Phys.org July 25, 2023 Coherently driven semiconductor quantum dots are one of the most promising platforms for non-classical light sources and quantum logic gate. However, coherent manipulation of single charge carriers in quantum dots is limited mainly to their lowest orbital states. Ultrafast coherent control of high-orbital states is obstructed by the demand for tunable terahertz pulses. An international team of researchers (UK, Germany, China) demonstrated an all-optical method to control high-orbital states of a hole via a stimulated Auger process. The coherent nature of the Auger process was proved by Rabi oscillation and Ramsey interference. Harnessing this coherence further […]
Non-native English speaking scientists work much harder just to keep up, global research reveals
Phys.org July 22, 2023 An international team of researchers (Australia, USA – UC Berkeley, State University of Louisiana, Germany, Spain, Nepal, UK) surveyed 908 researchers in environmental sciences, to estimates and compare the amount of effort required to conduct scientific activities in English between researchers from different countries and, thus, different linguistic and economic backgrounds. Their survey demonstrated that non-native English speakers, especially early in their careers, spend more effort than native English speakers in conducting scientific activities, from reading and writing papers and preparing presentations in English, to disseminating research in multiple languages. Language barriers could cause them not […]
A novel approach for balancing properties in composite materials
Phys.org July 26, 2023 Researchers at Texas A&M University introduced a programmable spray coating process for depositing multiple nanomaterials with tailorable patterns in composite. They showed that such patterns regulate the formation of interfaces, damage containment, and electrical-thermal conductivity of the composites, which is absent in conventional manufacturing that primarily rely on incorporating nanomaterials to achieve specific functionalities. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that increasing the hydrophilicity of the hybrid nanomaterials improved the interactions between the carbon surfaces and epoxy at the interfaces, manifested in enhanced interlaminar and flexural performance. Transitioning from ring to disk created a larger interconnected network leading […]
Novel thermal sensor could help drive down the heat
Science Daily July 24, 2023 Excess heat from electronic or mechanical devices is a sign or cause of inefficient performance. In many cases, embedded sensors to monitor the flow of heat could help engineers alter electronic or mechanical devices behavior or designs to improve their efficiency. Researchers in Japan explored the way a heat flux sensor consisting of certain special magnetic materials and electrodes behaves when there are complex patterns of heat flow. They etched desired patterns into the resultant film, similar to how electronic circuits are made. They designed the circuits in a particular kind of way to boost […]
Protecting light communication with random objects
Phys.org July 17, 2023 Researchers in the Netherlands have developed an optical communication system with two scattering layers to hide both the sender and receiver, by measuring the correlation of the intermediate speckle generated between the two layers. The binary message is modulated as spatially shaped wavefronts, and the high number of transmission modes of the scattering layers allowed for many uncorrelated incident wavefronts to send the same message, making it difficult for an attacker to intercept or decode the message and thus increasing secrecy. They collected 50,000 intermediate speckle patterns and analyzed their correlation distribution using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) […]
Researchers take a closer look at ultra-high stability nanobubbles
Phys.org July 24, 2023 Bubble technology has proven to be an efficient technique of reducing environmental pollution, strengthening water treatment procedures, and increasing production in industrial and agricultural applications. Nanobubbles (NBs) in liquids have several intriguing properties, including low buoyancy, high mass transfer efficiency, and high reactivity. In particular, NBs smaller than 200 nm are unexpectedly stable. However, determining the underlying mechanism of the stability of NBs in a solution is difficult. Researchers in South Korea investigated the number and stability of high-concentration NBs under various conditions. The results showed that the number and concentration of NBs can be maintained […]
Scientists develop AI-based tracking and early-warning system for viral pandemics
Science Daily July 21, 2023 An international team of researchers (USA – Scripps Research Institute, China) developed a machine learning approach using Gaussian process-based spatial covariance (SCV) to track the impact of spatial-temporal mutational events driving host-pathogen balance in biology. They showed how SCV could be applied to understanding the response of evolving covariant relationships linking the variant pattern of virus spread to pathology for the entire SARS-CoV-2 genome on a daily basis. The GP-based SCV relationships in conjunction with genome-wide co-occurrence analysis provided an early warning anomaly detection (EWAD) system for the emergence of variants of concern (VOCs). EWAD […]
Using our oceans to fight climate change
Science Daily July 24, 2023 Membrane carbon capture can play a role in negative emissions technology, such as direct air capture and direct ocean capture. Direct ocean capture has a few potential advantages over direct air capture, such as avoiding land use and coupling with offshore wind and offshore storage. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh assessed the use and feasibility of hollow fiber membrane contactors (HFMCs) for direct ocean carbon capture with benign aqueous basic carbon dioxide solvents through a multifaceted approach. A 1D HFMC model incorporated fluid dynamics and the chemical kinetics of both ocean water and aqueous […]
Three-dimensional structure control technology enables high-performance fuel cells with higher stability
Nanowerk July 26, 2023 Over the past few decades, considerable advances have been achieved in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) based on the development of material technology. Recently, an emerging multiscale architecting technology covering nanometer, micrometer, and millimeter scales has been regarded as an alternative strategy to overcome the hindrance to achieving high-performance and reliable PEMFCs. In their review article researchers in South Korea provided summaries of progress in the key components of PEMFCs based on a novel architecture strategy. In the first section, diverse architectural methods for patterning the membrane surface with random, single-scale, and multiscale structures as […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of June 21, 2023
01. Scientists presents a one-step laser synthesis method for fabricating wideband microwave absorption metamaterial 02. Shrinking light: Waveguiding scheme enables highly confined subnanometer optical fields 03. Study offers a broader approach to quantum walks 04. Thanks to trapped electrons, a material expected to be a conducting metal remains an insulator 05. New material could hold key to reducing energy consumption in computers and electronics 06. Next-generation flow battery design sets records 07. Photonic Time Crystals Generated From Rapid Shifts in Laser Light 08. Preparing for a quantum leap: Researchers chart future for use of quantum computing in particle physics 09. […]