Category Technology/Electronics

A Decentralized, Blockchain-based Messaging Network for Safer Communications

A decentralized, blockchain-based messaging network for safer communications
Credit: Shuhan et al

Data and security breaches are becoming increasingly common, highlighting the vulnerabilities of existing messaging and communications platforms. Devising computational tools and systems that better protect sensitive data against malicious attacks is therefore of utmost importance.

With this in mind, researchers at bKash Limited, Syracuse University and other institutes worldwide recently developed Quarks, a new, decentralized messaging network based on blockchain technology...

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Researchers develop Arrays of Tiny Crystals that deliver Efficient Wireless Energy

Photo-actuators via epitaxial growth of microcrystal arrays ...
DAE in biaxially aligned microcrystal composites.

Imagine a person on the ground guiding an airborne drone that harnesses its energy from a laser beam, eliminating the need for carrying a bulky onboard battery.

That is the vision of a group of University of Colorado at Boulder scientists from the Hayward Research Group.

In a new study, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering researchers have developed a novel and resilient photomechanical material that can transform light energy into mechanical work without heat or electricity, offering innovative possibilities for energy-efficient, wireless and remotely controlled systems. Its wide-ranging potential spans across diverse industries, including robotics, aerospace and biomedical devices.

“We cut out the middle man,...

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Scientists Trap Light inside a Magnet

Vinod_Florian magneto-optical research
Light trapped inside a magnetic crystal can strongly enhance its magneto-optical interactions. Image created by Rezlind Bushati.

A new study led by Vinod M. Menon and his group at the City College of New York shows that trapping light inside magnetic materials may dramatically enhance their intrinsic properties. Strong optical responses of magnets are important for the development of magnetic lasers and magneto-optical memory devices, as well as for emerging quantum transduction applications.

In their new article in Nature, Menon and his team report the properties of a layered magnet that hosts strongly bound excitons — quasiparticles with particularly strong optical interactions. Because of that, the material is capable of trapping light — all by itself...

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Researchers fabricate Phase-Heterojunction All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells with an Efficiency Above 21.5%

Phase-heterojunction all-inorganic perovskite solar cells with an efficiency above 21.5%
Schematic representation of fabrication of phase-heterojunction perovskite solar cells. Credit: Mali et al.

Solar technologies have become increasingly advanced over the years, with the discovery of new photovoltaic materials and designs. While solar cells based on a mixture of organic and inorganic halide perovskite materials have been the topic of numerous research studies and achieved promising performances, these cells are often difficult to fabricate on a large-scale.

Researchers at Chonnam University in South Korea recently introduced an alternative solar cell design fully based on inorganic perovskites. Their solar cells, introduced in Nature Energy, could be easier to fabricate on a large-scale, while nonetheless achieving promising power conversion efficiencies (PCEs).

“...

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