MIT News May 19, 2022 An international team of researchers (USA – MIT, Turkey) used additive manufacturing (AM) of a nickel superalloy metallic matrix composite (Ni-MMC) using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). They prepared nanoceramic-containing composite powders by high-speed blender decluttering and ball milling of as-received SiC nanowires (2 vol%) and Inconel 718 alloy powders which produced a homogeneous decoration of SiC on the surfaces of Inconel particles. Analysing the as-printed specimens revealed the dissolution of SiC nanowires during laser melting, leading to the in-situ formation of Nb- and Ti-based silicide and carbide nanoparticles. The in-situ formed nanoparticles resulted in […]
Topologically structured light detects the position of nano-objects with atomic resolution
Phys.org May 19, 2023 Despite recent progress in optical imaging and metrology there remains a substantial resolution gap between atomic-scale transmission electron microscopy and optical techniques. An international team of researchers (UK, Singapore) demonstrated atomic scale metrology by collecting single-shot images of the diffraction pattern of topologically structured light scattered on a suspended nanowire to determine its position relative to the fixed edges of the sample. They trained a deep learning algorithm that could predict the positions of a given nanowire based on the scattered light pattern recorded by the team’s sensor. If a sub-wavelength object moves in such a […]
Wiring up quantum circuits with light
Science Daily May 18, 2023 Quantum entanglement is a key resource in currently developed quantum technologies. Sharing this fragile property between superconducting microwave circuits and optical or atomic systems would enable new functionalities, but this has been hindered by an energy scale mismatch of >104 and the resulting mutually imposed loss and noise. Researchers in Austria created and verified entanglement between microwave and optical fields in a millikelvin environment. Using an optically pulsed superconducting electro-optical device, they showed entanglement between propagating microwave and optical fields in the continuous variable domain. According to the researchers their work not only paves the […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of May 19, 2023
01. Researchers use structured light on a chip in another photonics breakthrough 02. Using nanofaceting to manipulate quantum dots into nanocrystals 03. The first 2D topological insulator that consists of a single element 04. The ‘invisible’ cellulose coatings that mitigate surface transmission of pathogens 05. New sensors with the HOTS for extreme missions 06. New technology developed for quantum cryptography applications 07. Proposed perovskite-based device combines aspects of electronics and photonics 08. Quantum random number generator operates securely and independently of source devices 09. Researchers demonstrate high natural radioactivity of manganese nodules 10. Human DNA is everywhere. That’s a boon […]
The first 2D topological insulator that consists of a single element
Nanowerk May 16, 2023 The scattering of electrons at defects in 2D topological insulators is forbidden due to the unique topological protection mechanism which makes them more energy-efficient than current electronic materials. An international team of researchers (the Netherlands, Japan) made germanene was made from a single element. They melted germanium together with platinum. When the mixture cooled down, a tiny layer of germanium atoms arranged into a honeycomb lattice on top of the germanium-platinum alloy forming germanene. The conducting properties of the material could be switched ‘off’ by applying an electric field. This property is unique for a topological […]
Getting a grip: Reversible perspiring artificial ‘fingertips’
Nanowerk May 11, 2023 Researchers in the Netherlands recreated the unique human ability of extensive perspiration and controlled friction in self-assembled cholesteric liquid crystals, mimicking the natural processes that occur in the dermis and epidermis of human skin. It was achieved by inducing porosity in responsive, liquid-bearing material through the controlled-polymerization phase-separation process. The unique topography of human fingerprints was further emulated in the materials by balancing the parallel chirality-induced force and the perpendicular substrate-anchoring force during synthesis. As a result, artificial fingertips were capable of secreting and re-absorbing liquid upon light illumination. By demonstrating the function of the soft […]
Human DNA is everywhere. That’s a boon for science — and an ethical quagmire
Science Daily May 15, 2023 The field of environmental DNA (eDNA) is advancing rapidly, yet human eDNA applications remain underutilized and under considered. An international team of researchers (USA – University of Florida, Spain) showed that deep-sequencing-based eDNA approaches capture genomic information from humans just as readily as that from the intended target species. They called it human genetic bycatch (HGB). The high-quality human eDNA could be intentionally recovered from environmental substrates (water, sand, and air), holding promise for beneficial medical, forensic, and environmental applications. However, this also raises ethical dilemmas, from consent, privacy, and surveillance to data ownership, requiring […]
Improved microphysics modeling of clouds
Phys.org May 11, 2023 An international team of researchers (USA – Brookhaven National Laboratory, NCAR, UCAR, Canada, Japan) concentrated on several topics that are understudied but hold great potential for further advancing bulk microphysics parameterizations such as multi-moment bulk microphysics parameterizations and the role of the spectral shape of hydrometeor size distributions; discrete vs “continuous” representation of hydrometeor types; turbulence-microphysics interactions etc. and theoretical foundations for the mathematical expressions used to describe hydrometeor size distributions and hydrometeor morphology; and approaches for developing bulk microphysics parameterizations. They presented spectral bin scheme and particle-based scheme (especially, super-droplet method) for representing explicit microphysics […]
Initial wind field structure: A crucial factor in determining tropical cyclone size and intensity
Phys.org May 15, 2023 Researchers in China conducted experiments by varying the radius of maximum wind (RMW) and shape parameter b of the initial vortices. The size–intensity relationship was quantified by the linear regression coefficient of the azimuthally-averaged gale-force wind radius against the maximum wind during the development stage, reflecting the degree of size expansion at the same intensity increment. The regression coefficient increased with increased RMW and decreased b, with the RMW being the primary constraint. Enlarging the RMW led to a secondary circulation with a horizontally elongated structure, which retards the intensification while expanding the size. Broadening the […]
The ‘invisible’ cellulose coatings that mitigate surface transmission of pathogens
Phys.org May 17, 2023 Researchers in the UK have developed antimicrobial surface film based on sustainable micro fibrillated cellulose. The porosity, and microstructure of the film can be modulated by the formulations and the coating process. They observed a threefold reduction in water contact angles and accelerated water evaporation kinetics on the cellulose film (more than 50% faster than that on a flat glass surface). It exhibited a rapid inactivation effect against SARS-CoV-2 in 5 minutes, following deposition of virus-loaded droplets, and an exceptional ability to reduce contact transfer of liquid, e.g., respiratory droplets, to surfaces such as an artificial […]