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The new technology has potential uses in consumer communication systems, laser devices, automotive technology, and more Schematic of the realized isolator, formed by two coupled nonlinear resonators connected through a delay line. Operation of modern-day technology requires an ever-increasing use of broadband frequency signals. This, in turn, has grown the demand for reliable, efficient methods of signal transmission that prevent interference and are more efficient in their use of the scarcely available frequency spectrum. These requirements are constrained, however, by reciprocity -- a law of physics that forces the transmission of light to be identical in opposite directions.

Intense laser experiments provide first evidence that light can stop electrons Illustration of the radiation reaction effect. Summary: By hitting electrons with an ultra-intense laser, researchers have revealed dynamics that go beyond 'classical' physics and hint at quantum effects. This radiation reaction -- demonstrated in the lab for the first time -- is thought to occur around objects such as black holes and quasars By hitting electrons with an ultra-intense laser, researchers have revealed dynamics that go beyond 'classical' physics and hint at quantum effects. Whenever light hits an object, some of the light scatters back from the surface of the object. However, if the object is moving extremely fast, and if the light is incredibly intense, strange things can happen. Electrons, for example, can be shaken so violently that they actually slow down because they radiate so much energy. Physicists call this process 'radiation reaction'.

Asymmetric photocurrent extraction in semitransparent laminated flexible organic solar cells In a semi-transparent solar cell module as shown in the photograph, electrodes with two variants of the polymer PEDOT:PSS (commonly used in organic electronics) are used, where one acts as the anode and the other is modified to become the cathode. What appear as stripes across the solar cell module are lines of either cathode-type or anode-type material. The active layer that absorbs light and produces electrons is located between these electrodes. The individual solar cells are connected in series in the module. Summary: The ability to use cheap materials and simple manufacturing methods are two huge advantages of printed organic solar cells. Scientists have now developed an even simpler method to manufacture solar cell modules. The ability to use cheap materials and simple manufacturing methods are two huge advantages of printed organic solar cells. Olle Inganäs, professor at L...

Summary: An international team has shown that the puzzling properties of samarium hexaboride do not stem from the material being a topological insulator, as it had been proposed to be. Theoretical and initial experimental work had previously indicated that this material, which becomes a Kondo insulator at very low temperatures, also possessed the properties of a topological insulator. The team has now published a compelling alternative explanation. Samarium hexaboride is a dark solid with metallic properties at room temperature. It hosts Samarium, an element having several electrons confined to localized f orbitals in which they interact strongly with one another. The lower the temperature, the more apparent these interactions become. SmB6 becomes what is known as a Kondo insulator, named after Jun Kondo who was first able to explain this quantum effect.

Phase-chance switch can now be performed at higher temperatures This is a vanadium dioxide chip developed at EPFL's NANOLAB. Summary: Vanadium dioxide's unique properties make it perfect for outperforming silicon and giving rise to a new generation of low-power electronic devices. Engineers have shown how this compound can be used to create programmable radiofrequency electronic functions for aerospace communication systems. Other applications -- such as in neuromorphic computing and artificial intelligence -- are also on the cards. First came the switch. Then the transistor. Now another innovation stands to revolutionize the way we control the flow of electrons through a circuit: vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ). A key characteristic of this compound is that it behaves as an insulator at room temperature but as a conductor at temperatures above 68°C. This behavior -- also known as metal-insulator transition -- is being studied in an ambitious EU Horizon 2020 project...

Materials science and engineering postdoctoral researcher Hyungwoo Lee looks inside a thin film deposition system during oxide thin film structure growth Summary: Scientists have provided evidence of a hole gas coexisting with two-dimensional electron gas. They designed an ultrathin material, known as a thin film structure, specifically for this research. Lennon and McCartney. Abbott and Costello. Peanut butter and jelly. Think of one half of any famous duo, and the other half likely comes to mind. Not only do they complement each other, but together they work better.

Measuring the temperature of two-dimensional materials at the atomic level Summary: Researchers describe a new technique for precisely measuring the temperature and behavior of new two-dimensional materials that will allow engineers to design smaller and faster microprocessors. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago describe a new technique for precisely measuring the temperature and behavior of new two-dimensional materials that will allow engineers to design smaller and faster microprocessors. Their findings are reported in the journal  Physical Review Letters . Newly developed two-dimensional materials, such as graphene -- which consists of a single layer of carbon atoms -- have the potential to replace traditional microprocessing chips based on silicon, which have reached the limit of how small they can get. But engineers have been stymied by the inability to measure how temperature will affect these new materials, collectively known as transition metal ...

