Eurekalert March 15, 2018 In 1987 Paul W. Anderson, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, proposed that high-temperature superconductivity is related to quantum spin liquid. An international team of researchers (Finland, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Japan) has developed a new way of tailoring the properties of magnetic materials to produce the superconductor-like quantum spin liquid predicted by Anderson. This achievement is an important step towards building topological quantum computers… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Author Archives: Hema Viswanath
Researchers create a protein ‘mat’ that can soak up pollution
Physorg March 15, 2018 An international team of researchers (USA – UC Berkeley, Northwestern University, ARL, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, France) designed four-monomer random heteropolymers to mimic intrinsically disordered proteins for protein solubilization and stabilization in non-native environments. With optimized composition and statistical monomer distribution, they enable cell-free synthesis of membrane proteins with proper protein folding for transport and enzyme-containing plastics for toxin bioremediation. The research affords a new strategy to interface with biological systems for protein-based biomaterials and enable on-demand biochemical reactions where they were once not feasible… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Scientists create diodes made of light
Physorg March 16, 2018 Researchers in the UK created an optical version of a diode by sending lots of light into a microresonator and harnessing the circulating optical power to generate the diode effect. As the microrings can store extremely large amounts of light, even though they were sending small amounts of light into the glass rings, the circulating power was comparable to the light generated by the flood lights. They have shown that the electromagnetic field of clockwise circulating light in these glass rings effectively blocks any counterclockwise circulating light. The research opens the door to cheap and efficient […]
Space radiation more hazardous: Implications for astronauts and satellites
Science Daily March 15, 2018 According to a team of researchers in the US (University of New Hampshire, NASA Ames Research Center, The Aerospace Corporation, Harvard University, University of Tennessee, Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Michigan, industry), for most of the space age, the sun’s activity ebbed and flowed like clockwork in 11-year cycles. However, starting around 2006, scientists observed the longest solar minimum and weakest solar activity observed during the space age. Despite this overall reduction, the September 2017 solar eruptions produced episodes of significant Solar Particle Events and associated radiation caused by particle acceleration by successive, magnetically […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Innovations for the Week of March 16, 2018
01. Scientists gain new visibility into quantum information transfer 02. New ultrafast measurement technique shows how lasers start from chaos 03. The quantum states on the surface of conducting materials can strongly interact with light 04. Researchers develop heat switch for electronics 05. Scaling silicon quantum photonic technology 06. New transistor concept, solar cell included 07. Research team creates hydrogel adhesives to seal wounds 08. Breakthrough in circuit design makes electronics more resistant to damage 09. Evading in-flight lightning strikes 10. MIT and newly formed company launch novel approach to fusion power And others… Scientists accurately model the action of […]
Breakthrough in circuit design makes electronics more resistant to damage and defects
Physorg March 9,2018 An international team of researchers (USA – UT Austin, City College of New York, City University of New York, Israel) used nonlinear resonators to mold a band-diagram of the circuit array which was designed so that a change in signal intensity could induce a change in the band diagram’s topology. For low signal intensities, the electronic circuit was designed to support a trivial topology, and therefore provide no protection from defects. In this case, as defects were introduced into the array, the signal transmission and the functionality of the circuit were negatively affected… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Evading in-flight lightning strikes
MIT News March 8, 2018 When a plane flies through an ambient electric field, its external electrical state shifts. As an external electric field polarizes the aircraft it can set off a highly conductive flow of plasma, called a positive leader — the preceding stage to a lightning strike. Researchers at MIT propose temporarily charging a plane to a negative level to dampen the more highly charged positive end, thus preventing that end from reaching a critical level and initiating a lightning strike. They envision outfitting a plane with an automated control system consisting of sensors and actuators fitted with […]
FCC Accuses Stealthy Startup of Launching Rogue Satellites
IEEE Spectrum March 9, 2018 According to IEEE Spectrum among the recently launched satellites, there are four satellites called SpaceBee-1, 2, 3, and 4 developed by a company in California. According to the company its network could enable satellite communications for orders of magnitude less cost than existing options. It envisages the worldwide tracking of ships and cars, new agricultural technologies, and low-cost connectivity for humanitarian efforts anywhere in the world. FCC feared that the four SpaceBees now orbiting the Earth would pose an unacceptable collision risk for other spacecraft…read more.
MIT and newly formed company launch novel approach to fusion power
MIT News March 9, 2018 Commonwealth Fusion Systems will support MIT to develop the world’s most powerful large-bore superconducting electromagnets. Once the magnets are developed MIT and CFS will design and build a compact and powerful fusion experiment, called SPARC, using those magnets. The device will demonstrate key technical milestones needed to ultimately achieve a full-scale prototype of a fusion power plant that could set the world on a path to low-carbon energy. The compact device is expected to be capable of generating 100 million watts, or 100 megawatts (MW), of fusion power. Goal is for research to produce a […]
New transistor concept, solar cell included
Physorg March 6, 2018 Researchers in Spain propose a compact self-powered transistor that incorporates the energy source and a transistor into the same slim unit. They used ferroelectric oxide to create the heterojunction needed for solar functionality. It harnesses the switchable polarisation of the ferroelectric layer to achieve off and on states –1s and 0s– in the flow of electrons harvested by the organic semiconductor. Coined the “solaristor”, this game-changing concept combines the best of solar cells and the best of transistors into a single device the size of a biological cell… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE