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
Category Archives: Materials science
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 […]
Researchers demonstrate the existence of a new kind of magnetoresistance involving topological insulators
Phys.org January 10, 2018 Recently unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance was reported in a conventional metal bilayer material system. A team of researchers in the US (University of Minnesota, Pennsylvania State University) demonstrated the existence of such magnetoresistance in the topological insulator-ferromagnet bilayers and showed that the adoption of topological insulators, compared to heavy metals, doubles the magnetoresistance performance at 150 Kelvin (-123.15 Celsius). The research could improve the future of low-power computing and memory for the semiconductor industry, including brain-like computing and chips for robots and 3D magnetic memory…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Thermoelectric power generation at room temperature: Coming soon?
Physorg.com December 27, 2017 Researchers in Japan combined silicon with ytterbium to create ytterbium silicide which is a good electrical conductor, non-toxic and has valence fluctuation that makes it a good TE material at low temperatures. The Yb atoms in YbSi2 occupy crystal planes and the Si atoms form hexagonal sheets between those planes blocking the conduction of heat through the material keeping the thermal conductivity down. They have achieved high power factor of 2.2 mWm-1K-2 at room temperature. The research could help unlock the benefits of TE in everyday technology. Read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE