Phys.org December 22, 2022 Optical metasurfaces interact strongly with light. The field has been driven by the key advantages of this concept, including the ultimate miniaturization of optical elements, empowering novel functionalities that process hidden modalities of light, and the opportunity to tune their properties on demand. Many applications with a focus on smart vision have emerged, foreseeing a meta-optical device under the hood of any robotic system. Nowadays the field is experiencing a solid industry pull that defines the challenges and research directions. In this review researchers in Australia have provided an overview of the applications of the field […]
Tag Archives: S&T Australia
Ammonium is the secret ingredient in stable, efficient & scalable perovskite solar cells
EurekAlert December 20, 2022 Controlling the crystallization process of perovskite thin films to obtain a high-quality material is one of the most challenging aspects for upscaling perovskite solar cell (PSC) technology. However, to date, lead acetate has been used exclusively as a precursor for the synthesis of methylammonium (MA) or cesium (Cs) based perovskites, which are unstable and less efficient. Researchers in Australia produced high-quality large-area formamidinium–caesium mixed-cation perovskite films by blade-coating a lead acetate-based precursor formulation in an ambient laboratory environment, with the use of NH4+ as a volatile cation to drive off acetate during annealing, leading to formation […]
New kind of tropical cyclone identified in the Indian Ocean
Phys.org November 28, 2022 Researchers in Australia focused on the regional wind variability that controls the intensity of cold-water upwelling off Sumatra – a key feature of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). Their analysis of daily atmospheric data revealed the existence of convectively triggered synoptic-scale atmospheric cyclones in the South-East Tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO). The northern branch of the cyclones corresponded to westerly equatorial wind events, whereas the eastern branch involved north-westerly winds that operate to suppress cold-water upwelling off Sumatra’s west coast. Data for the period 1988–2022 showed that 5–9 SETIO cyclones normally form each year during the boreal […]
New communications technology: Super-fast optical lasers
Science Daily November 9, 2022 While enabling orders-of-magnitude gains in data rates, optical signals impose much stricter pointing requirements and are strongly affected by atmospheric turbulence. Researchers in Australia established a coherent 1550 nm link across turbulent atmosphere between a deployable optical terminal and a drone-mounted retroreflector. Through 10 Hz machine vision optical tracking with nested 200 Hz tip/tilt adaptive optics stabilisation, they corrected for pointing errors and atmospheric turbulence to maintain robust single mode fiber coupling, resulting in an uninterrupted 100 Gbps optical data link while tracking at angular rates of up to 1.5 deg/s, equivalent to that of […]
Magnetism or no magnetism? The influence of substrates on electronic interactions
Nanowerk November 9, 2022 While technological developments of 2D MOFs typically take advantage of substrates for growth, support, and electrical contacts, investigations often ignore substrates and their dramatic influence on electronic properties. Researchers in Australia have shown how substrates alter the correlated magnetic phases in Kagome MOFs using systematic density functional theory and mean-field Hubbard calculations. They demonstrated that MOF-substrate coupling, MOF-substrate charge transfer, strain, and external electric fields are key variables, activating and deactivating magnetic phases in these materials. They used the Kagome-arranged 9,10-dicyanoanthracene molecules coordinated with copper atoms as an example. According to the researchers their findings can […]
New faster charging hydrogen fuel cell developed
Science Daily August 12, 2022 Metal hydrides (MH) have large hydrogen storage capacity, low operating pressure, and high safety. However, their slow hydrogen absorption kinetics significantly decreases storage performance. Researchers in Australia designed and optimized a semi-cylindrical coil for hydrogen storage and embedded it as an internal heat exchanger with air as the heat transfer fluid (HTF). They analyzed and compared it with normal helical coil geometry, based on various pitch sizes, investigated the operating parameters of MH storage and HTF to obtain optimal values. Results from this study demonstrated that MH storage performance is significantly improved by using a […]
Report identifies seven ‘global megatrends’ shaping the 21st century
Phys.org July 27, 2022 In 2012, CSIRO published a report called Our Future World, which delivered an evidence-based view of future megatrends many of which are living reality. In the new report researchers in Australia provide an update on the 2012 report and capture other trends and drivers. According to the researchers the new megatrends are: Climate change; Leaner, cleaner and greener innovative solutions to meet demand; Escalating health imperative (aging populations, high rates of chronic illness); Geopolitical shifts (disrupted patterns of global trade); Diving into digital (rapid growth of telehealth, online retail, education, and entertainment); Increasingly autonomous (AI use); […]
A Huge Step Forward in Quantum Computing Was Just Announced: The First-Ever Quantum Circuit
Science Alert June 22, 2022 Researchers in Australia have created a functional quantum processor and tested it by modeling a small molecule in which each atom has multiple quantum states. They used a scanning tunneling microscope in an ultra-high vacuum to place quantum dots with sub-nanometer precision. The trickiest parts were figuring out: exactly how many atoms of phosphorus should be in each quantum dot; exactly how far apart each dot should be; and then engineering a machine that could place the tiny dots in exactly the right arrangement inside the silicon chip. The final quantum chip contained 10 quantum […]
Superworms capable of munching through plastic
Science Daily June 9, 2022 Polystyrene is among the most common forms of plastic, but recycling it is not easy and the vast majority ends up in landfills or ocean. Researchers in Australia discovered that superworms can survive on a sole polystyrene diet, and even gain a small amount of weight—compared to a starvation control group. They analyzed the microbial gut community and found which gene-encoded enzymes were involved in degrading the plastic. One way to put the findings to use would be to provide super worms with food waste or agricultural bioproducts to consume alongside polystyrene. But while breeding […]
A huge Atlantic Ocean current is slowing down—if it collapses, La Niña could become the norm for Australia
Phys.org June 7, 2022 Climate projections suggest a weakening or collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) under global warming, with evidence that a slowdown is already underway. This could have significant ramifications for Atlantic Ocean heat transport, Arctic Sea ice extent and regional North Atlantic climate. However, the potential for far-reaching effects, such as teleconnections to adjacent basins and into the Southern Hemisphere, remains unclear. Researchers in Australia used a global climate model to show that AMOC collapse can accelerate the Pacific trade winds and Walker circulation by leaving an excess of heat in the tropical South Atlantic. […]