Electron-photon small-talk could have big impact on quantum computing

30-Dec-2016 - In a step that brings silicon-based quantum computers closer to reality, researchers at Princeton University have built a device in which a single electron can pass its quantum information to a particle of light. The particle of light, or photon, can then act as a messenger to carry the ...

The hidden inferno inside your laser pointer

28-Dec-2016 - If you thought that a kid's room, a Norwegian Nobel Laureate and a laser pointer had nothing in common, two UA physicists are about to enlighten you. It's hard to believe, but after having unraveled many of the laws that make the universe tick, physicists still haven't reached an agreement on ...

Bright future for energy devices

27-Dec-2016 - A little sodium goes a long way. At least that's the case in carbon-based energy technology. Specifically, embedding sodium in carbon materials can tremendously improve electrodes. A research team led by Yun Hang Hu, the Charles and Carroll McArthur Professor of materials science and engineering ...

Scientists build bacteria-powered battery on single sheet of paper

23-Dec-2016 - Instead of ordering batteries by the pack, we might get them by the ream in the future. Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have created a bacteria-powered battery on a single sheet of paper that can power disposable electronics. The manufacturing technique reduces ...

Light powers new chemistry for old enzymes

23-Dec-2016 - Enzymes are nature's tools for catalyzing life's essential reactions. Though unrivaled in their efficiency and selectivity, enzymes only carry out a narrow range of natural reactions, limiting their usefulness in modern organic synthesis. Now, Princeton researchers report a method that expands ...

New approach captures the energy of slow motion

22-Dec-2016 - A new concept in energy harvesting could capture energy currently wasted due to its characteristic low frequency and use it to power next-generation electronic devices, according to a team of Penn State materials scientists and electrical engineers. The project, funded by Samsung, designed a ...

Novel technique helps ID elusive molecules

22-Dec-2016 - Among the most important molecules in the living world are sugars or carbohydrates, which play a vital role in life processes. Sugars provide the main source of fuel for the body, protect muscles from damage and contribute to the immune response. They also act as the brain's key metabolite (in ...

Lord of the Rings

Five-membered ring nitrogen compound synthesized

22-Dec-2016 - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists in collaboration with University of South Florida (link is external) theorists recently reported the synthesis and equation of state of a long sought-after five-ring nitrogen (N5) compound. The ring-structure compounds, known as ...

Fast track control accelerates switching of quantum bits

19-Dec-2016 - From laptops to cellphones, today's technology advances through the ever-increasing speed at which electric charges are directed through circuits. Similarly, speeding up control over quantum states in atomic and nanoscale systems could lead to leaps for the emerging field of quantum ...

The world’s tiniest radio

19-Dec-2016 - Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have made the world’s smallest radio receiver, built out of an assembly of atomic-scale defects in pink diamonds. This tiny radio, whose building blocks are the size of two atoms, can withstand ...