Science Daily May 5, 2020 A team of researchers in US ( New York University, University of Virginia, NIST, University of Colorado, Boulder) are working to supplant current methods of mass data storage with a skyrmion racetrack memory which reconfigures magnetic fields in innovative ways. It has improved density of information storage, faster operation, and lower energy use. Skyrmions can be moved by applying an external stimulus, such as a current pulse. They are only stable in very specific material environments, so identifying the ideal materials that can host skyrmions and the circumstances under which they are created is a […]
Shape-shifting carbon fibre could replace mechanical systems for planes and more
Nanowerk May 7, 2020 Researchers in Sweden have developed a material that is manufactured from commercial carbon fibers and a structural battery electrolyte and uses lithium-ion insertion to produce shape changes at low voltages. It is an electrically controlled solid-state morphing composite material that is lightweight and has a stiffness higher than aluminum. It is capable of producing large deformations and holding them with no additional power, albeit at low rates. A proof-of-concept material in a cantilever setup was used to show morphing. Analytical modeling showed good correlation with experimental observations. The concept presented shows considerable promise and paves the […]
Supercapacitor promises storage, high power and fast charging
Science Daily May 5, 2020 The overall electrochemical performance of the semiconductor heterostructures often depends on the carrier mobility from the semiconductor interfaces and faradaic redox reactions from their active sites. An international team of researchers (Pennsylvania State University, China) has developed low-cost, two-step method to controllably grow MnO2 nanorods directly on CoMn2O4 nanosheets with robust adhesion. An induced electric field resulted from the interface effect of heterostructures tailors the kinetic performance of electrons and ions during the charge-discharge process, enhancing the electron mobility and reducing diffusion barrier for charge carriers (OH−) ions migration. As a result, the rational design […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of May 1, 2020
01. Photonic metasurfaces provide a new playground for twistronics 02. New metasurface laser produces world’s first super-chiral light 03. Molecules with a spin on a topological insulator: a hybrid approach to magnetic topological states of matter 04. Stretchable lithium-ion battery is based on new micro-honeycomb structure 05. ‘Breathable’ electronics pave the way for more functional wearable tech 06. UCF researchers develop groundbreaking new rocket-propulsion system 07. Unlocking promising properties to create future technologies 08. Dirty carbon reveals a sophisticated side 09. Engineers make a promising material stable enough for use in solar cells 10. Catching nuclear smugglers: Fast algorithm could […]
New findings suggest laws of nature ‘downright weird,’ not as constant as previously thought
Phys.org April 27, 2020 An international team of researchers (Australia, UK, Poland, USA – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Harvard University, Portugal, Germany, Italy) reported that four new measurements of light emitted from a quasar 13 billion light years away reaffirm past studies that found tiny variations in the fine structure constant which is used as a measure of the strength of the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces in nature. They made four measurements of the fine constant along the one line of sight to this quasar. Individually, the four measurements did not provide any conclusive answer as […]
‘Breathable’ electronics pave the way for more functional wearable tech
Science Daily April 30, 2020 Researchers at the North Carolina State University used the breath figure method to create a stretchable polymer film featuring an even distribution of holes. The film is coated by dipping it in a solution that contains silver nanowires and heat-press the material to seal the nanowires in place. The resulting a few micrometers thick film showed an excellent combination of electric conductivity, optical transmittance and water-vapor permeability and stability in the presence of sweat and after long-term wear. They demonstrated the material’s potential for use in wearable electronics and electrophysiologic sensors…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Catching nuclear smugglers: Fast algorithm could enable cost-effective detectors at borders
EurekAlert April 30, 2020 An international team of researchers (USA – University of Michigan, University of Illinois, Los Alamos National Laboratory, UK) developed an algorithm capable of identifying weak radiation signals, such as might be seen from plutonium encased materials that absorb radiation. It works even in the presence of a high radiation background, including everyday sources such as cosmic rays from space and radon from the rock underfoot. Based on their results, they believe the use of their algorithm could improve the ability of radiation portal monitors at national borders to tell the difference between potential smuggling activity and […]
Dirty carbon reveals a sophisticated side
MIT News April 27, 2020 Polycyclic heavy hydrocarbons (HHs) such as coal, tar, and pitch are a family of materials with extremely rich and complex chemistry, representing a massive opportunity for their use in a range of potential applications. An international team of researchers (USA – MIT, industry, Canada, China) shows that optimal selection of initial HHs based on molecular constituents is essential in tuning the material for a particular and targeted electronic application. Combining the selection of feedstock chemistry (H:C and aromatic content) and controlling variable laser treatment parameters (laser power, speed, and focus) lead to full control over […]
Engineers make a promising material stable enough for use in solar cells
Science Daily April 29, 2020 Inherently soft crystal lattice of Halide perovskites allows greater tolerance to lattice mismatch, making them promising for heterostructure formation and semiconductor integration. However, their high intrinsic ion mobility, which leads to interdiffusion and large junction widths and their poor chemical stability, epitaxial growth of atomically sharp heterostructures of halide perovskites has not yet been achieved. An international team of researchers (USA – Perdue University, MIT, UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, China) has developed a strategy to substantially inhibit in-plane ion diffusion in two-dimensional halide perovskites by incorporating rigid π-conjugated organic ligands. They have demonstrated […]
Here Are the U.S. Regions Most Vulnerable to Solar Storms
IEEE Spectrum April 24, 2020 A once‐per‐century geoelectric hazard map is created for the U.S. high‐voltage power grid. A statistical extrapolation from 31 years of magnetic field measurements is made by identifying 84 geomagnetic storms. With these data, we estimate once‐per‐century geoelectric fields at the magnetotelluric survey sites and calculate the theoretical voltages within transmission lines in the U.S. power grid. Once‐per‐century geoelectric field strengths span more than 3 orders of magnitude from a minimum of 0.02 V/km at a site in Idaho to a maximum of 27.2 V/km at a site in Maine. A team of researchers in at […]