Phys.org May 14, 2018 In their electronically excited state Möbius aromatic molecules display “antiaromaticity,” characterized by high energy levels and high instability. To understand their properties, researchers in Japan applied a time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance method to detect the magnetic properties of a reactive intermediate molecule hexaphyrin. Illuminating hexaphyrin with laser pulses, they detected the resonance between the microwave and the electron spins linked to the magnetism of the excited triplet state and to the external magnetic field. The findings has application in the use of these special properties to electronic functional materials, such as organic solar cells and electric […]
Tag Archives: S&T Japan
Demonstration of world record: 159 Tb/s transmission over 1,045 km with 3-mode fiber
Eurekalert April 13, 2018 Researchers in Japan have developed a 3-mode optical fiber, capable of wide-band wavelength multiplexing transmission with standard outer diameter (0.125 mm) that can be cabled with existing equipment. They have demonstrated a transmission experiment over 1045 km with a data-rate of 159 Tb/s. Converting the results to the product of data-rate and distance results in 166 Pb/s×km. This is the world record in a standard outer diameter few-mode optical fiber and the largest data-rate over 1000 km for any kind of standard-diameter fiber… read more.
Japan Just Found a Huge Rare-Earth Mineral Deposit That Can Supply The World For Centuries
Science Alert April 16, 2018 Rare-earth minerals used in electronic devices are plentiful in layers of the Earth’s crust. There are only a few economically viable areas where they can be mined and they’re generally expensive to extract. Researchers in Japan have found a deposit of rare-earth minerals about 1,150 miles (1,850 km) southeast of Tokyo. It’s within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, so the island nation has the sole rights to the resources there. There’s enough yttrium to meet the global demand for 780 years, dysprosium for 730 years, europium for 620 years, and terbium for 420 years. China has tightly […]
Genetically engineered E. coli can make industrial chemicals from feedstock
RIKEN Research April 6, 2018 Researchers in Japan genetically modified Escherichia coli and used the bacterium and glucose harvested from feedstock to produce maleate, a salt or ester of maleic acid. The process requires much less energy, and process works under ordinary temperatures and pressures. The research opens the door to more environmentally friendly industrial-scale production of maleate which is a key adhesion promoter for materials like galvanized steel and nylon, as well a drug stabilizer…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Why noise can enhance sensitivity to weak signals
Phys.org April 5, 2018 To understand stochastic resonance, researchers in Japan established a simple model that excluded friction force, a parameter that they consider negligible in nano- and molecular-scale systems. They found that when a transition occurs without friction, the sensitivity of the bistable system to a Gaussian-noise-imposed weak signal becomes significantly high and the relative difference – which determines the sensitivity – of Gaussian distribution function diverges in its tail edge. This means that the sensitivity becomes anomalously high by increasing the threshold of the bistable system. The finding could pave the way for using noise rather than eliminating […]
Scientists accurately model the action of aerosols on clouds
Science Daily March 8, 2018 The action of aerosols is an important element of research on climate change, as they partially counteract the heating action of greenhouse gases. Using the K computer, researchers in Japan combined a model that simulates the entire global weather over a year taking into account the vertical processes inside clouds, accurately modelling the microphysics of clouds, giving a more accurate picture of how clouds and aerosols behave in the real world. The explicit representation of cloud microphysics in global scale modelling reduces the uncertainty of climate prediction… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Melding of concepts from different scientific fields
Science Daily March 9, 2018 Researchers in Japan developed a new methodology to analyze citations in papers that used two specified terms and tracked the changes over time. They mapped individual papers and connected these with papers they had cited, resulting in publications citing the same paper being close to each other. They found that only a few publications were required for the fusion between agent based modeling and individual based modeling and these weren’t necessarily the most cited papers. According to them three things are needed for fusion to occur: researchers being aware of issues in different fields; common […]
Charging ahead to higher energy batteries
TechXplore February 26, 2018 The low rate capabilities and low energy densities of the all-solid-state batteries are partly due to a lack of suitable solid-solid heterogeneous interface formation technologies. Researchers in Japan grew garnet-type oxide solid electrolyte crystals in molten LiOH on a substrate that bonded the electrode into a solid state as they grew. They were able to control the thickness and connection area within the cubic layer, which acts as a ceramic separator. Each crystal is connected to neighboring ones. The new technique of stacking solid electrolyte layer could be an ideal ceramic separator with a dense thin-interface […]
Palmreaders? Japan team builds second skin message display
Physorg February 18, 2018 Researchers in Japan have invented a band-aid-like stretchable device which is one millimetre thick and can monitor important health data as well as send and receive messages, including emojis. The display consists of a 16-by-24 array of micro LEDs and stretchable wiring mounted on a rubber sheet and a lightweight sensor composed of a breathable “nanomesh” electrode, and a wireless communication module. It can be placed on the human body for a week without causing skin inflammation. It has medical applications and wearable displays… read more.
Exploring electrolysis for energy storage
Science Daily January 2, 2018 Researchers in Japan have developed a flow-type polymer electrolyte cell for power storage. The cell reduces oxalic acid (OX) to glycolic acid, which has a higher volumetric energy-storage capacity than hydrogen gas. Newly fabricated TiO2 cathode enhanced the speed and efficiency of OX reduction. By using a solid polymer electrolyte in direct contact with the electrodes, the reaction can be as a continuous flow without addition of impurities. The maximum volumetric energy capacity of the GC solution is around 50 times that of hydrogen gas. The energy efficiency, as opposed to capacity, lags behind other […]