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Categories: Energy: Technology, Physics: Quantum Physics
Published Artificial muscles -- lighter, safer, more robust
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed artificial muscles that are lighter, safer and more robust than their predecessors. The newly developed actuators have a novel type of shell structure and use a high-permittivity ferroelectric material that can store relatively large amounts of electrical energy. They therefore work with relatively low electrical voltage, are waterproof, more robust and safer to touch.
Published Scientists pull off quantum coup
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered a first-of-its-kind material, a 3D crystalline metal in which quantum correlations and the geometry of the crystal structure combine to frustrate the movement of electrons and lock them in place.
Published Sound-powered sensors stand to save millions of batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are developing a new type of sensor that reacts to certain sound waves, causing it to vibrate. The sensor is a metamaterial that acquires its special properties through the structuring of the material. Passive sound-sensitive sensors could be used to monitor buildings, earthquakes or certain medical devices and save millions of batteries.
Published Locusts' sense of smell boosted with custom-made nanoparticles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have harnessed the power of specially made nanostructures to enhance the neural response in a locust's brain to specific odors and to improve their identification of those odors.
Published How to shift gears in a molecular motor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have long strived to develop artificial molecular motors that can convert energy into directed motion. Researchers have now presented a solution to a challenging problem: how motion can be transferred in a controlled manner from one place to another through a 'molecular gear'. Molecular motors have the potential for use in, for example, energy storage applications and medicine.
Published Polymer power: Researchers enhance the safety of lithium batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lithium-ion batteries face safety concerns as a result of internal separator issues which often lead to short circuits. Scientists have now developed a method to improve the stability and properties of separators with a layer of silicon dioxide and other functional molecules. Batteries employing these separators demonstrated improved performance and reduced growth of disruptive root-like structures, paving the way for high-safety batteries that can aid the adoption of electric vehicles and advanced energy storage systems.
Published Liquid lithium on the walls of a fusion device helps the plasma within maintain a hot edge
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Emerging research suggests it may be easier to use fusion as a power source if liquid lithium is applied to the internal walls of the device housing the plasma. Past experiments studied solid lithium coatings and found they could enhance a plasma. The researchers were pleased they could yield similar results with liquid lithium, as it's better suited for use in a large-scale tokamak.
Published Shining a light on the hidden properties of quantum materials
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Certain materials have desirable properties that are hidden and scientists can use light to uncover these properties. Researchers have used an advanced optical technique, based on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, to learn more about a quantum material called Ta2NiSe5 (TNS).
Published Researchers add a 'twist' to classical material design
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers grew a twisted multilayer crystal structure for the first time and measured the structure's key properties. The twisted structure could help researchers develop next-generation materials for solar cells, quantum computers, lasers and other devices.
Published Self-powered movable seawall for tsunami protection and emergency power generation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A movable seawall system, capable of generating sufficient electricity to raise gates and protect ports against tsunamis, has been proposed by researchers. The system has been found feasible in areas prone to Nankai Trough earthquake tsunamis. Additionally, it can generate surplus energy to supply emergency power to ports during power outages that commonly occur in natural disasters. This innovative system integrates disaster prevention with the use of renewable energy.
Published What coffee with cream can teach us about quantum physics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new advancement in theoretical physics could, one day, help engineers develop new kinds of computer chips that might store information for longer in very small objects.
Published Offshore wind farms are vulnerable to cyberattacks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have presented a new study on cyberattack risks to offshore wind farms in Glasgow, United Kingdom. They looked specifically at wind farms that use voltage-source-converter high-voltage direct-current (VSC-HVDC) connections, which are rapidly becoming the most cost-effective solution to harvest offshore wind energy around the world. They found that their complex, hybrid-communication architecture presents multiple access points for cyberattacks.
Published Fast-charging lithium battery seeks to eliminate 'range anxiety'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have created a new lithium battery that can charge in under five minutes -- faster than any such battery on the market -- while maintaining stable performance over extended cycles of charging and discharging.
Published Gravity helps show strong force strength in the proton
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research conducted by nuclear physicists is using a method that connects theories of gravitation to interactions among the smallest particles of matter. The result is insight into the strong force, a powerful mediator of particle interactions in the subatomic realm. The research has revealed, for the first time, a snapshot of the distribution of the shear strength of the strong force inside the proton -- or how strong an effort must be to overcome the strong force to move an object it holds in its grasp. At its peak, the nuclear physicists found that a force of over four metric tons would be required to overcome the binding power of the strong force.
Published Water, water everywhere and now we may have drops to drink
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have achieved a major breakthrough in Redox Flow Desalination (RFD), an emerging electrochemical technique that can turn seawater into potable drinking water and also store affordable renewable energy.
Published Researchers find new multiphoton effect within quantum interference of light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of researchers has disproved a previously held assumption about the impact of multiphoton components in interference effects of thermal fields (e.g. sunlight) and parametric single photons (generated in non-linear crystals).
Published Major climate benefits with electric aircraft
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have performed the world's first life cycle assessment (LCA) of an existing, two-seater, all-electric aircraft, with a direct comparison to an equivalent fossil fuel-powered one. According to the study, after just one quarter of the expected lifespan of the electric aircraft, the climate impact is lower than that of the fossil fuel-based aircraft, provided that green electricity is used. The downside, however, is increased mineral resource scarcity.
Published Manipulated hafnia paves the way for next-gen memory devices
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study outlines progress toward making bulk ferroelectric and antiferroelectric hafnia available for use in a variety of applications, including high-performance computing.
Published New research sheds light on a phenomenon known as 'false vacuum decay'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have produced the first experimental evidence of vacuum decay.
Published Towards the quantum of sound
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists has succeeded in cooling traveling sound waves in wave-guides considerably further than has previously been possible using laser light. This achievement represents a significant move towards the ultimate goal of reaching the quantum ground state of sound in wave-guides. Unwanted noise generated by the acoustic waves at room temperature can be eliminated. This experimental approach both provides a deeper understanding of the transition from classical to quantum phenomena of sound and is relevant to quantum communication systems and future quantum technologies.