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    Researchers Unlock Light-Matter Interactions on Subnanometer Scales, Leading to ‘Picophotonics’

    November 18, 2022, Categories  Physics

    picophotonics in the 3D lattice of silicon atoms
    The figure above demonstrates picophotonics in the 3D lattice of silicon atoms. The red wave represents the conventional electromagnetic wave propagating in the solid. The blue inner wave represents the new predicted picophotonic wave.  Graphic provided by Dr. Zubin Jacob.

    Researchers at Purdue University have discovered new waves with picometer-scale spatial variations of electromagnetic fields that can propagate in semiconductors like silicon. The research team, led by Dr. Zubin Jacob, Elmore Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, published their findings in Physical Review Applied in a paper titled “Picophotonics: Anomalous Atomistic Waves in Silicon.”

    “The word microscopic has its origins in the length scale of a micro...

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    NASA’s Webb catches Fiery Hourglass as New Star Forms

    November 17, 2022, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    The protostar within the dark cloud L1527, shown in this image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), is embedded within a cloud of material feeding its growth. Ejections from the star have cleared out cavities above and below it, whose boundaries glow orange and blue in this infrared view. The upper central region displays bubble-like shapes due to stellar “burps,” or sporadic ejections.
    Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI. Image processing: J. DePasquale, A. Pagan, and A. Koekemoer (STScI)

    NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed the once-hidden features of the protostar within the dark cloud L1527, providing insight into the beginnings of a new star...

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    Gossypetin found in Hibiscus may Beat Alzheimer’s disease

    November 17, 2022, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    A Cup of ruby red hibiscus tea not only warms the body in winter but also is known to boost the immune system, control blood pressure, and reduce body weight. And here is yet another reason to enjoy this tea – It may defeat Alzheimer’s disease.

    Professor Kyong-Tai Kim and PhD candidate Kyung Won Jo (Department of Life Sciences) at POSTECH has verified that the gossypetin found in hibiscus activates microglia, the resident immune cell in the brain. The research team also demonstrated that microglia scavenge amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain to ameliorate cognitive impairments brought on by Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

    AD begins as Aβ and Tau protein aggregates form deposits in the brain tissue. Microglia internalize such aggregates (phagocytosis) to protect the brain...

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    An On-Chip Time-Lens Generates Ultrafast Pulses

    November 17, 2022, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    illustration of time lens
    A time lens transforms a continuous-wave, single-color laser beam into a high-performance, on-chip femtosecond pulse source. (Credit: Second Bay Studios/Harvard SEAS)

    Femtosecond pulsed lasers—which emit light in ultrafast bursts lasting a millionth of a billionth of a second—are powerful tools used in a range of applications from medicine and manufacturing, to sensing and precision measurements of space and time. Today, these lasers are typically expensive table-top systems, which limits their use in applications that have size and power consumption restrictions.

    An on-chip femtosecond pulse source would unlock new applications in quantum and optical computing, astronomy, optical communications and beyond...

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