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    Mix and Match Lasers

    December 11, 2016, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    A microlaser comprised of a cylinder of indium gallium arsenide phosphide (red) on silicon (blue) could enable integrated optical circuits. Credit: © 2016 A*STAR Data Storage Institute

    A microlaser comprised of a cylinder of indium gallium arsenide phosphide (red) on silicon (blue) could enable integrated optical circuits. Credit: © 2016 A*STAR Data Storage Institute

    Combining silicon with a light-producing semiconductor may help develop micrometer-scale lasers, shows Doris Keh-Ting Ng and her colleagues from A*STAR Data Storage Institute. Silicon has revolutionized the manufacture of electrical devices. Electronic engineers would like to further expand the functionality of these integrated circuits by enabling them to create, manipulate and detect light. These optoelectronic devices could speed up processing of digital information, and lead to micrometer-scale lasers, for use in barcode scanners for example.

    The problem, however, is that silicon is not an efficient lig...

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    Physicist discovers New 2D Material that could Upstage Graphene, advancing digital technology

    February 29, 2016, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    The atoms in the new structure are arranged in a hexagonal pattern as in graphene, but that is where the similarity ends. The three elements forming the new material all have different sizes; the bonds connecting the atoms are also different. As a result, the sides of the hexagons formed by these atoms are unequal, unlike in graphene. Credit: Madhu Menon

    The atoms in the new structure are arranged in a hexagonal pattern as in graphene, but that is where the similarity ends. The three elements forming the new material all have different sizes; the bonds connecting the atoms are also different. As a result, the sides of the hexagons formed by these atoms are unequal, unlike in graphene. Credit: Madhu Menon

    Truly flat and extremely stable, the material is made up of light, inexpensive and earth abundant elements. The new material is made up of silicon, boron and nitrogen. “We used simulations to see if the bonds would break or disintegrate – it didn’t happen,” said Madhu Menon,UK Center for Computational Sciences. “We heated the material up to 1,000 degree Celsius and it still didn’t break.”

    While graphene is touted as being the world’s stron...

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    What kinds of Stars form Rocky Planets?

    December 4, 2015, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    This figure from the paper shows the abundance of different elements in stars versus their abundances of iron. In each square, you can see a plot of the abundance of one element (represented by [x/Fe]) against the abundance of iron (represented by [Fe/H]). Each red dot, black square, or blue X represents a star. The red dots are the small planet-hosting stars studied in this new work. You can see how they do not stand out from the rest of the stars, which were studied in other publications, some of which host planets and some of which have no known planets. The green dashed lines show these values for our Sun. Credit: From the team's paper

    This figure from the paper shows the abundance of different elements in stars versus their abundances of iron. In each square, you can see a plot of the abundance of one element (represented by [x/Fe]) against the abundance of iron (represented by [Fe/H]). Each red dot, black square, or blue X represents a star. The red dots are the small planet-hosting stars studied in this new work. You can see how they do not stand out from the rest of the stars, which were studied in other publications, some of which host planets and some of which have no known planets. The green dashed lines show these values for our Sun. Credit: From the team’s paper

    When a star is young, it is surrounded by a rotating disk of gas and dust, from which its planets form...

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    New way to control Light from Phosphorescent emitters at very high speeds

    October 23, 2015, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Phosphors are efficient light emitters but they're not optimal for high-speed communications because they turn on and off slowly. Researchers from Brown and Harvard have now found a way to modulate light from phosphor emitters three orders of magnitude faster using phase-change materials (VO2, in this case), which could make phosphors useful in a range of new optoelectronic applications. Credit: Zia Lab / Brown University

    Phosphors are efficient light emitters but they’re not optimal for high-speed communications because they turn on and off slowly. Researchers from Brown and Harvard have now found a way to modulate light from phosphor emitters three orders of magnitude faster using phase-change materials (VO2, in this case), which could make phosphors useful in a range of new optoelectronic applications. Credit: Zia Lab / Brown University

    The technique provides a new approach to modulation useful in silicon-based nanoscale devices, including computer chips and other optoelectronic components.

    Phosphors are efficient light emitters (eg light bulbs, LEDs) but they’re not optimal for high-speed communications because they turn on and off slowly...

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