Quantum physics deals with the laws of nature in the atomic and subatomic range. Findings gained from this research have, for example, enabled the development of computer chips, nuclear magnetic resonance tomographs or navigation systems. At the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Professor Dr. Artur Widera and his research group do research on quantum physics. In a current research paper, they present a quantum motor that cannot be described in the classical sense with thermodynamic principles. The drive is based on…

The behavior of electrons in liquids determines a vast range of chemical processes and thus essential processes in organisms and the world as a whole. But electron movements are extremely hard to capture because they take place within attoseconds: the realm of quintillionths of a second. Since advanced lasers now operate at these timescales, they can offer scientists glimpses of these ultrafast processes via a range of techniques. An international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the…

Earth observation is like a super detective for our planet. It shows us what’s happening on Earth and even influences our daily lives, for example, through more accurate weather forecasts. As part of the EU-funded SURPRISE project, a team of experts has been investigating how Earth observation satellites can be made smarter, but also safer. Using two breakthrough technologies – spatial light modulators and Compressive Sensing – the project has developed a demonstrator for superspectral Earth observation with improved spatial…

X-ray laser shows possible route to substantially increased precision time measurement. An international research team has taken a decisive step toward a new generation of atomic clocks. At the European XFEL X-ray laser, the researchers have created a much more precise pulse generator based on the element scandium, which enables an accuracy of one second in 300 billion years – that is about a thousand times more precise than the current standard atomic clock based on caesium. The team presents…

Physicists observe the first gravitational free-fall of antimatter. First measurement of the force of the earth’s gravity on antimatter published in prestigious Nature journal. The physics behind antimatter is one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Looking as far back as The Big Bang, physics has predicted that when we create matter, we also create antimatter. The world around us is made of matter, but physicists have yet to find an explanation for the absence of antimatter. Now, physicists at the…

Experiment measures the energy spectrum of neutrons emitted from neutron-induced fission. The results of the Chi-Nu physics experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory have contributed essential, never-before-observed data for enhancing nuclear security applications, understanding criticality safety and designing fast-neutron energy reactors. The Chi-Nu project, a years-long experiment measuring the energy spectrum of neutrons emitted from neutron-induced fission, recently concluded the most detailed and extensive uncertainty analysis of the three major actinide elements — uranium-238, uranium-235 and plutonium-239. “Nuclear fission and…

Fraunhofer IDMT develops novel recording and analysis methods for the simultaneous monitoring of various vital and motion data via radar. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT in Oldenburg have developed a new method for collecting and analyzing vital signs from the human body by using radar. The key feature is that the radar can be positioned sideways to collect particularly robust, non-contact vital data such as respiration and heartbeat pulse from various areas of the body….

Seven of the world’s largest mirrors will search the Universe for life beyond Earth. The Giant Magellan Telescope begins the four-year process to fabricate and polish its seventh and final primary mirror, the last required to complete the telescope’s 368 square meter light collecting surface, the world’s largest and most challenging optics ever produced. Together, the mirrors will collect more light than any other telescope in existence, allowing humanity to unlock the secrets of the Universe by providing detailed chemical…

Research from West Virginia University mechanical and aerospace engineer Xi Yu could help scientists reach ocean waters hidden away beneath ice shelves. The inaccessible waters under ocean ice contain information critical to understanding the impact of climate change, and Yu said she believes multiple marine robots, carried and coordinated by an intelligent mothership, can reach those depths and communicate what they learn. An assistant professor at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and a member of WVU…

World’s First Development of 40m Subterranean Magnetic Field Communication Technology. Enhances Safety Management of Underground Infrastructure and Pioneers Communication Solutions for Subterranean and Aquatic Environments. South Korean researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that enables wireless communication below the Earth’s surface, a significant departure from their traditional focus on terrestrial communication systems. This development opens new avenues for confirming the survival of individuals trapped due to accidents such as mine collapses during rescue operations. Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI) announced that…

Is it possible to make a femtosecond laser entirely out of glass? That’s the rabbit hole that Yves Bellouard, head of EPFL’s Galatea Laboratory, went down after years of spending hours – and hours – aligning femtosecond lasers for lab experiments. The Galatea laboratory is at the crossroads between optics, mechanics and materials science, and femtosecond lasers is a crucial element of Bellouard’s work. Femtosecond lasers produce extremely short and regular bursts of laser light and have many applications such…

Negative pressure is a rare and challenging-to-detect phenomenon in physics. Using liquid-filled optical fibers and sound waves, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) in Erlangen have now discovered a new method to measure it. In collaboration with the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technologies in Jena (IPHT), the scientists in the Quantum Optoacoustics research group, led by Birgit Stiller, can gain important insights into thermodynamic states. As a physical quantity pressure is encountered in various…

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) marked the completion of an important step on the path to spacecraft assembly, test, and launch operations this week at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland. The IMAP team met with a review panel to evaluate the plan for integrating all systems onto the spacecraft, such as the scientific instrumentation, electrical and communication systems, and navigation systems. Successful completion of this System Integration Review (SIR) means that the project can proceed…

Revealed 11 technologies in display and stereoscopic imaging fields. For the upcoming hyper-realistic metaverse world in the era of digital transformation, domestic researchers are showcased their achievements in the development of display and stereoscopic imaging technologies. Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI) participated in consecutive events, starting from the 16th August at COEX in Seoul for ‘K-Display 2023,’ followed by ‘IMID 2023’ at BEXCO in Busan from the 23rd, where they exhibited a variety of innovative technologies capable of realizing a truly…

Boosting virtual screening with machine learning allowed for a 10-fold time reduction in the processing of 1.56 billion drug-like molecules. Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland teamed up with industry and supercomputers to carry out one of the world’s largest virtual drug screens. In their efforts to find novel drug molecules, researchers often rely on fast computer-aided screening of large compound libraries to identify agents that can block a drug target. Such a target can, for instance, be an enzyme that enables…

Jupiter’s moon Europa is one of a handful of worlds in our solar system that could potentially harbor conditions suitable for life. Previous research has shown that beneath its water-ice crust lies a salty ocean of liquid water with a rocky seafloor. However, planetary scientists had not confirmed if that ocean contained the chemicals needed for life, particularly carbon. Astronomers using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have identified carbon dioxide in a specific region on the icy surface…