Phys.org October 10, 2023 The simulation hypothesis is a philosophical theory, in which the entire universe and our objective reality are just simulated constructs. Despite the lack of evidence, this idea is gaining traction in scientific circles as well as in the entertainment industry. Recent scientific developments in the field of information physics, such as the publication of the mass-energy-information equivalence principle, appear to support this possibility. In particular, the 2022 discovery of the second law of information dynamics (infodynamics) facilitates new and interesting research tools at the intersection between physics and information. Researchers in the UK re-examined the second […]
Tag Archives: S&T UK
How quantum light sees quantum sound
Nanowerk October 3, 2023 Researchers in the UK have proposed a new way of using quantum light to ‘see’ quantum sound. They showed that the second-order, two-time correlation functions for phonons and photons emitted from a vibronic molecule in a thermal bath resulted in bunching and antibunching (a purely quantum effect), respectively. Signatures relating to phonon exchange with the environment were revealed in photon-photon correlations. They demonstrated that cross-correlation functions have a strong dependence on the order of detection giving insight into how phonon dynamics influences the emission of light. It is hoped that the discovery may help scientists better […]
One-atom-thick ribbons could improve batteries, solar cells and sensors
Science Daily September 21, 2023 Quasi-1D nanoribbons provide a unique route to diversifying the properties of their parent 2D nanomaterial, introducing lateral quantum confinement and an abundance of edge sites. Phosphorus-only materials do not conduct electricity very well, hindering their use for certain applications. Researchers in the UK created a new family of nanomaterials with the creation of arsenic–phosphorus alloy nanoribbons (AsPNRs). By ionically etching the layered crystal black arsenic–phosphorus using lithium electride followed by dissolution in amidic solvents, solutions of AsPNRs were formed. The ribbons were typically few-layered, several micrometers long with widths tens of nanometers across, and both […]
Making the invisible, visible: New method makes mid-infrared light detectable at room temperature
Phys.org August 28, 2023 Existing technologies for room-temperature detection of molecular vibrations in the mid-infrared rely on cooled semiconductor detectors because of thermal noise limitations. Researchers in the UK exploited molecular emitters possessing both MIR and visible transitions from molecular vibrations and electronic states, coupled through Franck–Condon factors. By assembling molecules into a plasmonic nanocavity resonant at both MIR and visible wavelengths, and optically pumping them below the electronic absorption band, they showed transduction of MIR light. The upconverted signal was observed as enhanced visible luminescence. Combining visible luminescence with enhanced rates of vibrational pumping gave transduction efficiencies of >10%. […]
The ‘unknome’: A database of human genes we know almost nothing about
Phys.org August 8, 2023 The human genome encodes approximately 20,000 proteins, many still uncharacterized. It has become clear that scientific research tends to focus on well-studied proteins, leading to a concern that poorly understood genes are unjustifiably neglected. To address this, researchers in the UK have developed a publicly available and customizable “Unknome database” that ranks proteins based on how little is known about them. They applied RNA interference (RNAi) in Drosophila to 260 unknown genes that are conserved between flies and humans. Knockdown of some genes resulted in loss of viability, and functional screening of the rest revealed hits […]
Limiting loss in leaky fibers
Science Daily July 3, 2023 Antiresonant, hollow-core optical fibers are currently challenging or even exceeding the loss performance of conventional solid-core fibers. Researchers in the UK have shown that the glass elements of the cladding structure with an approximately radial orientation play a crucial role in determining the confinement loss by strongly shaping the wave fields in the azimuthal coordinate. Azimuthal confinement can result in an evanescent field in the radial direction through the cladding, leading to a confinement loss that is substantially lower than would be the case without azimuthal confinement. They developed a comprehensive theory of azimuthal confinement, […]
Effect of volcanic eruptions significantly underestimated in climate projections
Science Daily June 23, 2023 Standard climate projections, as in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report, assume that explosive volcanic activity over 2015–2100 are of the same level as the 1850–2014 period. Researchers in the UK used the latest ice-core and satellite records to design stochastic eruption scenarios, to show that there is a 95% probability that explosive eruptions could emit more sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the stratosphere over 2015–2100 than current standard climate projections (i.e., ScenarioMIP). Their simulations using the UK Earth System Model with interactive stratospheric aerosols showed that for a median future eruption scenario, the […]
The ‘invisible’ cellulose coatings that mitigate surface transmission of pathogens
Phys.org May 17, 2023 Researchers in the UK have developed antimicrobial surface film based on sustainable micro fibrillated cellulose. The porosity, and microstructure of the film can be modulated by the formulations and the coating process. They observed a threefold reduction in water contact angles and accelerated water evaporation kinetics on the cellulose film (more than 50% faster than that on a flat glass surface). It exhibited a rapid inactivation effect against SARS-CoV-2 in 5 minutes, following deposition of virus-loaded droplets, and an exceptional ability to reduce contact transfer of liquid, e.g., respiratory droplets, to surfaces such as an artificial […]
Intelligent membranes with memories for next-generation smart filters
Phys.org April 19, 2023 Two essential features of intelligent transport are the ability to adapt to different external and internal conditions and memorize the previous state. In biological systems, the most common form of such intelligence is expressed as hysteresis. Despite numerous advances made over previous decades on smart membranes, it remains a challenge to create a synthetic membrane with stable hysteretic behaviour for molecular transport. Researchers in the UK demonstrated the memory effects and stimuli-regulated transport of molecules through an intelligent, phase-changing MoS2 membrane in response to external pH. They showed that water and ion permeation through 1T′ MoS2 […]
New ‘phase shifter’ technology will reduce signal loss in antenna systems
Science Daily March 6, 2023 Conventional phase shifters suffer from signal losses which increase as the phase angle increases, and the phase varies with frequency, causing signal degradation, impaired performance, increased power consumption, etc. Researchers in the UK have created a new type of high-performance ‘phase shifter’ using a liquid Gallium alloy, which varies the phase angle of microwave and millimetre-wave radio signals. The results of prototype testing showed that, in the new phase shifter signal losses were low, and almost independent of phase angle. It has a ‘phase compensation’ technique that provides extremely low phase deviation with frequency over […]