Category Physics

Holographic 3D Printing has the potential to Revolutionize Multiple Industries

Holographic 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize multiple industries, says researchers
HDSP concept and printed objects. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50923-8

A pioneering technique shows how sound can be used to create entire objects quickly and at once. Researchers at Concordia have developed a novel method of 3D printing that uses acoustic holograms. And they say it’s quicker than existing methods and capable of making more complex objects.

The process, called holographic direct sound printing (HDSP), is described in a recent article in the journal Nature Communications. It builds on a method introduced in 2022 that described how sonochemical reactions in microscopic cavitations regions — tiny bubbles — create extremely high temperatures and pressure for trillionths of a second to harden resin into complex patterns.

Now, by embe...

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Logic with Light: Introducing Diffraction Casting, Optical-based Parallel Computing

Dark background with pale 3D diagrams hovering in front showing multiple square layers with slightly different cutout shapes on them.
Diffraction casting. An overview of the proposed system showing an input image layer placed amongst other layers which combine in different ways to perform logical operations when light is passed through the stack. ©2024 Mashiko et al. CC-BY-ND

Increasingly complex applications such as artificial intelligence require ever more powerful and power-hungry computers to run. Optical computing is a proposed solution to increase speed and power efficiency but has yet to be realized due to constraints and drawbacks. A new design architecture, called diffraction casting, seeks to address these shortcomings. It introduces some concepts to the field of optical computing that might make it more appealing for implementation in next-generation computing devices.

Whether it’s the smartphone in y...

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New Design Overcomes Key Barrier to Safer, More Efficient EV Batteries

New design overcomes key barrier to safer, more efficient EV batteries
Credit: Cell Reports Physical Science (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102213

Researchers at McGill University have made a significant advance in the development of all-solid-state lithium batteries, which are being pursued as the next step in electric vehicle (EV) battery technology.

By addressing a long-standing issue with battery performance, this innovation could pave the way for safer, longer-lasting EVs. The findings are published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.

The challenge lies in the resistance that occurs where the ceramic electrolyte meets the electrodes. This makes the battery less efficient and reduces how much energy it can deliver...

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New Security Protocol Shields Data from Attackers during Cloud-Based Computation

Light securing a data pathway between a computer and a cloud-based computing platform
Caption: MIT researchers have developed a security protocol that leverages the quantum properties of light to guarantee that data sent to and from a cloud server remain secure during deep learning computations.
Credit: Christine Daniloff, MIT; iStock

The technique leverages quantum properties of light to guarantee security while preserving the accuracy of a deep-learning model. Researchers developed a technique guaranteeing that data remain secure during multiparty, cloud-based computation. This method, which leverages the quantum properties of light, could enable organizations like hospitals or financial companies to use deep learning to securely analyze confidential patient or customer data.

Deep-learning models are being used in many fields, from health care diagnostics to financi...

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