Category Physics

As-grown (Er,Yb):GdAl3(BO3)4 crystal by using high-temperature solution growth on dipped seeds (a) . Credit: Nikolay Leonyuk

It can be used in medicine, communications systems and also in research. ‘In collaboration with our colleagues of the Center for Optical Materials and Technologies, Belarusian National Technical University, we have developed a highly efficient diode-pumped eye-safe laser, which can be used in ophthalmology, communication systems and ranging’, says Prof Nikolay Leonyuk, The development of such laser became possible to the fact that the team of scientists had created a laboratory growth technology of single crystals with desired properties.

The emission with wavelengths 1500 – 1600 nm is agreeably safe for the eyes and seems prospective for practical applications in me...

(Top) Moth eyes are highly antireflective due to their nanostructured surface. (Middle) An image of a silicon “moth eye” fabricated by polymer self-assembly. (Bottom) A polished, highly reflective silicon solar cell (right) turns completely black (left) after the application of surface nanotexture. Credit: Image courtesy of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, BNL

Mimicking the texture found on the highly antireflective surfaces of the compound eyes of moths, scientists from Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory have utilized block copolymer self-assembly to produce precise and tunable nanotextured designs in the range of ~20 nm across macroscopic silicon-based solar cells...

This is the first CMOS full duplex receiver IC with integrated magnetic-free circulator. Credit: Negar Reiskarimian, Columbia Engineering

An engineer has integrated a non-reciprocal circulator and a full-duplex radio on a nanoscale silicon chip for the first time. This breakthrough technology needs only one antenna, thus enabling an even smaller overall system than one he developed last yea. It could revolutionize the field of telecommunications.

Krishnaswamy, director of the Columbia High-Speed and Mm-wave IC (CoSMIC) Lab said: “Our circulator is the first to be put on a silicon chip, and we get literally orders of magnitude better performance than prior work...

View of the vacuum chamber containing the atom trap (center). Credit: ©: AG QUANTUM, JGU

The engine is the result of experiments undertaken by the QUANTUM work group at the Institute of Physics of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in collaboration with theoretical physicists of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). Heat engines have played an important role in shaping society ever since the Industrial Revolution. As in the case of motor vehicle engines, they transform thermal energy into mechanical force, and our modern lifestyle would be impossible without them. At the same time, progress in miniaturization is resulting in the creation of ever smaller devices.

A team used a Paul trap to capture a single electrically charged calcium atom...