Today's Tech News: Notable or Not?

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075631 "3D N-doped carbon fiber/MXene/TiO2 nano-aerogel: thin, lightweight, robust, thermal stability, wide absorption bandwidth, strong reflection loss, high-efficiency microwave absorption, electromagnetic pollution reduction... heterogeneous structure rational design optimizes interfacial area/ interfacial effects, concurrent design of multiple components/ structures achieves efficient interfacial control... macro: green/ low-cost biomass cotton skeleton, micro: nitrogen atom doping enhancing polarization loss... radar stealth"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075472 "digitally coded for real-time EM wave manipulation in 5G/ 6G... overcomes high data acquisition/ training costs, massive pixel combinations/ blocked excitation current flow... overcome combining topological representation method/ separate design architecture... non-uniform rational B-spline represents continuous patterns, mapping 100D continuous patterns to 5D control points, reducing the pattern solution space ensuring smooth excitation current flow, enhancing surface patter resonance... sensing, wireless "

https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/developing_the_inherent_functionality_of_highly_pure_porous_organic_polymers.html "soak up harmful pollutants, boast high thermal/ chemical stability... overcomes metal impurities decreasing porosity, using iodine as oxidant minimizing residual impurities, then washing out iodine and remaining impurities with ethanol after synthesis... results in pure polytriphenylamine derivatives with high specific surface area... carbon capture, energy storage, fuel cells, proton conductivity/ gas adsorption accompanied by gate-opening phenomenon"

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-nanodot-fine-tune-sharper-displays.html "cathodoluminescence: aim electron beam at 2D molybdenum diselenide embedded in 2D tungsten diselenide, making it emit high resolution light... larger dots give off 1 type of glow... <10 nm wide dots trap energy/ emit light with higher frequency (quantum confinement) confining excitons at interface of the 2 materials... controlling nanodot size via controlling excitons changes emitted light's color/ frequency more effectively... faster/ more secure quantum systems, energy-saving high resolution screens"

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-03-chip-microcomb-synchronize-optoelectronics.html "overcomes difficulties synchronizing frequencies of optically generated signals with those of traditional electronic clocks... synthesizes single-frequency and wideband signals covering broad frequency band providing reference clocks... does not require coherent digital signal processing... prototype optoelectronic wireless sensing/ communications device... enables high repetition rates, consumes less power"

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-highly-robust-reconfigurable-mechanochromic-cellulose.html "highly robust, dynamically responsive/ reconfigurable, mechanochromic, multi-level active interfaces... based on cellulose nanocrystal self-assembly properties... precise network matrix alignment control through nanofiber sliding/ hydrogen bond reconstruction, driven by water-activated hydrogen bonding interactions... compared with original hydrogel: 5X tougher, >9.5X more stretchable... dynamic color-changing abilities, switching reversibly between red/ blue maintaining stable electromechanical sensitivity... smart photonics"

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-graphene-quantum-energy-efficient-spintronics.html "fully encapsulating monolayer graphene in insulating 2D hexagonal boron nitride, protecting its high quality... 2D stack exposing only edges of graphene, laying magnetic nanowire electrodes over stack, forms 1D contacts injectioning at 20°K, revealing electron transport across interface as quantum... avoids need for physical constriction within graphene channel, overcoming fabrication challenges... magnetic nature of the nanoscale contacts enables quantized spin injection... low-power ballistic spintronics"

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-quantum-dot-discovery-brighter-eco.html "matches or outperforms cadmium-based... 24.7% efficient pure/ vibrant blue light lasting nearly 30,000 hours... atomic level fine-tuning quantum dot structure, reducing light emission interfering defects, uniformity improving brightness/ stability, high color purity... televisions, smartphones, VR headsets, energy-efficient lighting"

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-03-perovskite-solar-cells-efficiency-heights.html "overcomes degradation/ efficiency issues... improves its stability during crystallization, leading to stronger bonds between PbI2 and hydrogen... also reduced colloidal aggregation, reducing overall defects, improving uniformity/ reducing degradation... slot-die coating in open air conditions enabling large-scale production, lower costs... long-term stability, with a 94% efficiency rating after exposure to direct light for 1,000 hours, at 65% humidity" Related: Scientists introduce c-MOFs in emerging SrZrS₃ chalcogenide perovskites for efficient solar cells https://techxplore.com/news/2025-03-scientists-mofs-emerging-srzrs-chalcogenide.html

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075626 "heat removes protective polymer coatings from carbon fibers... exfoliate carbon fibers using electrochemical oxidation in water/ 5% nitric acid as conductor, nanoscale graphene oxide layers peel off, with uniform 0.9 nm thick circular/ elliptical nanosheets, 200 mg/ gram carbon fiber... yields 1-atom-thick sheets of graphene oxide with characteristics comparable to that sourced from mined graphite... no harsh chemicals, variations in graphite purity... EV batteries, composites, water purification. electronic devices"

https://newatlas.com/brain/cortical-bioengineered-intelligence/ "Cortical Labs' CL1... learns quickly/ flexibly... assembling neurons in new way... neurons seek connections producing energy-efficient, predictable outcomes, adapting producing random, chaotic electrical signal... simpler, more stable and for longer, much more able to actively balance charge... lab-grown neurons placed on planar electrode array, 59 electrodes form basis of network, placed in rectangular life-support unit connected to software-based system... $35-85 thousand, 850-1,000 W... medical science, technology"

https://chbe.illinois.edu/news/stories/liquid-crystal-structures-key-organic-solar-cell-performance-study-finds "processing conditions manipulated printing films force molecules to adopt different structures, ink evaporates depending on printing speed locking assembly into different stages... slow forces polymers assemble into liquid crystals before film forms, for better stability/ efficiency distinguished from cells random aggregation pathways... further manipulation for either achiral, which is an improvement, or chiral, which is best"

