, imaging, solar energy"

Researchers develop new sustainable material: chestnut tannin cellulose-MXene composites

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-sustainable-material-cellulose-mxene-composites.html "photothermal, electrothermal, biocidal, piezoelectric... pressure sensitivity, electromagnetic interference shielding, antibacterial... zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 in-situ growth on cellulose nanofiber surface, enhancing biocidal activity/ electromagnetic interference shielding... wound dressings, solar desalination, pressure sensors monitoring human movements" Related: Lithuanian scientists develop cellulose recycling method with applications ranging from textiles to medical devices https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063199 Sustainable hydrophobic cellulose could soon be a reality https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063771

Nanoscale method boosts materials for advanced memory storage

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-nanoscale-method-boosts-materials-advanced.html "on-demand modification of specific topological polarization structure orientation of atoms/ dipoles' internal permanent electric field... switches polarization guided by electrical stylus composed of lead, strontium, titanium, oxygen... data retention without power... devices operating at high frequencies due to intrinsic sub-THz resonances... enabled by intermediate out-of-plane state... memory storage, neuromorphic computing, low-power nanoelectronics, high-speed broadband, tunable optoelectronics"

Wattage from wine: Food waste offers huge breakthrough for lithium-ion batteries

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/wattage-wine-food-waste-offers-134717434.html "cheap, sustainable, increased energy storage capability... fruit, winemaking compounds (malic, tartaric acid) from food waste streams replace graphite electrode... food acids produce water-soluble metal dicarboxylate electrode materials"

Self-charging energy harvester continuously generates electricity utilizing sodium ion movement in seawater

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-energy-harvester-generates-electricity-seawater.html "multi-walled carbon nanotubes/ graphene oxide films with different oxygen functional groups as cathode and anode respectively, seawater electrolyte... more cations in electrolyte gather closer to anode, creating potential difference as result of ion rearrangement between 2 electrodes... high energy conversion efficiency, 24.6mW/cm3 power density, 4.2X higher... initial open circuit voltage restored without external energy... ocean sensors (temperature, dissolved oxygen, inorganic nitrogen) where device retrieval challenging"

Spaceship thrusters capable of being powered by any metal that can burn, such as iron, aluminum or copper

https://www.earth.com/news/spaceship-thruster-technology-fueled-by-any-type-of-metal-could-fly-indefinitely/ "silicate minerals like olivine and pyroxene also come in handy for spacecraft landing on a moon or comet rich in these burnable metals, where they extract what they need to refuel... ensures enough fuel for extended missions, for: (1) mining and returning to Earth with iron and nickel, precious metals like platinum, gold, silver, (2) future missions where deep-space travel isn’t restricted by the limited availability of fuel... titled: Super Magdrive system"

Selective ultrafast quantum-entangled electron pair motion manipulation in hydrogen molecules

https://phys.org/news/2024-09-physicists-ultrafast-quantum-entangled-electrons.html "photon emission direction relative to remaining bound electron in cleaved neutral hydrogen atom can be controlled by time interval between 2 laser flashes on scale of few hundred attoseconds... >100,000X faster entangled quantum state control, from nanoseconds to femto- or even attoseconds... electrons' emission direction with respect to protons can be modified by delaying attosecond pulses with respect to maxima and minima of laser light on time-scale of <1 femtosecond"

Ultra-cold atoms gliding along edges/ around obstacles enable super-efficient, lossless energy/ data transmission

https://news.mit.edu/2024/ultracold-atoms-edge-state-0906 "cloud of about 1 million sodium atoms in corralled spin in laser-controlled trap at nano-kelvin temperature, crawling over microns in milliseconds, essentially forever, like marbles circling a bowl but without friction or slowing down, along edge of exotic material... flowing only in 1 direction along ring of laser light forming circular wall (edge-state)... analog for studying how 2D confined electrons under magnetic field exhibit Quantum Hall effect, but since atoms are larger, researchers were able to image"

Researchers harness liquid crystal structures to design simple, yet versatile bifocal lenses

