Science Daily September 11, 2023 Imaging still scenery with Wi-Fi is considerably challenging due to the lack of motion. The interaction of object edges with the incoming wave, dictated by the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction and the resulting Keller cones, presents new possibilities for imaging with WiFi via edge tracing. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara used the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction and the corresponding Keller cones to trace edges of the objects. They considered the impact of parameters such as curvature of a soft edge, edge orientation, distance to the receiver grid, transmitter location, and other parameters on edge-based WiFi […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of September 15, 2023
01. Valleytronics: Innovative way to store and process information up to room temperature 02. Copper-doped tungstic acid nanocrystals transform infrared light conversion 03. A linear path to efficient quantum technologies 04. Magnetic whirls pave the way for energy-efficient computing 05. New battery holds promise for green energy 06. New ionic MOF materials boost hydrogen fuel cell efficiency 07. Revolutionizing lithium production on a string 08. Scientists unlock reversible twisting of nanoscale materials 09. Tonga volcano unleashed fastest ever undersea flows: study 10. Glaciers could provide powerful new volcano monitoring tool And others A guide to Big Team Science creates a […]
Copper-doped tungstic acid nanocrystals transform infrared light conversion
Nanowerk September 13, 2023 The technology to utilize the full spectrum of solar radiation is still in its infancy as conventional methods constrain their all-solar response. Researchers in Japan have proposed using – submerged photosynthesis of crystallites (SPsC). They showed that strategic doping with copper and oxygen vacancies can induce opto-critical phases from the non-stoichiometric tungstic acids. These opto-critical phases enabled a dynamic equilibrium shift in lattice defect stabilization, facilitating an unprecedented whole solar wavelength response. The response manifested photo-assisted water evaporation, and photo-electrochemical characteristics. According to the researchers their strategy of harnessing all-solar energy, the one-pot SPsC strategy, may […]
Glaciers could provide powerful new volcano monitoring tool
Phys.org September 12, 2023 An international team of researchers (UK, Italy, Germany, USA – University of Alaska, Cornell University) studied 600 glaciers located on and near 37 ice-clad volcanoes in South America. The results demonstrated glacier sensitivity to volcanic heat. They distinguished between “volcanic glaciers” and “proximal glaciers” and calculated their equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs). For each ice-clad volcano, they compared the ELAs of its volcanic glaciers to those of its proximal glaciers and established volcanic thermal anomaly. Results highlighted the impact of volcanic heat on glacier elevation; emphasized the need to exclude glaciers on, or near, volcanoes from glacier-climate […]
A guide to Big Team Science creates a blueprint for research collaboration on a large scale
Science Daily September 8, 2023 The past decade has witnessed a proliferation of big team science (BTS), endeavours where a comparatively large number of researchers pool their intellectual and/or material resources in pursuit of a common goal. Despite this burgeoning interest, there exists little guidance on how to create, manage and participate in these collaborations. An international team of researchers (USA- Stanford University, Canada) integrated insights from a multi-disciplinary set of BTS initiatives to provide a how-to guide for BTS. They addressed the initial considerations for launching a BTS project, such as building the team, identifying leadership, governance, tools, and […]
LAM Research Next Generation Computer Memory Will Arrive by 2029 and Is Being Designed Today
Next Big Future September 10, 2023 The semiconductor industry is expected to evolve from 2D to 3D DRAM over the next five to eight years based on current technical capabilities. Lam is simulating DRAM’s untested future by creating proposals for what 3D DRAM architecture could look like. Some suggestions for a 3D DRAM to address include – Scaling issues, Stacking challenges, Shrinking footprints, Innovative connections, Via arrays, Process requirements. Driving higher density of bits by reducing the footprint of the capacitors by making them taller will not be possible because etch and deposition processes for capacitor fabrication cannot handle the […]
A linear path to efficient quantum technologies
Nanowerk September 12, 2023 Bell-state projections serve as a fundamental basis for most quantum communication and computing protocols today. However, with current Bell-state measurement schemes based on linear optics, only two of four Bell states can be identified, which means that the maximum success probability of this vital step cannot exceed 50%. Researchers in Germany experimentally demonstrated a scheme that amended the original measurement with additional modes in the form of ancillary photons, which led to a more complex measurement pattern, and ultimately a higher success probability of 62.5%. Experimentally, they achieved a success probability of (57.9 ± 1.4)%, a […]
Magnetic whirls pave the way for energy-efficient computing
Phys.org September 11, 2023 Magnetic skyrmions have garnered considerable interest due to a variety of electromagnetic responses that are governed by the topology. The topology that creates a microscopic gyro tropic force also causes detrimental effects, such as the skyrmion Hall effect, which is a well-studied phenomenon highlighting the influence of topology on the deterministic dynamics and drift motion. Furthermore, the gyrotropic force is anticipated to have a substantial impact on stochastic diffusive motion; however, the predicted repercussions have yet to be demonstrated, even qualitatively. An international team of researchers (Germany, Japan, Sweden, Czech Republic) demonstrated enhanced thermally activated diffusive […]
New battery holds promise for green energy
Science Daily September 6, 2023 Lithium-based nonaqueous redox flow batteries (LRFBs) are alternative systems to conventional aqueous redox flow batteries because of their higher operating voltage and theoretical energy density. However, the use of ion-selective membranes limits the large-scale applicability of LRFBs. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have developed high-voltage membrane-free LRFBs based on an all-organic biphasic system. Under static conditions, these batteries with 0.5 M redox-active material delivered capacity retentions of 98%, 98%, and 92%, respectively, for 100 cycles over ~55 days at the current density of 1 mA/cm2 and a temperature of 27 °C. The battery delivered an initial average […]
A new design strategy for mechanoresponsive materials with high thermal tolerance
Phys.org September 11, 2023 Radical type mechanophores (RMs), molecules that can undergo small-scale chemical reactions upon exposure to a mechanical stimulus are studied due to their potential application in the fabrication of highly functionalized polymers. However, the lack of a rational design concept with pre-determined properties limits their development. Researchers in Japan have developed a rational design strategy of RMs with high thermal tolerance while maintaining mechanoresponsiveness. Through experimental and theoretical analysis, they found that the high thermal tolerance of RMs is related to the radical-stabilization energy (RSE) as well as the Hammett and modified Swain–Lupton constants at the para-position. […]