New material creates fuel cell catalysts at a hundredth of the cost Engineered carbon fibers embedded with active nanoparticles (top) can be fabricated into structural materials that are lightweight and flexible (bottom). Summary: Researchers now describe the development of an inexpensive, efficient catalyst material for a type of fuel cell called a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, which turns the chemical energy of hydrogen into electricity and is among the most promising fuel cell types to power cars and electronics. Fuel cells have the potential to be a clean and efficient way to run cars, computers, and power stations, but the cost of producing them is limiting their use. That's because a key component of the most common fuel cells is a catalyst made from the precious metal platinum. In a paper published today in  Small , researchers at the University of California, Riverside, describe the development of an inexpensive, efficient catalyst material for a...

Researchers observe electrons zipping around in crystals Calley Eads, a fifth-year doctoral student in the UA's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, aligns a laser system used to track electrons on time-scales at the limits of what can be measured. In her research, she investigates materials that could one day bring faster computing and more efficient solar cells. Summary: For the first time, scientists have tracked electrons moving through exotic materials that may make up the next generation of computing hardware, revealing intriguing properties not found in conventional, silicon-based semiconductors The end of the silicon age has begun. As computer chips approach the physical limits of miniaturization and power-hungry processors drive up energy costs, scientists are looking to a new crop of exotic materials that could foster a new generation of computing devices that promise to push performance to new heights while skimping on energy consumption. Unlike cu...

Scientists discover 'chiral phonons' -- atomic rotations in a 2-D semiconductor crystal Experiments confirm the first chiral phonon that could enable exotic forms of electronics This diagram maps out atomic motion in separate phonon modes. At left ("LO" represents a longitudinal optical mode), selenium atoms exhibit a clockwise rotation while tungsten atoms stand still. At right ("LA" represents a longitudinal acoustic mode), tungsten atoms exhibit a clockwise rotation while selenium atoms rotate in a counterclockwise direction. Summary: A research team has found the first evidence that a shaking motion in the structure of an atomically thin material possesses a naturally occurring circular rotation that could become the building block for a new form of information technology and molecular-scale machines. A research team from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has found the first evidence th...

Discoveries will help realize the promise of faster, energy-efficient spintronic computers and ultra-high-capacity data storage Summary: Engineers have reported advances in so-called 'spintronic' devices that will help lead to a new technology for computing and data storage. They have developed methods to detect signals from spintronic components made of low-cost metals and silicon, which overcomes a major barrier to wide application of spintronics. UCR researchers have developed methods to detect signals from spintronic components made of low-cost metals and silicon. Engineers at the University of California, Riverside, have reported advances in so-called "spintronic" devices that will help lead to a new technology for computing and data storage. They have developed methods to detect signals from spintronic components made of low-cost metals and silicon, which overcomes a major barrier to wide application of spintronics. Previously such devices depen...

Microtubules (MT) interact with each other through DNA molecules while moving around on the kinesin motors. A team of researchers from Hokkaido University and Kansai University has developed DNA-assisted molecular robots that autonomously swarm in response to chemical and physical signals, paving the way for developing future nano-machines. The world's smallest "swarm robot" measures 25 nanometers in diameter and 5 micrometers in length, and exhibits swarming behavior resembling motile organisms such as fish, ants and birds. "Swarm robots are one of the most elusive subjects in robotics," says Akira Kakugo of the research team at Hokkaido University. "Fish schools, ant colonies and bird flocks show fascinating features that cannot be achieved by individuals acting alone. These include the formation of complex structures, distinct divisions of labor, robustness and flexibility, all of which emerge through local interactions among the individuals ...

Scientists teach machines to analyze simulations of exotic subatomic 'soup' The colored lines represent calculated particle tracks from particle collisions occurring within Brookhaven National Laboratory's STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, and an illustration of a digital brain. The yellow-red glow at center shows a hydrodynamic simulation of quark-gluon plasma created in particle collisions. Summary: Physicists have demonstrated that computers are ready to tackle the universe's greatest mysteries -- they used neural networks to perform a deep dive into data simulating the subatomic particle soup that may have existed just microseconds after the big bang. Computers can beat chess champions, simulate star explosions, and forecast global climate. We are even teaching them to be infallible problem-solvers and fast learners.

