Researchers have discovered that light — in the form of a laser — can trigger a form of magnetism in a normally nonmagnetic material. This magnetism centers on the behavior of electrons. These subatomic particles have an electronic property called “spin,” which has a potential application in quantum computing. The researchers found that electrons within the material became oriented in the same direction when illuminated by photons from a laser. The experiment, led by scientists at the University of Washington and the…

Using nanotechnology, scientists have created a newly designed neuromorphic electronic device that endows microrobotics with colorful vision. Georgia State University researchers have successfully designed a new type of artificial vision device that incorporates a novel vertical stacking architecture and allows for greater depth of color recognition and scalability on a micro-level. The new research is published in the top journal ACS Nano. “This work is the first step toward our final destination­–to develop a micro-scale camera for microrobots,” says assistant professor of Physics…

The manufacturing technique enables faster production, greater optical quality and design flexibility. Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a new way to 3D-print glass microstructures that is faster and produces objects with higher optical quality, design flexibility and strength, according to a new study published in the April 15 issue of the journal Science. Working with scientists from the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany, the researchers expanded the capabilities of a 3D-printing process they developed three years ago —…

Measuring system opens up new perspectives for additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing processes continue to grow in the automotive, aerospace and other industries. When complex components or unique parts need to be produced, an increasing number of companies are turning to industrial 3D printing. However, the run-in curves can still be quite long, especially for small batches, and the reject rates may be high at the beginning. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS Dresden therefore develops modern measurement…

THE University of Huddersfield has forged a partnership with an innovative technology business to work with Network Rail on developing a safer and more reliable track lubrication measurement system. The collaboration will allow the University’s award-winning Institute of Railway Research (IRR) to work with Sheffield-based small and medium enterprise (SME) Tribosonics Ltd to develop a novel solution to the problem of detecting whether a critical form of lubrication is present between a railway wheel and the track. In partnership with Network Rail and funded through its…

Rice study suggests stress among misaligned particles in typical cathodes limits flow. If you could shrink enough for a fantastic voyage across a lithium battery electrode, you’d see the level of charge at every scale is highly uneven. This is not good for the battery’s health. Rice University researchers who recognize the problem worked with the Department of Energy to view in great detail how the various particles in an electrode interact with lithium during use. Specifically, the Rice lab…

Fraunhofer ILT inaugurates new research platform. The success of the energy transition is closely linked to continued research into hydrogen technologies. A major goal of Fraunhofer ILT is to make the fuel cell ready for series production. To this end, the Aachen researchers are setting up a hydrogen laboratory on more than 300 square meters of laboratory space: Here, a wide range of laser technology test facilities will offer public projects and industrial cooperation a research platform that is unique…

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is an indispensable key technology in the development of autonomous driving cars. LIDAR systems use emitted laser beams to very accurately detect their surroundings and generate a precise image. Their mode of operation is very similar to radar systems in aviation or shipping, except that they emit laser beams instead of radio waves. Their reflections produce a three-dimensional image. However, the resolution of lidar sensors is significantly higher than that of radars, which is what…

New technology kit enables extended functionalities. Fraunhofer ISIT operates state-of-the-art production lines for processing silicon with a processing accuracy in the nanometer range. These precise structure generation processes have now been successfully transferred to other materials. The shaping of various types of glass has proven to be particularly significant. After all, with the integration of optical functions into the world of microsystems, the packaging of components and systems at wafer level (WLP) is facing new challenges. Future applications, such as…

The design could someday enable a fully decarbonized power grid, researchers say. Engineers at MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have designed a heat engine with no moving parts. Their new demonstrations show that it converts heat to electricity with over 40 percent efficiency — a performance better than that of traditional steam turbines. The heat engine is a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell, similar to a solar panel’s photovoltaic cells, that passively captures high-energy photons from a white-hot heat…

Design also poised to save space, retain memory in event of power loss. A new spin on one of the 20th century’s smallest but grandest inventions, the transistor, could help feed the world’s ever-growing appetite for digital memory while slicing up to 5% of the energy from its power-hungry diet. Following years of innovations from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Christian Binek and University at Buffalo’s Jonathan Bird and Keke He, the physicists recently teamed up to craft the first magneto-electric…

The researchers behind an energy system that makes it possible to capture solar energy, store it for up to eighteen years and release it when and where it is needed have now taken the system a step further. After previously demonstrating how the energy can be extracted as heat, they have now succeeded in getting the system to produce electricity, by connecting it to a thermoelectric generator. Eventually, the research – developed at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden – could…

… for making miniature IR optics. New technique can create complex 3D optics for infrared spectroscopy, sensing and more. Researchers have developed a new fabrication process that allows infrared (IR) glass to be combined with another glass and formed into complex miniature shapes. The technique can be used to create complex infrared optics that could make IR imaging and sensing more broadly accessible. “Glass that transmits IR wavelengths is essential for many applications, including spectroscopy techniques used to identify various…

The breakthrough could lead to the development of ‘beyond-5G’ wireless technology for high-speed communication networks. An international team, co-led by researchers at The University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute (NGI) in the UK and the Penn State College of Engineering in the US, has developed a tunable graphene-based platform that allows for fine control over the interaction between light and matter in the terahertz (THz) spectrum to reveal rare phenomena known as exceptional points. The team published their results today (8 April)…

A new material created by University of California, Berkeley, researchers could reduce the energy required to control advanced silicon transistors. Computers may be growing smaller and more powerful, but they require a great deal of energy to operate. The total amount of energy the U.S. dedicates to computing has risen dramatically over the last decade and is quickly approaching that of other major sectors, like transportation. In a study published online this week the journal Nature, University of California, Berkeley,…

Fraunhofer IWS develops efficient, fast and sustainable coatings for industrial components. High-power diode lasers with outputs of ten or more kilowatts open new application scenarios for laser cladding. Particularly sustainable and resource-efficient coatings can be produced and applied, for example in automotive, machine construction and other industries. Together with industrial partners, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS has developed applications and specific processes for this laser class to industry readiness under the label “HICLAD®”. The Dresden institute…