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Spin defects under control

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Boron nitride is a technologically interesting material because it is very compatible with other two-dimensional crystalline structures. It therefore opens up pathways to artificial heterostructures or electronic devices built on them with fundamentally new properties.

About a year ago, a team from the Institute of Physics at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Wuerzburg in Bavaria, Germany, succeeded in creating spin defects, also known as qubits, in a layered crystal of boron nitride and identifying them experimentally.

Recently, the team led by Professor Vladimir Dyakonov, his PhD student Andreas Gottscholl and group leader PD Dr. Andreas Sperlich, succeeded in taking an important next step: the coherent control of such spin defects, and that even at room temperature. [Read more…] about Spin defects under control

See further: Scientists achieve single-photon imaging over 200 km

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A research team led by Professor PAN Jianwei and Professor XU Feihu from University of Science and Technology of China achieved single-photon 3D imaging over 200 km using high-efficiency optical devices and a new noise-suppression technique, which is commented by the reviewer as an almost “heroic” attempt at single photon lidar imaging at very long distances.

Lidar imaging technology has enabled high precision 3D imaging of target scene in recent years. Single photon imaging lidar is an ideal technology for remote optical imaging with single-photon level sensitivity and picosecond resolution, yet its imaging range is strictly limited by the quadratically decreasing count of photons that echo back. [Read more…] about See further: Scientists achieve single-photon imaging over 200 km

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  • Researchers harvest energy from radio waves to power wearable devices
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    Researchers harvest energy from radio waves to power wearable devicesFrom microwave ovens to Wi-Fi connections, the radio waves that permeate the environment are not just signals of energy consumed but are also sources of energy themselves. An international team of researchers, led by Huanyu "Larry" Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in the Penn State Department of Engineering Science…
    Tags: system, researchers, news, technology

New research shows photovoltaics ‘can make the world fossil-free faster than expected’

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A team of researchers led by Aarhus University and including experts from universities and knowledge institutions in the US, Europe, Japan and Australia has published an article in the prestigious scientific journal Joule confirming that the role of solar photovoltaic installations in future green energy systems ought to be significantly upgraded.

Solar photovoltaic technology has undergone dramatic development over the past 14 years causing the technology to be cheaper already today than has otherwise been assumed in the models that the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) uses for its 2050 scenarios.

“And there is good reason to believe that this development will continue. Intensive research is being conducted into photovoltaic technology, its integration into energy systems, as well as its synergy with other industries. Furthermore, innovative technologies are on the way that could further boost this development,” says Assistant Professor Marta Victoria from the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering at Aarhus University, who is the leading author of the article. [Read more…] about New research shows photovoltaics ‘can make the world fossil-free faster than expected’

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  • New storage battery more efficient and heat-resistant
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    New storage battery more efficient and heat-resistantAt the beginning of 2020, for the first time ever, renewable energy was able to cover more than half of the electricity consumed in Germany. But the more important renewable energy sources become, the more urgent is the need to store the electricity produced in this way. Green energy could…
    Tags: energy, development, future, news, technology

Researchers harvest energy from radio waves to power wearable devices

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From microwave ovens to Wi-Fi connections, the radio waves that permeate the environment are not just signals of energy consumed but are also sources of energy themselves.

An international team of researchers, led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in the Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, has developed a way to harvest energy from radio waves to power wearable devices.

The researchers recently published their method inMaterials Today Physics.  [Read more…] about Researchers harvest energy from radio waves to power wearable devices

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  • Smart devices to schedule electricity use may prevent blackouts
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    Smart devices to schedule electricity use may prevent blackoutsPower plants generate electricity and send it into power lines that distribute energy to nodes, or sites, where it can be used. But if the electricity load is more than the system's capacity, transmission can fail, leading to a cascade of failures throughout the electric grid. This domino effect was…
    Tags: power, energy, devices, news, technology
  • New storage battery more efficient and heat-resistant
    35
    New storage battery more efficient and heat-resistantAt the beginning of 2020, for the first time ever, renewable energy was able to cover more than half of the electricity consumed in Germany. But the more important renewable energy sources become, the more urgent is the need to store the electricity produced in this way. Green energy could…
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  • See further: Scientists achieve single-photon imaging over 200 km
    30
    See further: Scientists achieve single-photon imaging over 200 kmA research team led by Professor PAN Jianwei and Professor XU Feihu from University of Science and Technology of China achieved single-photon 3D imaging over 200 km using high-efficiency optical devices and a new noise-suppression technique, which is commented by the reviewer as an almost "heroic" attempt at single photon…
    Tags: system, technology, researchers, news

Scientists propose a cheap and safe way to recycle lithium batteries for electric vehicles

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Scientists from NUST MISIS have presented a technology for recycling lithium batteries for electric transport: electric buses, electric scooters, electric cars, and so on.

It represents a complete engineering cycle: from safe opening and determination of the amount of technogenic raw materials to be extracted and recycled to the introduction of processing lines.

