Category Technology/Electronics

Afsaneh Rabiei examines a sample of metal foam. A new study by Rabiei finds that novel light-weight composite metal foams are significantly more effective at insulating against high heat than the conventional base metals and alloys that they’re made of, such as steel. The finding means the CMF is especially promising for use in storing and transporting nuclear material, hazardous materials, explosives and other heat-sensitive materials, as well as for space exploration. Credit: North Carolina State University

Novel light-weight composite metal foams are more effective at insulating against high heat than the conventional base metals and alloys that they’re made of, such as steel...

Sandia National Laboratories researcher Todd Monson and his colleagues have demonstrated the fabrication of iron nitride transformers in power-conversion test beds. Credit: Photo by Randy Montoya

Iron nitride Transformers could boost energy storage options. A Sandia-led team has developed a way to make a magnetic material that could lead to lighter and smaller, cheaper and better-performing high-frequency transformers, needed for more flexible energy storage systems and widespread adoption of renewable energy. Transportable energy storage and power conversion systems, which can fit inside a single semi-trailer, could make it cost effective to rapidly install solar, wind and geothermal energy systems in even the most remote locations.

“Such modular systems could be deployed quickly to multi...

Duke scientists have discovered a new class of inexpensive and long-lived molecular tags that enhance MRI signals by 10,000-fold. To activate the tags, the researchers mix them with a newly developed catalyst (center) and a special form of hydrogen (gray), converting them into long-lived magnetic resonance ‘lightbulbs’ that might be used to track disease metabolism in real time. Credit: Thomas Theis, Duke University

Discovery could enable cheaper, more versatile bioimaging. Duke University researchers have taken a major step towards realizing a new form of MRI that could record biochemical reactions in the body as they happen. A new class of molecular tags enhance MRI signals by 10,000-fold and generate detectable signals that last over an hour...

An artist’s rendering of the quantum Fredkin (controlled-SWAP) gate, powered by entanglement, operating on photonic qubits. Credit: Raj Patel and Geoff Pryde, Center for Quantum Dynamics, Griffith University.

The quantum circuit Fredkin gate has been experimentally realised for the first time. “Similar to building a huge wall out lots of small bricks, large quantum circuits require very many logic gates to function. However, if larger bricks are used the same wall could be built with far fewer bricks,” said Dr Patel. “We demonstrate in our experiment how one can build larger quantum circuits in a more direct way without using small logic gates.”

At present, even small and medium scale quantum computer circuits cannot be produced because of the requirement to integrate so many of these gate...