Phys.org December 14, 2018 CubeSats struggle to efficiently transmit large amounts of data down to Earth due to power and size constraints. To fine-point its downlink beam, researchers at MIT utilize an uplink beacon signal captured by an on-board detector and tracked by an off-the-shelf MEMS fast steering mirror. As these miniature actuators lack feedback sensors, the system design is augmented with an optical calibration signal to provide the mirror’s pointing feedback. They developed calibration algorithms utilizing the feedback signal to achieve higher fidelity beam pointing control. Experimental results show that beacon tracking errors of only 16 μrad root-mean-square are feasible […]
Jiggly Jell-O to make powerful new hydrogen fuel catalyst
Science Daily December 15, 2018 An international team of researchers (USA – MIT, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Berkeley, US Army, China) used gelatin hydrogel as a scaffold to coordinate metal ions (Mo5+, W6+, Co2+), resulting in ultrathin‐film morphologies of diverse TMC sheets. Among these materials, the Mo2C–Co hybrid provides excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) efficiency. Such performance makes Mo2C–Co a viable noble‐metal‐free catalyst for the HER and is competitive with the standard platinum on carbon support. This template‐assisted, self‐assembling, scalable, and low‐cost manufacturing process presents a new tactic to construct low‐dimensional TMCs with applications in various clean‐energy‐related fields…read more. […]
Imperfections make photons perfect for quantum computing
Nanowerk December 17, 2018 Researchers at Rice University found that in molybdenum disulfide a dash of rhenium in just the right spot makes a configuration of atoms with energy states that sit comfortably inside and are isolated from the material’s natural band gap. Aligning magnetic moments of atoms in the defect and exciting them with light brings them to a higher energetic state making them exit as single photon. The direction of the photon is not understood, but the researchers suspect that it is well defined. The defect’s optical transition lies in the optical fiber telecommunication band, which is ideal […]
Hiding images and information in plain sight
Science Daily December 17, 2018 Researchers at the University of Central Florida created a three-level, layered, “plasmonic” system that sandwiches a polymer layer imprinted with nanoscale holes, between a gold mirror at the bottom and a gold layer at the top with holes that match the polymer layer. Images can be imprinted on top of the “plasmonic sandwich,” and aspects of the holes, such as size and depth, help dictate which infrared band the image can be seen in. Varying the pattern characteristics allows the researchers to control the electron plasma resonance created when light hits the device. By controlling […]
The feature size and functional range of molecular electronic devices
Eurekalert December 14, 2018 Knowing the feature size of the domination of tunneling leakage in molecular electronics is of fundamental significance, which enhances the understanding of the technical limitations and boundaries for using single-molecule components as electronic devices. An international team of researchers (China, UK, Switzerland) investigated the transition distance between through-space tunneling and molecular tunneling using the oligo(aryleneethynylene) molecules. They demonstrated that molecular tunneling can be distinguished and outstripped from the tunneling leakage down to the size of 0.66 nm, suggesting the potential to push the miniaturization limit of molecular electronic devices to the angstrom scale…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Data use draining your battery? Tiny device to speed up memory while also saving power
Eurekalert December 13, 2018 In RRAM, an electrical current is typically driven through a memory cell made up of stacked materials creating a change in resistance that records data as 0s and 1s in memory. A material would need to be robust enough for storing and retrieving data at least trillions of times. A team of researchers in the US (Purdue University, NIST, industry) found that in Molybdenum ditelluride when an electric field is applied to the cell, atoms are displaced by a tiny distance resulting in a state of high resistance which can occur much faster than switching in conventional […]
Cybersecurity flaws could allow adversaries to ‘circumvent’ U.S. missile defense systems
Fedscoop December 7, 2018 An inspector general (Open Access audit ) of the Department of Defense ballistic missile defense systems found a host of existing network vulnerabilities that could allow adversaries to access technical information on those systems and sidestep the nation’s defenses. Auditors broadly recommend using multifactor authentication; mitigating vulnerabilities in a timely manner; protecting data stored on removable media; and implementing adequate physical security controls…read more.
Computer chip vulnerabilities discovered
Science Daily December 13, 2018 A team of researchers in the US (Washington State University, NYU Brooklyn, Duke University) devised three craftily constructed deleterious attacks to test the communications system. This additional workload enhanced electromigration-induced stress and crosstalk noise. They found that a limited number of crucial vertical links that allow them to talk with each other in a communication system were particularly vulnerable to fail. They determined how an agent can target the communication system to start malfunctions in the chip. Now the researchers are working to develop ways to mitigate the problem, such as automated techniques and algorithms […]
China is racing ahead in 5G. Here’s what that means.
MIT Technology Review December 18, 2018 In its 13th Five-Year Plan the government describes 5G as a “strategic emerging industry” and “new area of growth,” and in its Made in China 2025 plan, which outlines its goal of becoming a global manufacturing leader, it vows to “make breakthroughs in fifth-generation mobile communication. To make this happen the Chinese government is committed to giving Chinese operators large chunks of spectrum for 5G. Unlike in the US, Chinese carriers will mostly use a spectrum band similar to what they used for 3G and 4G. Under government direction, Chinese companies began conducting research […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of December 14, 2018
01. Shape-shifting origami could help antenna systems adapt on the fly 02. Deep-learning technique reveals ‘invisible’ objects in the dark 03. High-temperature electronics? That’s hot 04. Novel laser technology for microchip-size chemical sensors 05. New Foldable Drone Flies Through Narrow Holes in Rescue Missions 06. Defenses Against the Biggest Risk We Face 07. Harnessing the power of ‘spin orbit’ coupling in silicon: Scaling up quantum computation 08. “Sun in a box” would store renewable energy for the grid 09. Sun-soaking device turns water into superheated steam 10. Topological matters: Toward a new kind of transistor And others… Color-changing fabric warns […]