…to control valley polarization in bulk materials. An international team of researchers reports in Nature a new method that achieves valley polarization in centrosymmetric bulk materials in a non-material-specific way for the first time. This “universal technique” may have major applications linked to the control and analysis of different properties for 2D and 3D materials, which can in turn enable the advancement of cutting-edge fields such us information processing and quantum computing. The project was realised in collaboration between ICFO…

Ultrafast laser spectroscopy allows the ascertainment of dynamics over extremely short time scales, making it a very useful tool in many scientific and industrial applications. A major disadvantage is the considerable measuring time this technique usually requires, which often leads to lengthy acquisition times spanning minutes to hours. Researchers have developed a technique to speed up spectroscopic analysis. The results of the project led by Hanieh Fattahi, Research group leader at the Max-Planck-Institute of the Science of Light, in collaboration…

Thanks to ESA satellites, an international team including UNIGE researchers has detected a giant eruption coming from a magnetar, an extremely magnetic neutron star. While ESA’s satellite INTEGRAL was observing the sky, it spotted a burst of gamma-rays – high-energy photons – coming from the nearby galaxy M82. Only a few hours later, ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray space telescope searched for an afterglow from the explosion but found none. An international team, including researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), realised…

Superradiant atoms can help us measure time more precisely than ever. In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen present a new method for measuring the time interval, the second, mitigating some of the limitations that today’s most advanced atomic clocks encounter. The result could have broad implications in areas such as space travel, volcanic eruptions and GPS systems. The second is the most precisely-defined unit of measurement, compared to other base units such as the kilogram, meter,…

New publication reports record electron temperatures for a small-scale, sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion device. In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only a few fusion technologies have demonstrated the ability to make a thermal fusion plasma with electron temperatures hotter than 10 million degrees Celsius, roughly the temperature of the core of the sun. Zap Energy’s unique approach, known as a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch, has now joined those rarefied ranks, far exceeding this plasma temperature milestone in a…

…for enhanced microscopy analysis. Observing individual cells through microscopes can reveal a range of important cell biological phenomena that frequently play a role in human diseases, but the process of distinguishing single cells from each other and their background is extremely time consuming — and a task that is well-suited for AI assistance. AI models learn how to carry out such tasks by using a set of data that are annotated by humans, but the process of distinguishing cells from…

Quantum physics needs high-precision sensing techniques to delve deeper into the microscopic properties of materials. From the analog quantum processors that have emerged recently, the so-called quantum-gas microscopes have proven to be powerful tools for understanding quantum systems at the atomic level. These devices produce images of quantum gases with very high resolution: they allow individual atoms to be detected. Now, ICFO researchers (Barcelona, Spain) Sandra Buob, Jonatan Höschele, Dr. Vasiliy Makhalov and Dr. Antonio Rubio-Abadal, led by ICREA Professor…

On April 18, 2024, a large-scale experiment to detect dark matter will be inaugurated in Italy. COSINUS is an international research project in which a team from the Max Planck Institute for Physics (MPP) is also involved. The nature of dark matter is still one of the great questions of modern physics. According to current knowledge, invisible dark matter accounts for 85 percent of the total mass in the universe. The COSINUS* experiment goes into operation today at the Italian…

… a step towards the computing of the future. An international research team led by scientists from the CNRS1 has discovered that the magnetic nanobubbles2 known as skyrmions can be moved by electrical currents, attaining record speeds up to 900 m/s. Anticipated as future bits in computer memory, these nanobubbles offer enhanced avenues for information processing in electronic devices. Their tiny size3 provides great computing and information storage capacity, as well as low energy consumption. Until now, these nanobubbles moved…

A new study sorts through models attempting to solve one of the major challenges of contemporary cosmic science, the measurement of its expansion. Thanks to the dizzying growth of cosmic observations and measurement tools and some new advancements (primarily the “discovery” of what we call dark matter and dark energy) all against the backdrop of General Relativity, the early 2000s were a time when nothing seemed capable of challenging the advancement of our knowledge about the cosmos, its origins, and…

Soft skin coverings and touch sensors have emerged as a promising feature for robots that are both safer and more intuitive for human interaction, but they are expensive and difficult to make. A recent study demonstrates that soft skin pads doubling as sensors made from thermoplastic urethane can be efficiently manufactured using 3D printers. “Robotic hardware can involve large forces and torques, so it needs to be made quite safe if it’s going to either directly interact with humans or…

Researchers at the University of Stuttgart achieve strongest connection. Making emergency calls even in remote areas and transmitting large amounts of data in real time? This is possible with the sixth generation of mobile communications – 6G for short. Researchers and students at the University of Stuttgart have established the most powerful radio link ever installed between mountain and valley in the Alps. The range and data rate exceed known communication standards and could fundamentally change the way we communicate….

Crateflow enables accurate AI-based demand forecasts. A key challenge for companies is to control overstock and understock while developing a supply chain that is resilient to disruptions. To address this, companies need demand forecasts that accurately predict factors such as inventory levels, order quantities, production capacity and procurement strategies. To achieve this, the founding team “Crateflow” at RPTU is developing an AI-based software platform. The project is funded by an EXIST start-up grant from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs…

Integrated into clothing, the device can control mobile apps, enter passwords and play video games. A new study from NC State University combines three-dimensional embroidery techniques with machine learning to create a fabric-based sensor that can control electronic devices through touch. As the field of wearable electronics gains more interest and new functions are added to clothing, an embroidery-based sensor or “button” capable of controlling those functions becomes increasingly important. Integrated into the fabric of a piece of clothing, the sensor…

New research led by Flatiron Institute researchers reveals the source of the mysterious swirling flows in some of nature’s largest cells. Egg cells are the largest single cells on the planet. Their size — often several to hundreds of times the size of a typical cell — allows them to grow into entire organisms, but it also makes it difficult to transport nutrients and other molecules around the cell. Scientists have long known that maturing egg cells, called oocytes, generate…

… by searching for molecular fingerprinting. A research team consisting of Professor Kyoung-Duck Park and Taeyoung Moon and Huitae Joo, PhD candidates, from the Department of Physics at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has engineered “broadband nanogap gold spectroscopic sensor” using a flexible material capable of bending to create a controlled gap. With the developed technology, it is possible to rapidly test various types of materials, including infectious disease viruses, using only a single nano-spectroscopic sensor to find…