Phys.org August 15, 2024 Artificial intelligence systems and neural network models can reduce the intricacy of understanding creative cognition. The Hopfield neural network (HNN) is a simple model known for its biological plausibility in storing and retrieving neuron patterns. Researchers Germany implemented certain modifications to HNN as a step toward the larger framework of creative thinking-based association. The modifications included introducing pattern weights control, which provides a robust representation for content addressable memory and conceptual links in stored data. They identified two mechanisms controlling the transition from analytical to associative-based thinking, namely, the activation threshold of neurons, which acts as […]
Theoretical research holds promise for advancing modular quantum information processing
Phys.org August 15, 2024 As quantum information processing systems are scaled to many qubits to reach their full potential, highly complex electronics are needed to control the complex circuitry. A team of researchers in the US (University of Rhode Island, University of Maryland, NIST, UCLA) considered a pair of quantum dot-based spin qubits that interact via microwave photons in a superconducting cavity and parametrically driven by separate external electric fields. For this system, they formulated a model for spin qubit entanglement in the presence of mutually off-resonant qubit and cavity frequencies. They showed that the sidebands generated via the driving […]
Three-year study suggests air pollution increases thunderstorm danger
Phys.org August 20, 2024 Researchers at James Madison University investigated thunderstorm environments in two distinct geographic regions to assess the aerosol and thermodynamic environments surrounding thunderstorm initiation. 12-years of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash data were used to reconstruct thunderstorms occurring in a 225 km radius centered on the Washington, D·C. and Kansas City Metropolitan Regions. A total of 196,836 and 310,209 thunderstorms were identified for Washington, D.C. and Kansas City, MO. Merging hourly meteorological and aerosol data with the thunderstorm event database they found that warm season thunderstorm environments in benign synoptic conditions were considerably different in thermodynamics, aerosol properties, […]
Ultrathin quantum light sources: Scientists show excitonic interactions boost efficiency of entangled photon generation
Phys.org August 19, 2024 Researchers in Singapore have showed that the efficiency of spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) could be improved by harnessing many-body excitonic interactions present in the non-linear optical crystal. They showed that excitonic resonances and interexciton transitions could enhance the probability of SPDC. They benchmarked their ab initio many-body calculations using experimental polar plots of second harmonic generation in NbOI2, demonstrating the relevance of excitons in the nonlinear response. A strong double-exciton resonance in 2D NbOCl2 led to significant enhancement in the second order susceptibility. According to the researchers their work paves the way for the realization of […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of August 16, 2024
01. Chip that entangles four photons opens possibility of inviolable quantum encryption 02. ‘Amphibious’ sensors make new, waterproof technologies possible 03. Electromagnetic vortex cannon could enhance communication systems 04. MIT researchers use large language models to flag problems in complex systems 05. Researchers discover new material for optically-controlled magnetic memory 06. Study unveils limits on the extent to which quantum errors can be ‘undone’ in large systems 07. First-of-its-kind analysis reveals importance of storms in air–sea carbon exchange in Southern Ocean 08. Earth’s oldest, tiniest creatures are poised to be climate change winners—and the repercussions could be huge 09. Small […]
2D layer of phosphorus pentamers shows semiconductor properties on silver surface
Phys.org August 9, 2024 An international team of researchers (Switzerland, Chia) characterized the atomic structure of cyclo-P5 assembled on Ag(111). They found that a strong charge transfer induced an inward dipole moment at the cyclo-P5/Ag interface as well as the formed an interface state. They probed the image potential states and quantified the increase of the local change of work function. According to the researchers their approach suggested that the cyclo-P5/Ag interface has the characteristic ingredients of a p-type semiconductor-metal Schottky junction with potential applications in field-effect transistors, diodes, or solar cells… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
‘Amphibious’ sensors make new, waterproof technologies possible
EurekAlert August 7, 2024 Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an encapsulated stretchable amphibious strain sensor. They sandwiched conductive layer made of silver nanowires embedded below the surface of polydimethylsiloxane by two layers of thermoplastic polyurethane. They introduced periodic sharp cuts to change the direction of flow from across the sensor to along the conductive path defined by the opening cracks. The crack advancing and opening was controlled by a unique combination of weak/strong interfaces within the sandwich structure. The strain sensor exhibited a high gauge factor, excellent robustness against over-strain, and stability after 16 000 loading cycles and […]
Chip that entangles four photons opens possibility of inviolable quantum encryption
EurekAlert August 12, 2024 Although progress has been reported in the generation of mutually entangled multi-photon quantum light states using free space apparatus, high-fidelity high-rate on-chip entanglement generation is important for future scalability. An international team of researchers (France, Italy, Brazil) used a bright quantum-dot based single-photon source to demonstrate the high-fidelity generation of 4-photon Greenberg-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states with a low-loss reconfigurable glass photonic circuit. They reconstructed the density matrix of the generated states using full quantum-state tomography reaching an experimental fidelity and purity. The entanglement of the generated states was certified with a semi device-independent approach through the violation […]
Developing a Computational Model of Bacteria Behavior
DARPA News August 14, 2024 Current simulations of biology are either physically accurate or scalable, but not both; in particular, models of a single whole useful cell are incomplete. The behavior of simple model organisms can be partially simulated, but knowledge gaps remain. The Simulating Microbial Systems (SMS) program seeks to create computational simulations that accurately predict the behavior of bacteria in various contexts, create comprehensive, generalizable, and interpretable simulations of E. coli by leveraging high-throughput and automated experimental test beds, and advanced computational techniques. The result will be a comprehensive and extensive software package that will help DoD stakeholders […]
Earth’s oldest, tiniest creatures are poised to be climate change winners—and the repercussions could be huge
Phys.org August 14, 2024 Heterotrophic Bacteria and Archaea (prokaryotes) are a major component of marine food webs and global biogeochemical cycles. Yet, there is limited understanding about how prokaryotes vary across global environmental gradients, and how their global abundance and metabolic activity (production and respiration) may be affected by climate change. An international team of researchers (Australia, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Canada) used global datasets of prokaryotic abundance, cell carbon and metabolic activity to show that mean prokaryotic biomass varies by just under 3-fold across the global surface ocean, while total prokaryotic metabolic activity increases by more than one order […]