Phys.org April 22, 2022 Gate-model quantum computers promise to solve currently intractable computational problems if they can be operated at scale with long coherence times and high-fidelity logic. Neutral-atom hyperfine qubits provide inherent scalability owing to their identical characteristics, long coherence times and ability to be trapped in dense, multidimensional arrays. Combined with the strong entangling interactions provided by Rydberg states all the necessary characteristics for quantum computation are available. An international team of researchers (USA – University of Central Florida, Harvard University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, industry, MIT, UK, Austria,) demonstrated several quantum algorithms on a programmable gate-model neutral-atom quantum […]
Unexpected light behavior may be harnessed to improve optical communications and sensors
Phys.org April 21, 2022 Waves entering a spatially uniform lossy medium typically undergo exponential intensity decay, arising from either the energy loss or the evanescent penetration during reflection. A team of researchers in the US (NIST, University of Maryland, Texas Tech University, Carnegie Mellon University) proposed and demonstrated exponential decay free wave propagation in a purely lossy medium. They observed up to 400-wave deep polynomial wave propagation accompanied by a uniformly distributed energy loss across a nanostructured photonic slab waveguide with exceptional points. Using coupled-mode theory and fully vectorial electromagnetic simulations they predicted deep wave penetration manifesting spatially constant radiation […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of April 22, 2022
01. Almost ready for prime time: Deep UV photodetectors head to real-world testing 02. Charging underwater and body-implanted electronic devices using ultrasonic waves 03. Electronic nanogenerator tattoos as human-machine interfaces 04. Graphene-hBN breakthrough to spur new LEDs, quantum computing 05. Hybrid quantum bit based on topological insulators 06. Lasers trigger magnetism in atomically thin quantum materials 07. Machine learning identifies antibiotic resistant bacteria that can spread between animals, humans and environment 08. Chinese team breaks distance record for quantum secure direct communication 09. Geoengineering could return risk of malaria for one billion people 10. Light amplification accelerates chemical reactions in […]
3 Billion Bases of Our DNA: First Complete, Gapless Sequence of a Human Genome
SciTech Daily April 17, 2022 According to researchers, having a complete, gap-free sequence of the roughly 3 billion bases (or “letters”) in our DNA is critical for understanding the full spectrum of human genomic variation and for understanding the genetic contributions to certain diseases. The work was done by the Telomere to Telomere (T2T) consortium, which included leadership from researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health. These studies provide more accurate information about the genomic variants within 622 medically relevant genes…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Almost ready for prime time: Deep UV photodetectors head to real-world testing
Phys.org April 19, 2022 Researchers in India did a broad assessment of the performance of AlGaN and Ga2O3 photodetectors based on the material quality. They introduced a new comprehensive figure of merit (CFOM) to benchmark photodetectors by accounting for their three most critical performance parameters, i.e., gain, noise, and bandwidth. According to their benchmark AlGaN detectors do not have any serious shortcoming that is holding them back from entering the market. They tried to identify the gaps that exist in the research landscape of AlGaN and Ga2O3 solar-blind photodetectors and argue that merely improving the material/structural quality and device performance […]
Charging underwater and body-implanted electronic devices using ultrasonic waves
Nanowerk April 18, 2022 Until now, studies on wireless energy transfer (WET) have been mainly based on the electromagnetic (EM) induction method using EM waves. However, it is still challenging to utilize current EM wave mediated WET in those areas where it is most needed: underwater, body-implant, and EM-shielded cases (liquid/metals). Researchers in South Korea have developed a triboelectric acoustic energy transfer (AET) module by tuning the work function of the triboelectric layer via the large polarization of the embedded relaxor single crystal. The uniform displacement, a quasi-mode oscillation, across the flexible electrode surface in response to the square wave […]
Chinese team breaks distance record for quantum secure direct communication
Phys.org April 20, 2022 Researchers in China have designed an elaborate physical system and protocol with much enhanced performance for quantum secure communication. The design increased the secrecy capacity greatly by achieving an ultra-low quantum bit error rate of <0.1%, one order of magnitude smaller than that of existing systems. Compared to previous systems, the proposed scheme used photonic time-bin and phase states, operating at 50 MHz of repetition rate, which can be easily upgraded to over 1 GHz using current on-the-shelf technology. Their experiments demonstrated that the proposed system could tolerate more channel loss, from 5.1 dB, which is about 28.3 km in […]
Electronic nanogenerator tattoos as human-machine interfaces
Nanowerk April 19, 2022 Although triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have proven to be excellent candidates for wearable energy harvesters, they commonly face the hurdles of poor adhesion to skin and relative thick in geometry up to several cm. Researchers in China have introduced tattoo-like triboelectric nanogenerators (TL-TENGs) made with ultrathin materials with outstanding mechanical property of high robustness and thickness of tens of μm. They have remarkable electrical characteristics, with open-circuit voltage and short circuit current reaching up to ≈180 V and ≈2.2 μA under constant tapping (≈16 kPa), respectively. With the well structural mechanics designs, the TL-TENGs can be customized […]
Geoengineering could return risk of malaria for one billion people
Phys. org April 20, 2022 Solar geoengineering is often framed as a stopgap measure to decrease the magnitude, impacts, and injustice of climate change. However, the benefits or costs of geoengineering for human health are largely unknown. An international team of researchers (USA – Georgetown University, University of Maryland, Rutgers University, University of Florida, Bangladesh, Germany, South Africa) has projected how geoengineering could impact malaria risk by comparing current transmission suitability and populations-at-risk under moderate and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios with and without geoengineering. They showed that if geoengineering deployment cools the tropics, it could help protect high elevation […]
Graphene-hBN breakthrough to spur new LEDs, quantum computing
Science Daily April 14, 2022 Graphene-hBN structures can power LEDs that generate deep-UV light, which is impossible in today’s LEDs. Previous efforts to get ordered rows of hBN atoms that align with the graphene underneath were not successful. A team of researchers in the US (University of Michigan, Ohio State University, Yale University) discovered that neat rows of hBN atoms are more stable at high temperature than the undesirable jagged formations. They used a terraced graphene substrate and heated it to around 1600 degrees Celsius before spraying on individual boron and active nitrogen atoms resulting in neatly ordered seams of […]