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-harness-liquid-crystal-simple-versatile.html "2 foci, intensities adjustable (not limited to confined area) applying external voltage... lenses use 2 liquid crystal cell/ polymer layers... polarization imaging enhancing image contrast... edge imaging highlighting object outlines making easier to see fine details/ spot shapes...  inspired by multi-functional holographic devices... split left-handed circularly polarized light into 2 focused light beams: left-handed/ right-handed circular polarization... optical interconnections, biological imaging, AR, VR, optical computing"

Coherent optical fiber communication system with 336 Tb/s transmission uses cost-saving single light source

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-coherent-optical-fiber-communication-tbs.html "with optical comb generation/ frequency reference distribution, replacing 100's built-in light sources within transponder modules... 650 carrier/ local oscillator pairs generated over most of S, C, and L bands (16 THz frequency band) without need for compact S-band light sources... transmitter/ receiver same oscillation frequency so no need of independent stabilization... 39-core multicore fiber with 38 cores supporting three-mode propagation, 1 core supporting single-mode...  transmission capacity 336 Tb/s, almost 200X greater"

Quantum communication: Using microwaves to efficiently control electron spins of diamond qubits

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-quantum-communication-microwaves-efficiently-diamond.html "diamonds' tin vacancies (where diamond atoms replaced by tin) have optical/ magnetic properties, can be used as qubits when precisely controlled using microwaves... extending qubit coherence time to as long as 10 ms using dynamical decoupling largely suppresses interference... diamond qubits are solid phase so easier to work with... controlled with superconducting waveguides efficiently directing microwaves to defects without generating heat (temperature near absolute zero)... transfers qubit quantum states to photons"

Introducing hexagonal magnetic defects into artificial spin ice lattice furthers energy-efficient neuromorphic computing

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-hexagonal-magnetic-defects-energy-efficient.html "tailors system's behavior by causing stochastic topological excitations, controlling neural network's dynamics... collective stochastically-controlled artificial neural networks' behavior realized... controllably create topological states associated with ASI defects and demonstrate stochastic but statistically predictable behaviors within the ASI lattice... hardware realizations of low-energy future computing systems: magnetic memory devices, reconfigurable spin-waveguides/ logic"

Major breakthrough: unprecedented control of active matter

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-unprecedented.html "trapping 3D active nematic liquid crystals (elongated molecules aligned in the same direction) within cell-sized spherical droplets... controlling molecule orientation... spontaneous deformation/ flow without external forces... stop moving when confinement is strong... control over active chaos... mix microtubule (biopolymer) bundles crucial for cell division, along with motor proteins/ oil creating emulsion... biological cell alignment, cell division mitotic spindle organization, soft robotics, artificial cells, self-healing materials" Related: Uncrackable: Scorpions and sponges inspire sustainable design https://phys.org/news/2024-10-uncrackable-scorpions-sponges-sustainable.html

Coupling 2 Andreev qubits coherently 6 millimeters via microwave photons generated in narrow superconducting resonator

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-physicists-strong-coupling-andreev-qubits.html "qubits formed at metal/ superconductor interface (Andreev reflection)... electron from metal enters superconductor becoming part of Cooper pair... hole behaving like positive particle reflects back into metal,  basis states readily controlled/ incorporated into circuits... 2 modes: (1) qubit's quantum state read via resonator, (2) couple 2 qubits allowing them to communicate without losing microwave photons, sharing new quantum state... combined 3 quantum systems... suitable as compact/ scalable solid-state qubits"

Logic with light: Introducing diffraction casting, optical-based parallel computing

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-logic-diffraction-optical-based-parallel.html "based light's properties, resulting in more spatially/ power -efficient, functionally flexible, cooler, massively parallel, high-speed optics... 16 X 16 pixel black-and-white source image combined with series of images representing stages in logic operations, layers placed on top which obscure, manipulate or transmit something from layer beneath... light passed through casting output top layer on sensor, becoming digital storage or presentation... so far: 16 basic logic operations, future:  quantum computing"

