A group of scientists from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has built a demonstration of the plasma transducer, which is a set of parallel wires that can ionize air particles to create a loudspeaker. They have come up with a new concept called the active “plasmacoustic metalayer” that can cancel out noise. The scientists
Physics
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a model that could help nuclear fusion researchers compress fuel more efficiently. This could aid in the design of the fuel capsule, minimizing energy loss while trying to ignite the reaction that makes stars shine. The researchers have also shown that understanding the formation of swirling, ring-shaped
The existence of the Higgs boson is responsible for the mass of elementary particles. Researchers at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow believe that if the Higgs boson decays into exotic particles, it will be detectable in the successors to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) currently being designed.
Metamaterials, an artificial material that exhibits unconventional properties, have been a topic of study for over a decade. Guoliang Huang, the Huber and Helen Croft Chair in Engineering at the University of Missouri, has been investigating metamaterials in his aim to design an ideal metamaterial. Huang’s goal is to control the “elastic” energy waves traveling
Semicrystalline polymers have properties that make them assumed to flow only above their melting point. However, a recent study published in Science Advances has found that these polymers can flow below their melting point, under specific conditions. This discovery was made by Chien-Hua Tu and a research team at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer
The texture of gummy candies is just as important as its taste. Stale or hard gummy candies can be disappointing even if it still has a sweet taste. The quality of gummy candies depends on its formulation and storage, both of which affect how the molecules in the candy link together. Experiments Conducted by Researchers
Researchers at the University of Twente have discovered that germanene, a two-dimensional material made of germanium atoms, acts as a topological insulator. It is the first 2D topological insulator made of a single element and has the remarkable ability to switch between “on” and “off” states, making it comparable to transistors. This discovery could result
A group of international researchers has developed a new surface coating technology that has the potential to significantly increase electron emission in materials. This breakthrough is expected to enhance the production of high-efficiency electron sources and improve the performance of electron microscopes, electron beam lithography systems, and synchrotron radiation facilities. The Importance of Free Electrons
Scientists from Jilin University, the Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, and Skoltech have developed a new material that could be a significant step toward the creation of a material that conducts electricity with zero resistance at near-room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Researchers are currently exploring polyhydrides, which are compounds with extremely
A team of researchers from MIT and other institutions have discovered a way to develop new kinds of devices that can efficiently bridge the gap between matter and light. These innovative devices include computer chips that eliminate inefficiencies and qubits, which are the basic building blocks for quantum computers. The Research The researchers sandwiched tiny
Meeting the world’s energy demands is becoming increasingly difficult. As we continue to power our technological age, we are faced with the global energy crisis. The development of superconductors that can operate at ambient pressure and temperature could go a long way toward solving this problem. Quantum Materials and Fractals Advancements in superconductivity are linked
Researchers from the US, Germany, and Japan have disproved the existence of the excitonic insulator phase in Ta2NiSe5, according to a study published in PNAS. The excitonic insulator is an electronically driven phase of matter that can occur in solids, leading to superfluid energy transport with no net charge. Scientists have been searching for ways
Scientists and engineers at UNSW Sydney have made progress in solving a critical problem that has been hindering the development of quantum computers that could potentially solve the biggest challenges faced by humanity. The issue of cramped space has been addressed by the use of jellybean quantum dots, which are elongated areas between qubit pairs
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) have developed a new experimental approach for tracking the motion of an electron in a strong infrared laser field. The approach is expected to be useful for studying laser-driven electron dynamics within larger atoms or molecules. The team used attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy together with
As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies become increasingly complex, the need for computing power has skyrocketed. To meet this demand while reducing energy consumption, researchers are exploring new, energy-efficient hardware designs. This could allow for faster processing and AI training to take place within the device itself. Recently, researchers at Stanford University found a material that