Phys.org December 9, 2020 An on-demand and truly scalable source of indistinguishable single photons is the essential component enabling high-fidelity photonic quantum operations. A main challenge is to overcome noise and decoherence processes to reach the steep benchmarks on generation efficiency and photon indistinguishability required for scaling up the source. An international team of researchers (Denmark, Germany) has developed a single-photon source featuring near-unity indistinguishability using a quantum dot in an “on-chip” planar nanophotonic waveguide circuit. The device produces long strings of >100 single photons without any observable decrease in the mutual indistinguishability between photons. They were able to generate […]
Researchers control multiple wavelengths of light from a single source
Phys.org December 10, 2020 In carbon dots multi-wavelength emission can be stimulated under a single excitation source, enabling the simple and robust generation of white light from a single particle. Carbon dots also exhibit a concentration-dependent photoluminescence; however, this has not been fully understood. To understand this phenomenon and fully utilize the capabilities of carbon dots, researchers in South Korea posited and demonstrated that the dual-color-emissiveness is due to the interparticle distances between each carbon dot. They examined how the relative light intensity of the red and blue colors changed when varying the interparticle distances. They found that as the […]
Researchers developed a sequence analysis pipeline for virus discovery
Science Daily December 3, 2020 Researchers in Finland have developed a novel bioinformatics pipeline called Lazypipe for identifying viruses in host-associated or environmental samples. Previously they published two examples of novel and potentially zoonotic viral agents that were identified with Lazypipe from wild animals that can serve as vectors. A new ebolavirus was identified from feces and organ samples of Mops condylurus bats in Kenya, and a new tick-borne pathogen Alongshan virus from ticks in Northeast Europe. These examples demonstrate the efficacy of Lazypipe data analysis for NGS libraries with very different DNA/RNA backgrounds, ranging from mammalian tissues to pooled […]
Scientists produce a quantum state that is part light and part matter
Nanowerk December 7, 2020 An international team of researchers (USA – University of Minnesota, University of Maryland, University of Colorado, Vanderbilt University, Spain) developed a unique process in which they achieved “ultra-strong coupling” between infrared light (photons) and matter (atomic vibrations) by trapping light in tiny, annular holes in a thin layer of gold. These nanocavities, like a highly scaled-down version of the coaxial cables that are used to send electrical signals. With this new process to engineer nanometer-sized version of coaxial cables, they are pushing the frontiers of ultra-strong coupling, which means they are discovering new quantum states where […]
Smellicopter: An obstacle-avoiding drone that uses a live moth antenna to seek out smells
Science Daily December 8, 2020 A team of researchers in the US (University of Washington, University Maryland) used antennae from the Manduca sexta hawkmoth for Smellicopter. One scent molecule in a moth antenna can trigger lots of cellular responses amplifying chemical signals. This process is super-efficient, specific, and fast. Researchers placed moths in the fridge to anesthetize them before removing an antenna. Once separated from the live moth, the antenna stays biologically and chemically active for up to four hours which can be extended by storing antennae in the fridge. In tests the moth antenna reacted more quickly and took […]
Within a hair’s breadth–forensic identification of single dyed hair strand now possible
EurekAlert December 9, 2020 Researchers in Japan developed a strategy for identifying criminals from a single strand of hair, leveraging the fact that hair dyes are becoming increasingly common. Their approach involves finding out if two individual strands of hair belong to the same person based on the composition of hair dye products found on them. They used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. SERS can easily detect the overall differences in composition between different types of hair dyes, such as permanent, semi-permanent, or natural dyes. However, it is not enough to distinguish between hair coloring products […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of December 4, 2020
01. Active camouflage artificial skin in visible-to-infrared range 02. Engineers combine light and sound to see underwater 03. New cyberattack can trick scientists into making toxins or viruses — Ben-Gurion University researchers 04. Oddly satisfying metamaterials store energy in their skin 05. Titanium atom that exists in two places at once in crystal to blame for unusual phenomenon 06. Quantum nanodiamonds may help detect disease earlier 07. Researchers fabricate co-doped aluminosilicate fiber with high laser stability for multi-kW level laser 08. Self-repairing gelatin-based film could be a smart move for electronics 09. Physicists Observe Trippy ‘Vortex Rings’ in a Magnetic […]
Active camouflage artificial skin in visible-to-infrared range
Phys.org December 2, 2020 Researchers in South Korea have developed a multispectral imperceptible skin that enables human skin to actively blend into the background both in the IR‐visible integrated spectrum only by simple temperature control with active cooling and heating. The thermochromic layer on the outer surface of the device, which produces various colors based on device surface temperature, expands the cloaking range to the visible spectrum and ultimately completes day‐and‐night stealth platform simply by controlling device temperature. In addition, the scalable pixelization of the device allows localized control of each autonomous pixel, enabling the artificial skin surface to adapt […]
Biodefense Headlines – 29 November 2020
Globalbiodefense November 29, 2020 This week’s selections include COVID-19 vaccination strategies; a history of nerve agents; bioethics of ‘supersoldier’ pharmacological enhancements; and digital warm-start CRISPR diagnostics…read more.
Engineers combine light and sound to see underwater
Science Daily November 30, 2020 High-resolution imaging and mapping of the ocean and its floor has been limited to less than 5% of the global waters due to technological barriers. Researchers at Stanford University present a proof-of-concept system which bridges the gap between electromagnetic imaging in air and sonar imaging in water through the laser-induced photoacoustic effect and high-sensitivity airborne ultrasonic detection. They used air-coupled capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers which is a critical differentiator from previous works and has enabled the acquisition of an underwater image from a fully airborne acoustic imaging system. There is much promise for the scalability […]