Category Physics

Swirling Data: Boosting Computing Power and Info Transfer rates Tenfold

Vortex laser on a chip.

The image above shows vortex laser on a chip. Because the laser beam travels in a corkscrew pattern, encoding information into different vortex twists, it’s able to carry 10 times or more the amount of information than that of conventional lasers. Credit: University at Buffalo.

Like a whirlpool, a new light-based communication tool carries data in a swift, circular motion. The optics advancement could become a central component of next generation computers designed to handle society’s growing demand for information sharing. It may also be a salve to those fretting over the predicted end of Moore’s Law, the idea that researchers will find new ways to continue making computers smaller, faster and cheaper.

“To transfer more data while using less energy, we need to rethink what’s inside thes...

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Microswimmer Robot Chains can Decouple and Reconnect in a Magnetic field

Representative experiment of a modular microrobot.

Representative experiment of a modular microrobot. From (a), a 3-bead robotic microswimmer approaches and assemble with a single non-motile bead and transform into a 4-bead microswimmer. From (b–f), the microswimmer continues to approach and combine with single beads, and eventually modulate into a 9-bead microswimmer. At (g), the 9-bead microswimmer breaks into three different microswimmers under high rotation frequency due to increased shear stress leading to structural flexing.

Drexel Uni researchers have successfully pulled off a feat that both sci-fi fans and Michael Phelps could appreciate. Using a rotating magnetic field they show how multiple chains of microscopic magnetic bead-based robots can link up to reach impressive speeds swimming through in a microfluidic environment...

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New Material could Advance Superconductivity

At center, in green, is the new three-atom hydrogen 'chain.' It is surrounded by several 'normal' two-atom molecules of hydrogen, also in green. The new chain configuration appears in the new material NaH7, which was produced under high pressure and high temperature conditions. The new material could change the superconductivity landscape and be useful for hydrogen storage in hydrogen fuel cells. Credit: Image courtesy Duck Young Kim

At center, in green, is the new three-atom hydrogen ‘chain.’ It is surrounded by several ‘normal’ two-atom molecules of hydrogen, also in green. The new chain configuration appears in the new material NaH7, which was produced under high pressure and high temperature conditions. The new material could change the superconductivity landscape and be useful for hydrogen storage in hydrogen fuel cells. Credit: Image courtesy Duck Young Kim

Scientists have looked for different ways to force hydrogen into a metallic state for decades. A metallic state of hydrogen is a holy grail for materials science because it could be used for superconductors...

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New Catalyst for Hydrogen Production

Structural comparison of penlandite with hydrogenases.

Structural comparison of penlandite with hydrogenases. (a) Crystal structure of Ni4.5Fe4.5S8. The nickel and iron sites (brown) share the same positions within the crystal and are bridged by sulfur (yellow). (b) Active site of the [FeNi]-hydrogenase (PDB: 4U9H) as well as (c) [FeFe]-hydrogenase (X=NH, PDB: 1HFE).

Mineral pentlandite works just as efficient as expensive platinum electrodes commonly used today. In contrast to platinum, pentlandite is affordable and found frequently on Earth. In addition to platinum, there are numerous other substances that can catalyse the reaction of water to hydrogen and oxygen and do not contain any precious metals. Among such compounds are the so-called metal chalcogenides...

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