Science Daily March 26, 2018 A team of researchers in the US (North Carolina State University, US Army) found that steel-CMF (composite metal foam) offers much more protection than all other existing armor materials while lowering the weight remarkably. In tests the steel-CMF held up against the wave of blast pressure and against the copper and steel fragments created by the exploding round, as well as aluminum from the strikeplate. When compared to the experimental results, their model matched very closely. The experimental and analytical results are proving that novel CMF material can be the solution for the pressing need […]
Category Archives: Materials science
Self-assembling, tunable interfaces found in quantum materials
Phys.org March 27, 2018 Extensive research has shown that at interfaces between two materials, the remarkable properties of quantum materials can be strongly enhanced, or entirely new functional properties may arise. An international team of researchers (USA – Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Tennessee, NIST, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UK, Germany) has demonstrated that in certain metals, the competition between various interactions may be resolved by the spontaneous formation of a state in which the electronic and magnetic properties alternate periodically. The spontaneously self-assembling interfaces are intrinsically clean, and relevant parameters such as the interface thickness can be tuned […]
Scientists Just Discovered a Strange New Type of Ice Inside Deep-Earth Diamonds
Science Alert March 9, 2018 An international team of researchers (USA – University of Nevada, University of Chicago, Caltech, University of Hawaii, China) found inclusions of the high-pressure form of water called ice-VII in diamonds sourced from between 410 and 660 km depth, the part of the mantle known as the transition zone. The discovery requires recalculation of the total amount of water our planet happens to hold and changes how we model everything from the way heat moves through the crust to models predicting the frequency of earthquakes… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Superconductivity – pairing up with nanotechnology
Nanotechweb February 28, 2018 The factors that determine whether a system will be superconducting and at what temperature remain hard to pin down. However, advances in nanotechnology have given some good pointers where to look, as well as providing promising systems for exploiting superconductivity in real-world applications. Although studies of nanostructures have made huge contributions to advancing understanding of superconductivity, many aspects of the phenomenon remain a marvelous mystery and a great stimulant for further research. Equally as fascinating again is the creativity in applying superconductors in such a diverse array of fields, and here without a doubt the tiny […]
New technology may protect troops from blast-induced brain injury
Science Daily February 26, 2018 Researchers at the University of Maryland developed highly advanced shock absorber designs that incorporate polyurea-coated tubes and other structures to reduce the blast acceleration experienced by vehicle occupants by up to 80 percent. It spreads out the application of force. Polyurea is compressible and rebounds following compression, resulting in an excellent ability to decrease the acceleration. The research has produced new insights into the causes of TBI experienced by vehicle occupants, even in the absence of significant pressure changes… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Bringing a hidden superconducting state to light
Science Daily February 16, 2018 An international team of researchers (Germany, USA – Brookhaven National Laboratory, UK) has detected a hidden state of electronic order in a layered material containing lanthanum, barium, copper, and oxygen (LBCO). When cooled to a certain temperature and with certain concentrations of barium, LBCO is known to conduct electricity without resistance, but now there is evidence that a superconducting state occurs above this temperature too. The discovery could help design better high-temperature superconductors… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Scientists test new material for neurocomputers
Physorg February 12, 2018 Bipolar effect of resistive switching (BERS) can be used for developing nonvolatile two-terminal memory cells, as well as for memristors. Researchers in Russia have shown that epitaxial fields that form on the surface of a single-crystalline substrate of strontium titanate can be used to create memristors for a new generation of computers. The innovation in this research is in applying the lithography which allows developing the technology for miniaturization of resistive memory elements…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Precision experiments reveal gaps in van der Waals theory
Science Daily February 16, 2018 An international team of researchers (Denmark, Japan) measured a single TiS2 crystal to show that the interlayer interactions are in fact stronger than theory indicates, and involve significant electron sharing. The outstanding agreement of the synchrotron diffraction data with theoretical calculations in describing the intralayer Ti-S interactions, supports the validity of these new-found differences for the long-range interactions across the interlayer gaps. The research contributes to the fundamental understanding of weak chemical bonding in 2D layered materials in general, and to the development of TMD materials… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Researchers invented light-emitting nanoantennas based on halide perovskites
Nanowerk February 12, 2018 Using hybrid perovskite an international team of researchers (Russia, USA – UT Dallas, Australia) managed to combine a nanoantenna and a light source in a single nanoparticle. It can generate, enhance and route emission via excited resonant modes coupled with excitons. The study shows that combination of excitons with the Mie resonance in perovskite nanoparticles makes them efficient light sources at room temperature. In addition, the radiation spectrum of the nanoparticles can be changed by varying the anions in the composition of the material. The research makes the new nanoparticles a promising platform for creating compact […]
Light may unlock a new quantum dance for electrons in graphene
Physorg January 15, 2018 In flat materials held at very low temperatures and subjected to extremely strong magnets electrons zipping around start to get locked into tight circular orbits of particular sizes and energies. A team of researchers in the US (City University of New York, NIST, University of Maryland) proposes using laser light to prod electrons into jumping between orbits of different energies. As a result, the interactions between the electrons change and lead to a different dance pattern. The intensity and frequency of the light alter the number of electrons in specific orbits, providing an easy way to […]