EurekAlert June 23, 2020 An international team of researchers (Germany, Denmark, USA – UTAustin, Japan) believe that future computers must transition to molecular dimensions. In electronic devices made from molecules the molecular wires must have satisfactory conducting properties and stability. They are studying neutral molecules which can recognize and find each other in solution, which form a well-defined three-dimensional structure and have semiconductor properties. They showed that by inserting different components they can modify the conductivity and thereby control the system…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
New quantum materials with unique properties
Nanowerk June 23, 2020 Researchers in Germany are working on a German Research Foundation funded project that focuses on novel physical phenomena of solids resulting from a particularly strong coupling between a material’s elastic properties and its electronic quantum phases. Based on the findings obtained, the researchers expect to produce new quantum materials with extraordinary properties and open the application potential resulting from interactions between mechanical and electronic properties…read more.
New system uses wind turbines to defend the national grid from power cuts
EurekAlert June 19, 2020 Frequency control to raise frequency nadir and eliminate frequency second dip is highly desirable for power grids with high penetration of wind energy. In order to achieve similar frequency support performance and ensure stability of wind turbine systems (WTSs) under varying wind speeds, different levels of wind power penetration and system conditions, researchers in the UK propose a fast frequency support scheme, an adaptive gain which is a function of real-time rotor speed and wind power penetration level. Rotor speeds of WTSs are proposed not to be recovered to the optimal operating points during the primary […]
New technique may enable all-optical data-center networks
EurekAlert June 22, 2020 The rapid growth in the amount of data being transferred within data centres creates challenges for the future scalability of electronically switched data-centre networks. As an alternative photonic integration platforms have been demonstrated with nanosecond-scale optical switching times. However, switching times are limited by the clock and data recovery time. Researchers in the UK have shown that using the measurement and storage of clock phase values in a synchronized network, the data recovery times can be under 625 ps. Their approach uses the measurement and storage of clock phase values in a synchronized network to simplify clock […]
Researchers Use Lasers to Bring the Internet Under the Sea
IEEE Spectrum June 22, 2020 Researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed underwater WiFi which they call Aqua-Fi. The system is fully compliant with IEEE 802.11 wireless standards. A Wi-Fi signal was used to connect the device to a Raspberry Pi functioning as a modem. The modem converted the wireless signal to an optical signal (in this case, a laser) that was beamed to the receiver attached to a surface buoy. From there, established communications techniques were used to send the signal to an orbiting satellite. For the underwater device to receive data, the process is simply reversed. The system is […]
Science and Engineering Degrees, by Race and Ethnicity of Recipients: 2008–18
NSF June 1, 2020 The Data tables show trends in the number of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees conferred in the United States by race and ethnicity of degree recipients. The tables also show earned degrees by gender, citizenship, and broad science and engineering fields. Data are based on two annual federal surveys: National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Completions Survey and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics’ Survey of Earned Doctorates…read more.
Strainoptronics: A new way to control photons
Science Daily June 22, 2020 2D materials have scientific and technologically relevant properties for photodetectors. But they do not operate efficiently at telecommunication wavelengths. However, they are particularly promising candidates for strain engineering because they can withstand larger amounts of strain before rupture. An international team of researchers (USA – George Washington University, University of Minnesota, UT Austin, University of Pennsylvania, Belgium) stretched an ultrathin layer of molybdenum telluride on top of a silicon photonic waveguide to assemble a novel photodetector. They used the newly created strainoptronics “control knob” to alter its physical properties to shrink the electronic bandgap, allowing […]
Synthetic materials mimic living creatures
Science Daily June 22, 2020 Researchers at Northwestern University have developed hybrid light-responsive soft materials composed of peptide amphiphile supramolecular polymers chemically bonded to spiropyran-based networks that expel water in response to visible light. The supramolecular polymers form a reversibly deformable and water-draining skeleton that mechanically reinforces the hybrid and can also be aligned by printing methods. The noncovalent skeleton embedded in the network enables faster bending and flattening actuation of objects, as well as longer steps during the light-driven crawling motion of macroscopic films. As the material can be designed in different shapes, it could play a role in […]
Warnings Issued as Unusually Thick Cloud of Saharan Dust Approaches The US
Science Alert June 25, 2020 The dust cloud swept across the Atlantic from Africa over the past week, covering the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico since Sunday and hitting south Florida on Wednesday. Powered by strong winds, dust from the Sahara travels across the Atlantic Ocean from West Africa during the boreal spring. But the density of the current dust cloud over Cuba is well above normal levels. The dust clouds are loaded with minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorous, silicon and mercury, and viruses, bacteria, fungi, pathogenic mites, staphylococci and organic pollutants…read more.
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of June 19, 2020
01. Newly observed phenomenon could lead to new quantum devices 02. A quantum memory that operates at telecom wavelengths 03. A breakthrough in developing multi-watt terahertz lasers 04. Molecular robot swarms 05. Adding noise for completely secure communication 06. Laser technology: The turbulence and the comb 07. Using sunlight to save satellites from a fate of ‘space junk’ 08. A new platform to stretch 2D materials 09. Engineers develop new fuel cells with twice the operating voltage as hydrogen 10. New techniques improve quantum communication, entangle phonons And others… Combining magnetic data storage and logic Life sciences open their doors […]