Engineers develop flexible, water-repellent graphene circuits for washable electronics Jonathan Claussen and his research group are printing and processing graphene ink to make functional materials. Summary: Nanoengineers are finding new ways to use graphene printing technology. A new research paper describes how they're treating printed graphene with lasers to create electronic circuits that repel water. That could lead to washable electronics and better biological sensors. New graphene printing technology can produce electronic circuits that are low-cost, flexible, highly conductive and water repellent. The nanotechnology "would lend enormous value to self-cleaning wearable/washable electronics that are resistant to stains, or ice and biofilm formation," according to a recent paper describing the discovery. "We're taking low-cost, inkjet-printed graphene and tuning it with a laser to make functional materials," said Jonathan Claussen, a...

Summary: Researchers have found a way to convert the spin information into a predictable light signal at room temperature. The discovery brings the worlds of spintronics and nanophotonics closer together and might lead to the development of an energy-efficient way of processing data, in data centers, for example. Spintronics in materials of just a few atoms thick is an emerging field in which the 'spin' of electrons is used to process data, rather than the charge. Unfortunately, the spin only lasts for a very short time, making it (as yet) difficult to exploit in electronics. Researchers from the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at TU Delft, working with the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research's AMOLF institute, have now found a way to convert the spin information into a predictable light signal at room temperature. The discovery brings the worlds of spintronics and nanophotonics closer together and might lead to the development of an energy-efficient way of ...

The supercapacitor functions well even when stretched. Summary: Scientists have created a customizable, fabric-like power source that can be cut, folded or stretched without losing its function. Being highly stretchable, these flexible power sources are promising next-generation 'fabric'    energy storage devices that could be integrated into wearable electronics. Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have created a customizable, fabric-like power source that can be cut, folded or stretched without losing its function. Led by Professor Chen Xiaodong, Associate Chair (Faculty) at the School of Materials Science & Engineering, the team reported in the journal  Advanced Materials  (print edition 8 January) how they have created the wearable power source, a supercapacitor, which works like a fast-charging battery and can be recharged many times.

New experiments demonstrate the potential for diamond as a material for spintronics Diamond plates undergoing surface termination treatment in a hydrogen plasma Summary: Recently, researchers have been exploring the potential for a new technology, called spintronics, that relies on detecting and controlling a particle's spin. This technology could lead to new types of more efficient and powerful devices. Researchers have now measured how strongly a charge carrier's spin interacts with a magnetic field in diamond. This crucial property shows diamond as a promising material for spintronic devices. Conventional electronics rely on controlling electric charge. Recently, researchers have been exploring the potential for a new technology, called spintronics, that relies on detecting and controlling a particle's spin. This technology could lead to new types of more efficient and powerful devices.

Retrospective test for quantum computers can build trust Improved scheme for checking quantum computations can safeguard both customers and companies This cartoon illustrates how a quantum computation performed over the cloud could be verified after completion with the help of a network of quantum computers. Researchers in Singapore and Japan have published in Physical Revi Tech companies are racing to make quantum computers available to customers. A new scheme from researchers in Singapore and Japan could help customers establish trust in what they get if they buy time on such machines -- and protect companies from dishonest customers.

Crystal structure of Mn2Au with antiferromagnetically ordered magnetic moments Summary: Within the emerging field of spin-based electronics, or spintronics, information is typically defined by the orientation of the magnetization of ferromagnets. Researchers have recently been also interested in the utilization of antiferromagnets, which are materials without macroscopic magnetization but with a staggered orientation of their microscopic magnetic moments.

Highly efficient organic solar cells based on amorphous electronic materials with potential for easy printing Summary: Researchers in Japan have built on their previous work to develop new advanced organic polymer. When applied in the solar cells, the polymers formed as amorphous films, which maintained high power conversion efficiency. Typical solar cells require special treatments to make the polymer films crystalline. These new devices could offer a way toward simpler and more cost-effective printing of solar cells. Humankind is in the midst of a massive drive to harness solar energy to power our homes, gadgets, and industry. Plastic solar cells, based on blends of conducting organic polymers, are of interest for making lightweight and cheap solar cells. The problem with these kinds of solar cells is that their solar power efficiencies are very closely related to the way the different types of materials mix and crystalize in thin films. This means complex and careful proces...