Category Physics

Joining forces: Fast-as-Lightning 3D Microprinting with Two Lasers

2022_091_Mit vereinten Kraeften_Blitzschnelles 3D-Mikrodrucken mit zwei Lasern_72dpi
In light sheet 3D printing, red and blue laser light is used to print objects precisely and quickly on a micrometer scale (Photo: Vincent Hahn, KIT)

Printing objects from plastic precisely, quickly, and inexpensively is the goal of many 3D printing processes. However, speed and high resolution remain a technological challenge. A research team from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Heidelberg University, and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has come a long way toward achieving this goal. It developed a laser printing process that can print micrometer-sized parts in the blink of an eye. The international team published the work in Nature Photonics.

Stereolithography 3D printing is currently one of the most popular additive manufacturing processes for plastics, ...

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New Measurements Quantifying Qudits provide Glimpse of Quantum Future

The micro-ring resonator, shown here as a closed loop, generated high-dimensional photon pairs. Researchers examined these photons by manipulating the phases of different frequencies, or colors, of light and mixing frequencies, as shown by the crisscrossed multicolor lines. Credit: Yun-Yi Pai/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
The micro-ring resonator, shown here as a closed loop, generated high-dimensional photon pairs. Researchers examined these photons by manipulating the phases of different frequencies, or colors, of light and mixing frequencies, as shown by the crisscrossed multicolor lines. Credit: Yun-Yi Pai/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Using existing experimental and computational resources, a multi-institutional team has developed an effective method for measuring high-dimensional qudits encoded in quantum frequency combs, which are a type of photon source, on a single optical chip.

Although the word “qudit” might look like a typo, this lesser-known cousin of the qubit, or quantum bit, can carry more information and is more resistant to noise — both of which are key qualities needed to improve the ...

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Heat-Proof Chaotic Carbides could Revolutionize Aerospace Technology

Glowing orange tubes moving through light and air
The carbides could achieve improved communications and thermal regulation in technologies including satellites and hypersonic aircraft.

A group of scientists led by Duke University have engineered a new class of materials capable of producing tunable plasmonic properties while withstanding incredibly high temperatures.

Plasmonics is a technology that essentially traps the energy of light within groups of electrons oscillating together on a metallic surface. This creates a powerful electromagnetic field that interacts with incoming light, allowing devices to absorb, emit or otherwise control specific frequencies across much of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The new materials are hard enough to stir molten steel and can withstand temperatures above 7000F– about the same temperatures...

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Disposable Electronics on a Simple Sheet of Paper

Electronic circuit on paper burns fire on one end
An electronic circuit printed on paper could be a more flexible and disposable option for single-use electronics.
Credit: Adapted from ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2022, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c13503

Discarded electronic devices, such as cellphones, are a fast-growing source of waste. One way to mitigate the problem could be to use components that are made with renewable resources and that are easy to dispose of responsibly. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have created a prototype circuit board that is made of a sheet paper with fully integrated electrical components, and that can be burned or left to degrade.

Most small electronic devices contain circuit boards that are made from glass fibers, resins and metal wiring...

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