The breakthrough is a step towards the development of next-generation magnetic devices that control light. In a significant advancement in optical technology, researchers from Tohoku University and Toyohashi University of Technology have developed a new method for creating transparent magnetic materials using laser heating. This breakthrough, recently published in the journal Optical Materials, presents a novel approach to integrating magneto-optical materials with optical devices, a long-standing challenge in the field. “The key to this achievement lies in creating ‘Cerium-substituted Yttrium…

Multi-scale approach improves the fatigue threshold of particle-reinforced rubber. Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have increased the fatigue threshold of particle-reinforced rubber, developing a new, multiscale approach that allows the material to bear high loads and resist crack growth over repeated use. This approach could not only increase the longevity of rubber products such as tires but also reduce the amount of pollution from rubber particles shed during use. The research…

Freight transportation is a backbone of the US economy — and a significant contributor to US greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, freight accounts for nearly 10% of annual U.S. emissions,ISE Dan Doulet Faculty Fellow and Professor Xueping Li points out. Li and an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional team have been awarded funding from the US Department of Energy to launch a first-of-its-kind, national-scale undertaking to address freight’s impact on climate change — and climate change’s impact on this vital sector. Funding from…

Researchers from the Bavarian Centre for Battery Technology and the “SolTech” research network at the University of Bayreuth have presented a new production method for electrocatalysts: a fast, low-temperature synthesis of special ceramic materials (high-entropy oxides). The results from the Chair of Physical Chemistry III and the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf could make the electrolysis of water and the associated hydrogen production more energy-efficient in the future. The results have now been published in the journal…

Fraunhofer IZM manages to automate measuring optical in-glass waveguides. The use of glass as substrate in electronics manufacturing enables the additional transmission of optical signals through the substrate material. This allows much higher rates of data transmission, which is vital for many scenarios like automotive, telecommunication, or AI applications. Researchers at Fraunhofer IZM have now managed to develop a system that can automatically measure propagation losses in integrated optical waveguides, all part of the research project “Integrated Electro-Photonic Panel Systems”…

The one-step fabrication process rapidly produces miniature chemical reactors that could be used to detect diseases or analyze substances. MIT researchers have used 3D printing to produce self-heating microfluidic devices, demonstrating a technique which could someday be used to rapidly create cheap, yet accurate, tools to detect a host of diseases. Microfluidics, miniaturized machines that manipulate fluids and facilitate chemical reactions, can be used to detect disease in tiny samples of blood or fluids. At-home test kits for Covid-19, for…

Drexel University’s ‘BioFiber’ can stabilize and heal damaged concrete. In hopes of producing concrete structures that can repair their cracks, researchers from Drexel University’s College of Engineering are putting a new twist on an old trick for improving the durability of concrete. Fiber reinforcement has been around since the first masons were mixing horsehair into their mud. But the Drexel research team is taking this method to the next level by turning reinforcing fibers into a living tissue system that…

Research team identifies new details of a promising phenomenon. To magnetize an iron nail, one simply has to stroke its surface several times with a bar magnet. Yet, there is a much more unusual method: A team led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) discovered some time ago that a certain iron alloy can be magnetized with ultrashort laser pulses. The researchers have now teamed up with the Laserinstitut Hochschule Mittweida (LHM) to investigate this process further. They discovered that the…

Researchers from EPFL have resolved a long-standing debate surrounding laser additive manufacturing processes with a pioneering approach to defect detection. The progression of laser additive manufacturing — which involves 3D printing of metallic objects using powders and lasers — has often been hindered by unexpected defects. Traditional monitoring methods, such as thermal imaging and machine learning algorithms, have shown significant limitations. They often either overlook defects or misinterpret them, making precision manufacturing elusive and barring the technique from essential industries…

Fraunhofer Institutes Establish New Branch for Aviation Research in Cottbus. Several Fraunhofer Institutes and the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg, under the leadership of Rolls-Royce Germany and other partners such as the research institution ACCESS, are collaborating on the future of hybrid electric flying. Supported by the state of Brandenburg and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, the partners are researching an entirely new propulsion system for medium-range aircraft with up to 35 passengers. The Clean Sky programs…

Two satellites successfully launched from California. Technische Universität Berlin sets new standards in the development of small satellites with the NanoFF project. On Friday, 1 December 2023 two small satellites produced by Technische Universität Berlin were successfully put into low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with a Falcon 9 rocket. The primary mission objective is a pioneering performance for TU Berlin, as project leader Jens Freymuth explains: “NanoFF is an acronym for nanosatellites in formation flight….

“HySecunda” aims to optimize production, storage, capacity building and certification of H2. South Africa could play an important role in the coming years as a reliable producer of green hydrogen — including as a supplier for Germany. However, the storage and distribution of this resource currently poses challenges. This is where the recently launched Fraunhofer joint research project HySecunda comes in, which is a cooperation between nine Fraunhofer institutes and the Fraunhofer Academy. The project aims to find optimized solutions…

Inspired by a small and slow snail, scientists have developed a robot protype that may one day scoop up microplastics from the surfaces of oceans, seas and lakes. The robot’s design is based on the Hawaiian apple snail (Pomacea canaliculate), a common aquarium snail that uses the undulating motion of its foot to drive water surface flow and suck in floating food particles. Currently, plastic collection devices mostly rely on drag nets or conveyor belts to gather and remove larger…

Bubbles are an optimal way to carry heat, and Jonathan Boreyko’s team has engineered a surface that makes them jump to carry even more. Water is often the go-to resource for heat transfer, being used in large-scale cooling operations like data centers that power the internet and nuclear power plants that power cities. Discovering dynamic phenomena to make water-based heat transfer more energy and cost efficient is the ongoing work of Jonathan Boreyko, associate professor and John R. Jones III Faculty Fellow in mechanical engineering….

Clean technology for heavy industry… Steel production causes significant emissions of carbon dioxide. To decarbonize steel production and its high carbon dioxide emissions, Fraunhofer researchers, TS ELINO GmbH and Salzgitter AG are working on converting an existing steel mill to climate-neutral production methods. The aim is to produce steel by the direct reduction of iron ore with hydrogen, which would completely replace harmful coke as a reducing agent. The hydrogen required for this method is produced using electrolysis processes with…

Welding thermoplastic aircraft fuselage structures. Successful “MFFD” stakeholder event in Stade with groundbreaking results for the automated assembly of thermoplastic aircraft fuselage structures. On November 28, 2023, a stakeholder event with around 100 participants took place in the context of the “Multi Functional Fuselage Demonstrator” (“MFFD”) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in the Research Center CFK NORD in Stade, Germany. With the participation of the European project partners, a comprehensive overview of the current…