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    Category Technology/Electronics

    Skyrmions, found in Magnetic Systems, now show to also exist in Ferroelectrics

    December 1, 2015, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Schematic representation of the structure and dipolar configuration of the vortex state.

    Schematic representation of the structure and dipolar configuration of the vortex state. The structure consists of a cylindrical BaTiO3 (BTO) nanowire with a radius R of 2.7 nm (seven lattice constant units) embedded in a SrTiO3 (STO) matrix with lateral sides along the [100] and [010] directions of nx=ny=36 lattice constant units, and a length nz=6 along the [001] pseudocubic direction. (b) Cross-sectional dipolar configuration of the (Vxy|FEz) state characterized by a vortex pattern in the z-planes co-occurring with an electrical polarization along the [001] direction.

    Skyrmions are non-coplanar swirling field textures. Ferroelectrics convert changes in mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa...

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    Graphene and Metal Nitrides improve Performance and Stability of Energy Storage Devices

    November 30, 2015, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Illustration of the asymmetric supercapacitor, consisting of vertically aligned graphene nanosheets coated with iron nitride and titanium nitride as the anode and cathode, respectively. Credit: © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

    Illustration of the asymmetric supercapacitor, consisting of vertically aligned graphene nanosheets coated with iron nitride and titanium nitride as the anode and cathode, respectively. Credit: © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

    Supercapacitors can be charged and discharged tens of thousands of times, but their low energy density compared to conventional batteries limits their application for energy storage. Now, A*STAR researchers in Singapore have developed an ‘asymmetric’ supercapacitor based on metal nitrides and graphene that could be a viable energy storage solution.

    A supercapacitor’s viability is largely determined by materials its anodes and cathodes are comprised...

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    Promising New Prototype of Battery

    November 30, 2015, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Assembling a cell to test sodium-ion (Na-ion), battery materials in a glove box. Credit: ©Cyril FRESILLON/CSE/CNRS Photothèque

    Assembling a cell to test sodium-ion (Na-ion), battery materials in a glove box. Credit: ©Cyril FRESILLON/CSE/CNRS Photothèque

    An alternative technology to Li-ion has been designed for application in specific sectors. The researchers have developed the first battery using sodium ions in the usual “18650” format, an industry standard. The main advantage of the prototype is that it relies on sodium, an element far more abundant and less costly than lithium. The batteries have displayed performance levels comparable to their lithium counterparts, and this new technology is already attracting industrial interest. It could be used to store renewable energies in the future, say researchers.

    The 1st step was to find the ideal “recipe” for the cathode of the battery...

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    Using Lights for Communications? Haas, pureLiFi, see brighter future

    November 29, 2015, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Visible Light Communications

    How does visible light communications (VLC) work? Credit: pureLiFi

    Will solar-powered wireless communication benefit millions in the years to come? That is the hope of enthusiasts seeing a future in Li-Fi, wireless technology which is wireless—only not as we know it. Li-Fi, coined by University of Edinburgh’s Professor Harald Haas, is a wireless technology which refers to visible light communications (VLC) technology delivering a high-speed, bidirectional networked, mobile communications in a similar manner as Wi-Fi.

    How does visible light communications (VLC) work? Credit: pureLiFi

    How does visible light communications (VLC) work? Credit: pureLiFi

    Li-Fi technology can be integrated with solar cells to receive data. Solar panels on houses or smart watches can absorb power and receive data at the same time...

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