Recycling lithium batteries will reduce their cost by about 30-40 percent and solve the problem of safe and environmentally friendly storage. The technology can be used for the electric transport development program in Moscow. [Read more…] about Scientists propose a cheap and safe way to recycle lithium batteries for electric vehicles

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  • Inexpensive battery charges rapidly for electric vehicles, reduces range anxiety
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    Inexpensive battery charges rapidly for electric vehicles, reduces range anxietyRange anxiety, the fear of running out of power before being able to recharge an electric vehicle, may be a thing of the past, according to a team of Penn State engineers who are looking at lithium iron phosphate batteries that have a range of 250 miles with the ability…
    Tags: electric, vehicles, lithium, engineering, news

Tiny machine poised to unlock brain’s mysteries

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A team of scientists, led by researchers at Northwestern University, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), has developed novel technology promising to increase understanding of how brains develop, and offer answers on repairing brains in the wake of neurotrauma and neurodegenerative diseases.

Their research is the first to combine the most sophisticated 3-D bioelectronic systems with highly advanced 3-D human neural cultures. The goal is to enable precise studies of how human brain circuits develop and repair themselves in vitro. The study is the cover story for the March 19 issue of Science Advances.

The cortical spheroids used in the study, akin to “mini-brains,” were derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells. Leveraging a 3-D neural interface system that the team developed, scientists were able to create a “mini laboratory in a dish” specifically tailored to study the mini-brains and collect different types of data simultaneously. Scientists incorporated electrodes to record electrical activity. [Read more…] about Tiny machine poised to unlock brain’s mysteries

Big breakthrough for ‘massless’ energy storage

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Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have produced a structural battery that performs ten times better than all previous versions. It contains carbon fibre that serves simultaneously as an electrode, conductor, and load-bearing material. Their latest research breakthrough paves the way for essentially “massless” energy storage in vehicles and other technology.

The batteries in today’s electric cars constitute a large part of the vehicles’ weight, without fulfilling any load-bearing function. A structural battery, on the other hand, is one that works as both a power source and as part of the structure – for example, in a car body. This is termed “massless” energy storage, because in essence the battery’s weight vanishes when it becomes part of the load-bearing structure. Calculations show that this type of multifunctional battery could greatly reduce the weight of an electric vehicle.

The development of structural batteries at Chalmers University of Technology has proceeded through many years of research, including previous discoveries involving certain types of carbon fibre. In addition to being stiff and strong, they also have a good ability to store electrical energy chemically. This work was named by Physics World as one of 2018’s ten biggest scientific breakthroughs. [Read more…] about Big breakthrough for ‘massless’ energy storage

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    30
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    Tags: energy, storage, batteries, battery, technology

Innovative chemistry revolutionizes zinc-air battery

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University of Münster

High-performance, eco-friendly, safe and at the same time cost-effective: the zinc-air battery is an attractive energy storage technology of the future.

Until now, the conventional zinc-air battery has struggled with a high chemical instability, parasitic reactions which rooted in the usage of alkaline electrolytes lead to electrochemical irreversibility.

Based on an innovative, non-alkaline, aqueous electrolyte, an international research team led by scientist Dr Wei Sun of MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Muenster has developed a new battery chemistry for the zinc-air battery which overcomes the previous technical obstacles. [Read more…] about Innovative chemistry revolutionizes zinc-air battery

The Earth is flat. Everything else is just fake news. Or is it?

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‘Is Western culture balancing on a tightrope between science and humanities?’ asks Carlos Elias, author of new book Science on the Ropes, which explains why science has been dethroned from its prestigious position in Western culture and replaced by pseudoscientific conjecture and fake news

Pseudoscience is on the rise and so is the constant clamour of “fake news”. Should we, therefore, be questioning the West’s grip on rational, empirical evidence-based reason?

While the West is fending off resurgent claims of a flat Earth – last dispelled by Magellan and Elcano’s circumnavigation in the early 16th century – as well as persistent climate change deniers, Asia is making rapid technological and scientific progress.

In his book, Carlos Elías discusses why Western countries are losing interest in the STEM subjects, which once reigned as the beacon of civil development and culture, in favour of post-truths, alternative facts and, occasionally, irrationality. [Read more…] about The Earth is flat. Everything else is just fake news. Or is it?

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  • Yes, of course we are living in a computer simulation
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    Yes, of course we are living in a computer simulationA new film – a documentary called A Glitch in the Matrix – is again opening up the debate about whether we all live in a simulated world.  Our conclusion at this website, arrived at through no serious research whatsoever, is that yes, we absolutely live in a computer simulation.…
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  • Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it
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    Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix itAre you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago? If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process…
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Finding key to low-cost, fast production of solid-state batteries for electric vehicles

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Conventional Li-ion manufacturing tools drive better fabrication options for lighter, safer, more energy-dense batteries

A new fabrication technique could allow solid-state automotive lithium-ion batteries to adopt nonflammable ceramic electrolytes using the same production processes as in batteries made with conventional liquid electrolytes.

The melt-infiltration technology developed by materials science researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology uses electrolyte materials that can be infiltrated into porous yet densely packed, thermally stable electrodes.

The one-step process produces high-density composites based on pressure-less, capillary-driven infiltration of a molten solid electrolyte into porous bodies, including multilayered electrode-separator stacks. [Read more…] about Finding key to low-cost, fast production of solid-state batteries for electric vehicles