In the field of precision engineering and mechatronics systems, novel innovations shape the future of technologies like nano-fabrication technology and high-precision devices. Honoring Excellence: The IMMS Patent Recently, the IMMS patent, titled “Positioning system with a controller and method for its configuration”, was honored at the Thuringian award event of PATON | State Patent Center Thuringia at the Technical University of Ilmenau awarded with a silver medal in the competition of the inventors’ fair iENA. By October end, PATON had…
Ultrasensitive detection of nitric oxide (NO) using a conductive 2D metal-organic framework. In an era where environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics are increasingly crucial, the ability to detect specific gases with precision has become a game-changer. Nitric oxide (NO), a molecule with significant environmental and biological implications, can now be detected more efficiently than ever, thanks to groundbreaking research on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Why Detecting Nitric Oxide is Crucial? Detection of nitric oxide (NO) is crucial for monitoring air quality…
Fraunhofer IWS Develops Innovative Material and Process Solutions for Industrial Challenges amid Resource Scarcity. Simulations and Advanced Testing Methods Highlight Alternatives to Conventional Materials. The scarcity of raw materials poses severe challenges to global industries. Recycling and the increased use of secondary raw materials have become essential for many companies. At the same time, rising raw material prices and uncertainties in supply chains are driving further research into materials. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden…
A team of Rice University scientists has solved a long-standing problem in thermal imaging, making it possible to capture clear images of objects through hot windows. Imaging applications in a range of fields ⎯ e.g. security, surveillance, industrial research and diagnostics ⎯ could benefit from the research findings, which were reported in the journal Communications Engineering. “Say you want to use thermal imaging to monitor chemical reactions in a high-temperature reactor chamber,” said Gururaj Naik, an associate professor of electrical…
KIT scientists design tailored materials for optical information processing. Photonic space-time crystals are materials that could increase the performance and efficiency of wireless communication or laser technologies. They feature a periodic arrangement of special materials in three dimensions as well as in time, which enables precise control of the properties of light. Working with partners from Aalto University, the University of Eastern Finland and Harbin Engineering University in China, scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have shown how…
… for laser inertial fusion for the clean energy supply of the future. In order for future laser fusion power plants to work efficiently and reliably, current laser technologies must be adapted to the extreme requirements of high power and continuous operation. In the new “nanoAR” research project, nine project partners from industry and research are working on methods for structural antireflection solutions and reducing sub-surface damage of the optical components used. Their approaches could also be transferred to other…
“Fish-hook” system holds promise for advanced materials and health-care applications. In a first-of-its-kind breakthrough, a team of UBC Okanagan researchers has developed an artificial adhesion system that closely mimics natural biological interactions. Dr. Isaac Li and his team in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science study biophysics at the single-molecule and single-cell levels. Their research focuses on understanding how cells physically interact with each other and their environment, with the ultimate goal of developing innovative tools for disease diagnosis…
UVA team solves a nearly 200-year-old challenge in polymers. UVA researchers defy materials science rules with molecules that release stored length to decouple stiffness and stretchability. Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new polymer design that appears to rewrite the textbook on polymer engineering. No longer is it dogma that the stiffer a polymeric material is, the less stretchable it has to be. “We are addressing a fundamental challenge that has…
Electrically defined quantum dots in zinc oxide. Researchers have successfully created electrically defined quantum dots in zinc oxide (ZnO) heterostructures, marking a significant milestone in the development of quantum technologies. Details of their breakthrough were published in the journal Nature Communications on November 7, 2024. Quantum dots, tiny semiconductor structures that can trap electrons in nanometer-scale spaces, have long been studied for their potential to serve as qubits in quantum computing. These dots are crucial for quantum computing because they allow scientists…
Using energy- and resource-saving methods, a research team at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at TU Graz aims to produce high-quality doped silicon layers for the electronics and solar industries. The global production of semiconductors is growing rapidly and with it the demand for primary products, especially crystalline silicon. However, its production is very energy-intensive and only half of the raw silicon used is actually utilised. This leads to large quantities of waste. In the Christian Doppler Laboratory for New…
A large number of 2D materials like graphene can have nanopores – small holes formed by missing atoms through which foreign substances can pass. The properties of these nanopores dictate many of the materials’ properties, enabling the latter to sense gases, filter out seawater, and even help in DNA sequencing. “The problem is that these 2D materials have a wide distribution of nanopores, both in terms of shape and size,” says Ananth Govind Rajan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical…
KIT researchers produce metamaterial with different extension and compression properties than conventional materials. With this material, the working group headed by Professor Martin Wegener at KIT’s Institute of Applied Physics (APH) has overcome a limitation of metamaterials. Lead author Dr. Yi Chen compares this with human communication and an effect known from the “telephone game”: When people communicate through a chain of intermediaries, the message received by the last person can be completely different than if the first and last…
Most people think of coffee cups, bathroom tiles or flower pots when they hear the word “ceramic”. Not so Frank Clemens. For the research group leader in Empa’s Laboratory for High-Performance Ceramics, ceramics can conduct electricity, be intelligent, and even feel. Together with his team, Clemens is developing soft sensor materials based on ceramics. Such sensors can “feel” temperature, strain, pressure or humidity, for instance, which makes them interesting for use in medicine, but also in the field of soft…
New ISTA assistant professor Julian Léonard makes abstract quantum properties visible. From the realm of the abstract to the tangible, the new assistant professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) Julian Léonard brings the quantum properties of matter to life. Having done research at ETH Zurich and Harvard, Léonard joins ISTA from TU Wien. In this interview, he talks about the central role of quantum mechanics in nature, how ultracold temperatures magnify atomic interactions, and what this…
Engineers in Australia have found a way to make stronger and crack-resistant concrete with scrap carpet fibres, rolling out the red carpet for sustainability in the construction sector. The research team is engaging with partners including Textile Recyclers Australia, Godfrey Hirst Australia and councils in Victoria to conduct field studies of on-ground slabs made of reclaimed textiles. Lead researcher Dr Chamila Gunasekara from RMIT University said the team had developed a technique using waste carpet fibres to reduce early-age shrinkage…
With the increase of new technology and artificial intelligence, the demand for efficient and powerful semiconductors continues to grow. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have achieved a new material that will be pivotal in making the next generation of high-power electronics faster, transparent and more efficient. This artificially designed material allows electrons to move faster while remaining transparent to both visible and ultraviolet light, breaking the previous record. The research, published in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, marks a…
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