Science Daily October 7, 2020 2D materials – combined with optical fibers – can enable novel applications in the areas of sensors, non-linear optics, and quantum technologies. An international team of researchers (Germany, Australia) studied the chemical vapor deposition of monolayer MoS2 and WS2 crystals on the core of microstructured exposed‐core optical fibers and their interaction with the fibers’ guided modes. Two distinct application possibilities of 2D‐functionalized waveguides to exemplify their potential are demonstrated. First, the excitonic 2D material photoluminescence is simultaneously excited and collected with the fiber modes. Then it is shown that third‐harmonic generation is modified by the highly […]
‘Like a fishing net,’ nanonet collapses to trap drug molecules
Science Daily October 5, 2020 Natural biomolecules such as peptides and DNA can dynamically self-organize into diverse hierarchical structures. Researchers at the Northwestern University have reported both experiments and simulations on the dynamic network self-assembly and subsequent collapse of the synthetic homopolymer poly(propylene sulfone). The assembly is directed by dynamic noncovalent sulfone–sulfone bonds that are susceptible to solvent polarity. The hydration history controls the homopolymer assembly into uniform nanostructured hydrogels of spherical, vesicular, or cylindrical morphologies. The electrostatic hydrogels achieve >95% encapsulation efficiency for hydrophilic small molecules and biologics. This system validates sulfone–sulfone bonding for dynamic self-assembly, presenting a robust […]
A new interpretation of quantum mechanics suggests that reality does not depend on the person measuring it
Phys.org October 6, 2020 According to the traditional interpretation of the Heisenberg principle, location and momentum cannot be determined simultaneously to an arbitrary degree of precision, as the person conducting the measurement always affects the values. In their study researchers in Finland used stochastic optimal control theory to conclude that the correlation between a location and momentum, i.e., their relationship, is fixed. In other words, reality is an object that does not depend on the person measuring it. In their theory’s frame of reference, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle is a manifestation of thermodynamic equilibrium, in which correlations of random variables do […]
New shortcut enables faster creation of spin pattern in magnet
Nanowerk October 5, 2020 The fast creation of topological phases in matter requires massive reorientation of charge or spin degrees of freedom. An international team of researchers (Germany, Belgium, USA – MIT, Italy, the Netherlands) report the picosecond emergence of an extended topological phase that comprises many magnetic skyrmions. The nucleation of this phase, followed in real time via single-shot soft X-ray scattering after infrared laser excitation, is mediated by a transient topological fluctuation state. This state is enabled by the presence of a time-reversal symmetry-breaking perpendicular magnetic field and exists for less than 300 ps. Atomistic simulations indicate that the […]
Researchers use flying insects to drop sensors from air, land them safely on the ground
TechXplore October 8, 2020 In addition to the challenges of achieving low-power consumption and long-range communication, airdropping wireless sensors is difficult because it requires the sensor to survive the impact when dropped in mid-air. Researchers at the University of Washington designed insect-scale wireless sensors that come fully integrated with an onboard power supply and a lightweight mechanical actuator to detach from the aerial platform. The 37 mg mechanical release mechanism can drop the sensor during flight, using only 450 μJ of energy as well as a wireless communication link that can transmit sensor data at 33 kbps up to 1 […]
Science Academies submit recommendations to the G20 countries
EurekAlert September 28, 2020 In the run-up to the summit of the G20 countries in November 2020 to be held in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), the academies of science of 20 countries’ joint statement “Foresight: Science for Navigating Critical Transitions” emphasizes the necessity to consider global challenges in all their complexity and cross-linkage and emphasize the contribution of science to the management of upheavals. The statement draws on insights gained from the current coronavirus pandemic and provides valuable impulses from the international scientific community for all participants of the G20 summit. In the field of health, among other things, they recommend an […]
Sensor with 100,000 times higher sensitivity could bolster thermal imaging
EurekAlert October 1, 2020 To improve thermal imaging an international team of researchers (USA – Harvard University, industry, MIT, South Korea, Spain, Japan) has developed a microwave bolometer that it is capable of detecting a single microwave photon. The graphene bolometer sensor detects electromagnetic radiation by measuring the temperature rise as the photons are absorbed into the sensor. Graphene is incorporated in the microwave antenna. A key innovation in this advancement is to measure the temperature rise by superconducting Josephson junction while maintaining a high microwave radiation coupling into the graphene through an antenna. The research has found a new […]
Squeezing light inside memory devices could help improve performance
Nanowerk October 6, 2020 Memristors used in a range of memory-centric technologies are driven by an externally applied potential leading to a change in electrical conductivity. The ability to look inside the memristors and understand how morphological changes characterize their function has been vital in their development. An international team of researchers (UK, USA- Perdue University) has developed a non-destructive optical spectroscopy technique that can detect the motion of a few hundred oxygen vacancies with nanometre-scale sensitivity. They constructed cavities small enough to trap light within the device. They used the tiny gap between a gold nanoparticle and a mirror […]
A step toward a universal flu vaccine
MIT News October 7, 2020 Most flu vaccines consist of inactivated flu viruses coated with a protein called hemagglutinin (HA), which helps them bind to host cells. After vaccination, the immune system generates squadrons of antibodies which almost always bind to the head of the HA protein which mutates rapidly. Parts of the HA stem very rarely mutate. The immune system is intrinsically not good at seeing the conserved parts of these proteins, which if effectively targeted would elicit an antibody response that would neutralize multiple influenza types. A team of researchers in the US (MIT, Harvard University, industry) describe […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of October 2, 2020
01. Dogs Deployed at Helsinki Airport Can Detect COVID-19 With Almost 100% Accuracy 02. AI taught to rapidly assess disaster damage so humans know where help is needed most 03. Quantum entanglement realized between distant large objects 04. Achieving invisibility: Cross-wavelength invisibility integrated with invisibility tactics 05. Scientists synthesise a MOF capable of degrading nerve agents in water 06. Scientists Have Found a Molecule That Allows Bacteria to ‘Exhale’ Electricity 07. Bacteria fed on a customized diet produce biodegradable polymers for alternative packaging in the cosmetics industry 08. 5G wireless may lead to inaccurate weather forecasts 09. Machine learning to […]