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-high-energy-efficient-electro-optic.html "nanosecond-scale optical switching: low crosstalk <-45 dB, broad 3-dB bandwidth >100 nm, <3 ns latency... scalable, chip-friendly fabrication of 2×2 cascaded electro-optic switch by micro-transfer printing pre-etched thin-film lithium niobate (superior modulation capabilities) onto silicon nitride (exceptional passive properties)... 1.3 dB insertion loss at 1550-nm wavelength... future: large-area coupon-based massive micro-transfer printing to integrate multiple elements in a single process"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075619 "energy saving, better performance transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors now scalable... completely new growth method leveraging 2D graphene or hexagonal boron nitride as templates, guiding dichalcogenide crystal alignment enabling synthesis of perfectly single-crystalline films on any substrate at low temperature (400°C) compatible with existing semiconductor manufacturing... template naturally dissappeaers without requiring post-removal process... high charge carrier mobility, excellent uniformity"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075681 "could provide around 16% of nickel needed by 2030, but even greater impact can be achieved by upcycling nickel together with upcycling alumina from used aluminium foil into high-performance nanocatalyst in an eco-friendly way... nanocatalyst consists of 92-96% aluminium oxide and 4-8% nickel, optimal for converting CO2 together with hydrogen into methane at atmospheric pressure and an easily achievable temperature of 250°C"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075504 "used machine learning to represent 2D sheets of graphene/ other materials, with/ without defects... sheet defects affect how ripples move: above certain concentration, defects freeze membrane/ flexibility.lost .. control the physical behavior of these materials by using defects—something traditionally considered undesirable—as a design tool... energy storage, catalysis nanofluidics (water filtration), ultra-thin flexible screens/ fast electronics"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075539 ", memory magnetic layer thickness controls magnetisation, coercivity, remanence, anisotropy with voltage, not currents... adding/ removing ions through changes in applied voltage polarity manipulates magnetics... overcomes magnetic vortex states in already prepared materials requiring large energy amounts, on-demand voltage-regulated (by extracting nitrogen ions) nanodot control creating new/ varying magnetic states... analogue computing, data storage/ security, medical theragnostics, spin computing, magnonics"

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-superconducting-quantum-processor-prototype-faster.html "random quantum circuit sampler, 105 qubits, 182 couplers, 1,000,000X faster,  72 μs coherence time, 99.90% parallel single-qubit gate fidelity, 99.62% parallel 2-qubit gate fidelity, 99.13% parallel readout fidelity... 15 orders magnitude better computational speed... advancing  quantum: error correction (distance-7 surface code, future: increase this distance to 9 and 11, paving the way for massive integration and manipulation of quantum bits), entanglement, simulation, chemistry"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1074812 "overcomes sluggish reinforcement during typical deformation rates, using weak chemical bond cleavage for activation, modifying DN hydrogel by embedding molecular components containing weak azo bonds (–N=N–) into primary polymer network, subsequently soaking up large monomer/ crosslinker concentrations... dmechano-radicals rapidly react with the absorbed monomers/ crosslinkers, forming, 100X faster, new stronger self-strengthening primary network... rubber, elastomers, biomaterials, contact lenses, soft robots"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1074945 "preparing qubits/ transmitting photons simultaneously, entanglement rate scaled proportionally to number of qubits... embedding ytterbium atoms inside yttrium orthovanadate crystals, laser exciting each atom to emit photon that remains entangled/ coupled to optical cavities... quantum feed-forward control: generates atoms entanglement  even when optical transitions differ, taking received information from the photon arrival time and applying  a quantum circuit: a series of logic gates that are tailored to the two qubits."

https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-google-taara-chip-internet-by-light/ "10 to 100X more bandwidth than Starlink, at fraction of cost... boxes see each other at 20 GBps, equivalent of fiber-optic cable, compensate for potential line-of-sight interruptions, have complicated gimbals, mirrors, lenses to zero in on the right spot to establish/ hold connection... now in commercial operation... future: shrink light bridge to fingernail size, replacing mechanical gimbals/ costly mirrors with single laser solid-state transmitter pairing with multiple receptors... light might be key element in 7G"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1074980 "recording brain activity/ stimulating neural tissues, they are flat, not conforming to neural structures' natural curves, require multiple fabrication steps... overcome developing μETF inspired plastic thermoforming 3D structures for neural electrodes... liquid crystal polymer substrate due to mechanical strength, biocompatibility, long-term stability... prototype reduced stimulation thresholds 1.7X, improved spatial resolution 2.2X... brain, spinal cord, cochlea, peripheral nerve neural interfaces, wearable electronics"

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-graphyne-carbon-potential-electronics.html "predicted to be semiconductor with band gap, ultra-high charge carrier mobility far surpassing that of silicon, ultimate strength comparable to graphene... completely eliminates all 2-coordinate acetylenic carbons from graphyne, yet preserves layered structure... modified band gap... enables future techniques for fabricating all-carbon electronic chips with performance unattainable by the current silicon technology... carbon electronics, energy harvesting/ storage, gas separations, catalysis"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075335 "hybrid lithium ion device has advantages of both high-power supercapacitor withstanding many charge-discharge cycles/ battery storage... 1 electrodes was made of hard carbon and the other was made of activated carbon. What is more, great importance was attached in the research to the use of cost-efficient, sustainable processes for producing the electrodes... process to produce the electrodes was energy-efficient: synthesis temperatures did not exceed 700°C, and economic additives were used"