Caldera's Megacell modular heat storage technology converts solar power into on-demand heat, replacing gas boilers

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/10/02/storing-solar-power-through-aluminum-rock-composite/ "recycled aluminum/ volcanic rock/ proprietary material preventing  radiative loss, composite stores heat up to 500°C, producing up to 210°C hot water/ steam... enclosed in vacuum-insulated (prevents heat conduction/ convection loss) chamber heated using electric elements... produces steam through small amount of water passed through coil within core, extracting stored energy... varying water volume controls power output... being modular allows storage capacity up to 100 MWh... built 4 MWh first demonstrator"

New design overcomes key barrier to all-solid-state lithium batteries

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-key-barrier-safer-efficient-ev.html "safer, more efficient... overcoming resistance where ceramic electrolyte meets electrodes making battery less efficient/ reducing how much energydelivered... creating porous ceramic membrane instead of dense plate, filling it with small amount of polymer, allows lithium ions to move freely and eliminate the interfacial resistance between the solid electrolyte and the electrodes... improves the battery's performance but also creates a stable interface for high-voltage operation, one of the industry's key goals" Related: Solid electrolyte composed of nanoparticles shows promise for all-solid-state batteries https://phys.org/news/2024-10-solid-electrolyte-nanoparticles-state-batteries.html

Transfer of energy between defects could underlie efficient, ultra-high-density optical memory storage

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-quantum-paves-efficient-ultra-high.html "durable, fast, energy-efficient... narrow band emitters transfer optical data from rare earth embedded within solid material using slightly different wavelengths (multiplexing), to nearby quantum defect... overcomes light diffraction limit, boosting optical storage bit density... near-field energy transfer... quantum defects become excited from ground state/ flip spin state which is hard to reverse enabling long term storage... smaller wavelengths/ tiny defects enable denser data storage... future: how to read out the data"

Highly tunable spintronics quantum platform produces magnet-free electron spin in a semiconductor

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-materials-techniques-microelectronics-quantum-technologies.html "increase memory/ logic processing capability, reducing power consumption/ production costs... 2D organic metal halide hybrids... assemble into crystalline structures with different dimensionalities... powering spintronics exploiting electron's spin interaction with chirality... flipping electron spin in transit by forcing electron to go through chiral structure, becoming spin polarized flipping electron to spin in alignment with other electrons... solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, quantum technologies"

Nanoscale glass microcapillary tips enable precise and delicate contact in manufacturing and biotechnology

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-based-microcapillary-biotechnology.html "evanescent light projected into 0.1 to 0.000010 mm diameter glass tube 3D printing nozzle... light transmitted to object, bright scattering light observed, disappearing when object touched.. light scattering overcomes diffraction-limited  resolution... improved stability, yield... glass microcapillary does not break, and target object is not damaged... biotechnology, manipulating cells, micro-electroplating, nano-3D printing, displays, microelectronics"

Researchers illuminate inner workings of new-age soft semiconductors

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-illuminate-age-soft-semiconductors.html "organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors are soft, flexible polymer semiconductors... Swells 300% when immersed in liquid electrolyte, yet maintain electronic functionality... soft gel-like crystal polymer structure stretches/ bends forming continuous electronic path around electrolyte bubbles forming between folded polymer ribbons... more efficient ion exchange with minimal strain on material, exhibiting impressive resilience to the physical changes and ion insertion... batteries, electronic devices"

Building better solar cells: Assembly of 2D supramolecular structures with triptycene scaffold

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-solar-cells-2d-molecular-triptycene.html "1,8,13-substituted tripodal triptycene assembled into 2D hexagon stacked 1D, creating 2D + 1D structure... sandwiching pentacene and anthracene chromophores in space between, organizing planar acene chromophores, forming 2 distinct 2D self-assembling structures... single high-energy photon converted into 2 lower-energy triplet excitons, enhancing solar cell efficiency by increasing charge carriers... singlet fission occurs with 88% quantum yield for generating pair of triplets and 130% for producing 2 free triplets Related: Improving energy production by boosting singlet fission process https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063444