Physicists demonstrate a dynamical one-parameter scaling, originally found in surface growth physics, in disordered quantum systems. In physics, “universality” refers to properties of systems that are independent of their details. Establishing the universality of quantum dynamics is one of the key interests of theoretical physicists. Now, researchers from Japan have identified such a universality in disordered quantum systems, characterized by a one-parameter scaling for surface roughness and entanglement entropy (a measure of quantum entanglement). Many-particle systems in the real world…
Scientists from Skoltech and their colleagues have used a 3D printer to fuse two materials in an alloy whose composition continuously changes from one region of the sample to the other, endowing the alloy with gradient magnetic properties. Despite the nonmagnetic nature of the constituent materials, the alloy exhibits magnetic properties. Published in The Journal of Materials Processing Technology, the study also offers a theoretical explanation for the phenomenon. Once perceived as a mere novelty tool for rapid prototyping, 3D printing…
To limit climate change, joint global efforts are needed and international alliances must be forged. Coordinated by Dr. Paul Jerabek (Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon) and Prof. Sally Brooker (University of Otago in Dunedin), a bilateral hydrogen alliance between New Zealand and Germany is now starting its work. Its goal is to establish a German-New Zealand research presence in New Zealand for research and further development of green hydrogen technologies. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research…
Stronger than spider silk … Using natural silk from bagworms and a synthetic conducting polymer, researchers at the University of Tsukuba have developed a strong conducting fiber that demonstrates promise for flexible electronic materials. Think spider silk is strong? Recent work has shown that bagworm silk is superior to spider silk in both strength and flexibility. Building on these findings, a research team at the University of Tsukuba, led by Professor Hiromasa Goto, has harnessed the strength of bagworm silk…
The sharpest images ever of living bacteria have been recorded by UCL researchers, revealing the complex architecture of the protective layer that surrounds many bacteria and makes them harder to be killed by antibiotics. The study, published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA and done in collaboration with scientists at National Physical Laboratory, King’s College London, University of Oxford and Princeton University, reveals that bacteria with protective outer layers – called Gram-negative bacteria –…
Existing analysis software fails to detect missing gene building blocks. Automated gene analyses of Sars-CoV-2 samples consistently miss gene segments in the virus genome that have undergone deletion due to mutations. This is revealed in a new study by researchers at Bielefeld University’s Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec) and the Evangelical Hospital Bethel (EvKB), one of the supporting hospitals of Medical School OWL. The research team was able to show that a large part of the ORF8 gene segment was missing…
Researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital currently describe in “Neuron” where heat-sensitive neurons in the brain obtain the necessary information / “Outsourced” sensor proteins allow adapted thermoregulation. The mechanisms by which the body measures temperature and regulates its own body heat are vital, but still poorly understood. The discovery of the first heat sensor on nerve cells in the skin, for which the U.S. molecular biologist David Julius received this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine, was therefore pioneering. However, a very…
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is developing refrigeration circuits for heat pumps which shall operate as efficiently as possible with low amounts of the climate-friendly refrigerant propane. This research is carried out in project “LC150 – Development of a Refrigerant-reduced Heat Pump Module with Propane”, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy BMWi. In an automated cross-evaluation, a team from the institute is testing various components of heat pumps on the large scale,…
In carrying out the rebuilding work in the disaster areas along the River Ahr and other rivers in North-Rhine Westphalia, how can settlements and infrastructure be adapted to future heavy rain events and floods in order to reduce the numbers of victims and the amount of damage caused? This is being investigated by a team led by the spatial planner Prof. Jörn Birkmann from the University of Stuttgart and the water management expert Prof. Holger Schüttrumpf from RWTH Aachen. The…
A novel topological edge soliton, developed for nonlinear photorefractive lattices, enables robust light beams promising for photonic technology. Diffraction is a natural property of light beams. It allows light to bend around obstacles. Because light serves as a carrier of information, some of the distorting effects of diffraction must be mitigated for many technological applications. Topological insulators, first unveiled in condensed matter physics, have attracted interest for over a decade. A photonic topological insulator can help ensure consistent propagation of…
Simple measurements of these obscure organisms can help predict future CO2 emissions for warming ecosystems, study finds. It’s hard to know what climate change will mean for Earth’s interconnected and interdependent webs of life. But one team of researchers at Duke University says we might begin to get a glimpse of the future from just a few ounces of microbial soup. Every drop of pond water and teaspoon of soil is teeming with tens of thousands of tiny unicellular creatures…
Toshiba develops world’s first QKD system based on quantum transmitter, receiver and random number generator chips; Quantum chips manufactured using standard semiconductor processes; Significant advance towards mass deployment of quantum communications. Toshiba Europe Ltd today announced it has developed the world’s first chip-based quantum key distribution (QKD) system. This advance will enable the mass manufacture of quantum security technology, bringing its application to a much wider range of scenarios including to Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. QKD addresses the demand…
A novel electrochemical strategy for efficient hydrogen storage. The catalytic hydrogenation of N-heteroarenes showcases wide and important applications in the fields of synthetic chemistry, drug discovery, materials science, and hydrogen storage. However, it remains a long-standing scientific and technological challenge in breaking the aromaticity of substrates and overcoming catalyst poisoning by either substrates or hydrogenated products. Although different homogeneous systems mainly based on precious metal catalysts have been developed, harsh conditions with extra additives are always required. Furthermore, homogeneous catalysis…
Topology in optics and photonics has been a hot topic since 1890 where singularities in electromagnetic fields have been considered. The recent award of the Nobel prize for topology developments in condensed matter physics has led to renewed surge in topology in optics with most recent developments in implementing condensed matter particle-like topological structures in photonics. Recently, topological photonics, especially the topological electromagnetic pulses, hold promise for nontrivial wave-matter interactions and provide additional degrees of freedom for information and energy…
Vahey’s lab investigates shape-shifting protein in common respiratory virus. Respiratory syncytial virus, more commonly known as RSV, is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can be very serious and even fatal for young children and the elderly. In summer of 2021, health-care providers saw an unseasonable spike in the virus, which typically causes illness from October through March. While the virus has been recognized since the 1950s, there is no vaccine available. Michael D. Vahey, a biomedical engineer at the…
Rice chemists discover mechanism in controlled growth of tetrahedron-shaped nanoparticles. Nature clearly likes symmetry. Look at your own hands, for example. But sometimes nature produces asymmetric things, and the reasons aren’t always clear. Rice University chemist Matthew Jones and his team have been seeking answers to such questions about useful nanoparticles — and now appear to have one. A new study by Jones, lead author and postdoctoral researcher Muhua Sun and graduate students Zhihua Cheng and Weiyin Chen demonstrates how symmetry breaking during particle…
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