Category Physics

Left: In a single particle system, the behavior of the particle is well understood by solving the Schrödinger equation. Here the particle possesses wave nature characterized by the de Broglie wave length. Right: In a many particle system, on the other hand, the particles interact each other in a quantum mechanical way and behave as if they are “liquid”. This is called quantum liquid whose properties are very different from that of the single particle case. Credit: Image courtesy of Osaka University

Researchers, through precise measurement of current fluctuations in quantum liquids in an artificial atom created by nanotechnology, succeeded in elucidating theoretically-predicted behavior of quantum liquid in a non-equilibrium regime...

The sample was gently squeezed in a copper holder to insure a uniform alignment at low temperature. Credit: Image courtesy of RIKEN

By understanding how these materials superconduct at relatively high temperature, they can eventually learn enough to make materials that superconduct close to room temperature. It is known that superconductivity arises when pairs of electrons are “paired.” With traditional superconductors, this pairing arises due to vibrations of the ions in the structure...

Season after season, residents complain about the same ruts in pavements and potholes on the road, wishing they were repaired quickly. A startup engineer with a vision looks to 3D printing robots to save the day. Robert Flitsch is the inventor of the Addibot.

Season after season, residents complain about the same ruts in pavements and potholes on the road, wishing they were repaired quickly. A startup engineer with a vision looks to 3D printing robots to save the day. Robert Flitsch invented Addibot, a small, wheeled robot capable of taking 3D printing to sites to change the surface from problematic to smooth.

The company posted an “ice resurfacing Addibot” video earlier, using water to 3D-print ice...

Namib Desert beetle. Credit: © Rafael Ben-Ari / Fotolia

In a discovery that may lead to ways to prevent frost on airplane parts, condenser coils, and even windshields, a team of researchers led by Virginia Tech has used chemical micropatterns to control the growth of frost caused by condensation. They used photolithography to pattern chemical arrays that attract water over top of a surface that repels water, thereby controlling or preventing the spread of frost.

The inspiration for the work came from an unlikely source — the Namib Desert Beetle, which makes headlines because it lives in one of the hottest places in the world, yet it still collects airborne water...