Blog
- The experimental demonstration of a verifiable blind quantum computing protocol 07/05/2024 Quantum computers, systems that process and store information leveraging quantum mechanical phenomena, could eventually outperform classical computers on numerous tasks. Among other things, these computers could allow researchers to tackle complex optimization problems, speed up drug discovery and better protect users against cyber-security threats.
- Self-embedding silver nanoparticles: Researchers find the 'silver lining' in cotton gin waste 02/05/2024 Cotton gin waste, also known as cotton gin trash, is a byproduct of the cotton ginning process and occurs when the cotton fibers are separated from the seed boll. For cotton gin waste, the treasure is its hidden potential to transform silver ions into silver nanoparticles and create a new hybrid material that could be used to add antimicrobial properties to consumer products, like aerogels, packaging, or composites.
- Quantum crystal of frozen electrons—the Wigner crystal—is visualized for the first time 30/04/2024 Electrons—the infinitesimally small particles that are known to zip around atoms—continue to amaze scientists despite the more than a century that scientists have studied them. Now, physicists at Princeton University have pushed the boundaries of our understanding of these minute particles by visualizing, for the first time, direct evidence for what is known as the Wigner crystal—a strange kind of matter that is made entirely of electrons.
- Quantum Computing Heats Up: Scientists Achieve Qubit Function Above 1K 23/04/2024 For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or –273.15°C).
- Microfabrication makes microdroplets 'pattern-obedient' but Gibbs equation 'disobedient' 18/04/2024 Microdroplets find versatile applications in fields of chemistry, materials science and biochemistry, particularly in chemical engineering and biochemical microfluidics like microreactors and biosensors. Achieving precise control over microdroplets in their shape, size, and contact angle (CA) is especially crucial for the applications like precise control of the printing/coating patterns and chemical reactions.
- Spectroscopy and theory shed light on excitons in semiconductors 16/04/2024 Researchers have made very fast and very precise images of excitons -- in fact, accurate to one quadrillionth of a second and one billionth of a meter. This understanding is essential for developing more efficient materials with organic semiconductors.
- Magnetic avalanche triggered by quantum effects 11/04/2024 Scientists have shown that Barkhausen noise can be produced not only through traditional, or classical means, but through quantum mechanical effects. The research represents an advance in fundamental physics and could one day have applications in creating quantum sensors and other electronic devices.
- Quantum interference could lead to smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient transistors 09/04/2024 Researchers develop new single-molecule transistor that uses quantum interference.
- Videos of gold nanoparticles snapping together show how some crystals grow 04/04/2024 The finding could aid in the design of materials whose properties depend on crystal structures
- Animal hair structure changes from summer to winter to fend off freezing weather, researchers show 03/04/2024 Unique adaptations allow wild animals to survive temperature extremes that would quickly kill an unprotected human. For example, certain animals can withstand bitterly cold weather, thanks to the insulating properties of the hollow hairs that make up their coats.
- B-site rock-salt-ordered Cu-based double perovskite realizes high efficiency and stable CO₂ electroreduction 28/03/2024 Carbon dioxide electroreduction (CO2RR) into high-value chemical feedstocks and fuels is a potential way to realize the carbon-neutral cycle. Cu-oxide-based catalysts are promising for CO2 electroreduction, but suffer from inevitable reduction and structural collapse, leading to unstable electrocatalytic properties.