Category Technology/Electronics

The Jena research team and its innovative battery (from left to right) are: Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert, Tobias Janoschka und Dr. Martin Hager. Credit: Anne Guenther/FSU

It is simple to handle, safe and economical at the same time. The new redox-flow battery can withstand up to 10,000 charging cycles without losing a crucial amount of capacity. Jena (Germany) Sun and wind are important sources of renewable energy, but they suffer from natural fluctuations: In stormy weather or bright sunshine electricity produced exceeds demand, whereas clouds or a lull in the wind inevitably cause a power shortage. For continuity in electricity supply and stable power grids, energy storage devices will become essential...

Artistic Impression of the Entanglement of electrons

>> Refutes Einstein’s ‘God does not play dice’ with quantum ‘dice’ ie it gives the strongest refutation to date of his principle of ‘local realism,’ which says that the universe obeys laws, not chance, and that there is no communication faster than light. As described in Hanson’s group web the Delft experiment first “entangled” 2 electrons trapped inside 2 different diamond crystals, and then measured the electrons’ orientations. In quantum theory entanglement is powerful and mysterious: mathematically the 2 electrons are described by a single “wave-function” that only specifies whether they agree or disagree, not which direction either spin points. In a mathematical sense, they lose their identities...

Professor Matthew Sullivan levitates a DeLorean figurine using superconductors. Credit: Image courtesy of Ithaca College

The levitating technology Marty McFly encountered in his jaunt through Oct. 21, 2015 during the 1989 film “Back to the Future II” isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem, thanks to superconductivity. “We’re probably closer to being able to create a transportation system that’s levitating than we are to creating personal automobiles that can both fly and drive,” said A/Prof Matthew C. Sullivan

When properly cooled, a superconductor will resist magnetic attraction and actually float above a magnet...

Electrodeposited TO films on a variety of surface geometries and steel grades

The surface coating, made from rough nanoporous tungsten oxide, is the most durable anti-fouling and anti-corrosive material to date, capable of repelling any kind of liquid even after sustaining intense structural abuse.

Aizenberg’s team developed Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces in 2011 and has demonstrated a broad range of applications for the super-slick coating, SLIPS. “Our slippery steel is orders of magnitude more durable than any anti-fouling material that has been developed before,” said Aizenberg. “So far, these 2 concepts – mechanical durability and anti-fouling – were at odds with each other...