Category Physics

Smart Glass has a Bright Future

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Micromirrors in open and closed scenario, shown in (a), (b) schematics and (c), (d) SEM micrographs, respectively. The smart glass pane is integrated into a double insulation glazing in Ar atmosphere and sealed by butyl.

Light modulation via optical MEMS microshutter and micromirror arrays could provide huge energy savings. Substituting the inefficient glazing areas of buildings with energy-efficient smart glazing windows has great potential to decrease energy consumption for lighting and temperature control.

Buildings are responsible for 40 percent of primary energy consumption and 36 percent of total CO2 emissions. And, as we know, CO2 emissions trigger global warming, sea level rise, and profound changes in ocean ecosystems...

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Scientists design ‘Smart’ Device to Harvest Daylight

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Design of the ‘smart’ device to harvest daylight

Device can be used to illuminate dark, underground spaces in daytime. A team of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) researchers has designed a ‘smart’ device to harvest daylight and relay it to underground spaces, reducing the need to draw on traditional energy sources for lighting.

In Singapore, authorities are looking at the feasibility of digging deeper underground to create new space for infrastructure, storage, and utilities. Demand for round-the-clock underground lighting is therefore expected to rise in the future.

To develop a daylight harvesting device that can sustainably meet this need, the NTU team drew inspiration from the magnifying glass, which can be used to focus sunlight into one point.

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A Bio-inspired Mechano-Photonic Artificial Synapse

A bioinspired mechano-photonic artificial synapse
Biological tactile/visual neurons and mechano-photonic artificial synapse. (A) Schematic illustrations of biological tactile/visual sensory system. (B) Schematic diagram of the mechano-photonic artificial synapse based on graphene/MoS2 (Gr/MoS2) heterostructure. (i) Top-view scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the optoelectronic transistor; scale bar, 5 μm. The cyan area indicates the MoS2 flake, while the white strip is graphene. (ii) Illustration of charge transfer/exchange for Gr/MoS2 heterostructure. (iii) Output mechano-photonic signals from the artificial synapse for image recognition. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abd9117

Multifunctional and diverse artificial neural systems can incorporate multimodal plasticity, memory and supervised learning functions ...

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New Class of Versatile, High-Performance Quantum Dots Primed for Medical Imaging, Quantum Computing

A new, highly versatile class of quantum dots excel as single-photon emitters, with applications in biomedical imaging, quantum communication, cybersecurity, and many other fields. Zachary (Zack) Robinson (left) and Vladimir Sayevich (right) are part of the team that has developed these infrared-emitting quantum dots.

A new class of quantum dots deliver a stable stream of single, spectrally tunable infrared photons under ambient conditions and at room temperature, unlike other single photon emitters. This breakthrough opens a range of practical applications, including quantum communication, quantum metrology, medical imaging and diagnostics, and clandestine labeling.

“The demonstration of high single-photon purity in the infrared has immediate utility in areas such as quantum key di...

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