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    Category Physics

    ‘Stunning’ discovery: Metals can Heal Themselves

    July 21, 2023, Categories  Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Physics

    Green marks the spot where a fissure formed, then fused back together in this artistic rendering of nanoscale self-healing in metal, discovered at Sandia National Laboratories. Red arrows indicate the direction of the pulling force that unexpectedly triggered the phenomenon. (Image by Dan Thompson)

    Microscopic cracks vanish in experiments, revealing possibility of self-healing machines. If harnessed, the newly discovered phenomenon could someday lead to engines, bridges and airplanes that reverse damage caused by wear and tear, making them safer and longer-lasting.

    The research team from Sandia National Laboratories and Texas A&M University described their findings today in the journal Nature.

    “This was absolutely stunning to watch first-hand,” said Sandia materials scientist Br...

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    Researchers Achieve Historic Milestone in Energy Capacity of Supercapacitors

    July 20, 2023, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    A landmark study led by Luis Echegoyen, Ph.D., professor emeritus at The University of Texas at El Paso, and Marta Plonska-Brzezinska, Ph.D., of the Medical University of Bialystok, Poland (not pictured), was recently featured in the journal Scientific Reports, which is published by leading research publisher Nature Portfolios. It describes how they have achieved the highest level of energy storage — also known as capacitance — in a supercapacitor ever recorded.
    A landmark study led by Luis Echegoyen, Ph.D., professor emeritus at The University of Texas at El Paso, and Marta Plonska-Brzezinska, Ph.D., of the Medical University of Bialystok, Poland (not pictured), was recently featured in the journal Scientific Reports, which is published by leading research publisher Nature Portfolios. It describes how they have achieved the highest level of energy storage — also known as capacitance — in a supercapacitor ever recorded.

    Scientific community inches closer to ultrafast-charging energy storage. In a new landmark chemistry study, researchers describe how they have achieved the highest level of energy storage — also known as capacitance — in a supercapacitor ever recorded.

    The study, led by Luis Echegoyen, Ph.D...

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    Researchers introduce Transparent Optical Imager with Near-Infrared Sensitivity and Touchless Interface

    July 18, 2023, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    A transparent optical imager with near-infrared sensitivity and a touchless interface
    a, Schematic of a large-area, 16 × 16 visually transparent NIR-sensitive OPD array (imager) that is placed in front of a laptop display. b, Schematic of the touchless user interface demo using NIR-emitting penlight. c, Photograph of the touchless user interface demo using NIR-emitting penlight. d, Schematic of a large-area, 16 × 16 visually transparent NIR-sensitive OPD array (imager) with integrated NIR LEDs that is placed in front of a laptop display. e, Schematic of the touchless user interface demo using gesture recognition of reflected NIR light. f, Photograph of the touchless user interface demo using gesture recognition of reflected NIR light. Credit: Nature Electronics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-023-00970-8

    Most existing devices are operated via the sense of touch,...

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    New Material could hold key to Reducing Energy Consumption in Computers and Electronics

    July 15, 2023, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Stock computer chip
    A University of Minnesota Twin Cities team has, for the first time, synthesized a thin film of a unique topological semimetal material that has the potential to generate more power and memory storage in computer chips while using significantly less energy.
    CREDIT: iStock

    A University of Minnesota Twin Cities team has, for the first time, synthesized a thin film of a unique topological semimetal material that has the potential to generate more computing power and memory storage while using significantly less energy. The researchers were also able to closely study the material, leading to some important findings about the physics behind its unique properties.

    The study is published in Nature Communications.

    As evidenced by the United States’ recent CHIPS and Science Act, there is a ...

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