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Category: computing – Page 32

Laying the groundwork for quantum communication systems of the future, engineers at Caltech have demonstrated the successful operation of a quantum network of two nodes, each containing multiple quantum bits, or qubits—the fundamental information-storing building blocks of quantum computers.

To achieve this, the researchers developed a new protocol for distributing in a parallel manner, effectively creating multiple channels for sending data, or multiplexing. The work was accomplished by embedding ytterbium atoms inside crystals and coupling them to optical cavities—nanoscale structures that capture and guide light. This platform has unique properties that make it ideal for using multiple qubits to transmit quantum information-carrying photons in parallel.

“This is the first-ever demonstration of entanglement multiplexing in a quantum network of individual spin qubits,” says Andrei Faraon (BS ‘04), the William L. Valentine Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering at Caltech. “This method significantly boosts quantum communication rates between nodes, representing a major leap in the field.”

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Researchers have developed a new type of photochromic glass that can store and rewrite data indefinitely.

By embedding magnesium and terbium, they’ve created a material that changes colors under different wavelengths of light, allowing for high-density, long-term storage without power. This breakthrough could revolutionize data preservation.

Exploring the potential of glass for data storage.

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A team led by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill have made an extraordinary discovery that is reshaping our understanding of bubbles and their movement. Picture tiny air bubbles inside a container filled with liquid. When the container is shaken up and down, these bubbles engage in an unexpected, rhythmic “galloping” motion—bouncing like playful horses and moving horizontally, even though the shaking occurs vertically.

This counterintuitive phenomenon, revealed in a new study published in Nature, has significant implications for technology, from cleaning surfaces to improving in microchips and even advancing .

These galloping bubbles are already garnering significant attention: their impact in the field of fluid dynamics has been recognized with an award for their video entry at the most recent Gallery of Fluid Motion, organized by the American Physical Society.

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From integrated photonics to quantum information science, the ability to control light with electric fields—a phenomenon known as the electro-optic effect—supports vital applications such as light modulation and frequency transduction. These components rely on nonlinear optical materials, in which light waves can be manipulated by applying electric fields.

Conventional nonlinear optical materials such as lithium niobate have a large electro-optic response but are hard to integrate with silicon devices. In the search for silicon-compatible materials, aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN), which had already been flagged as an excellent piezoelectric—referring to a material’s ability to generate electricity when pressure is applied, or to deform when an electric field is applied—has come to the fore. However, better control of its properties and means to enhance its electro-optic coefficients are still required.

Researchers in Chris Van de Walle’s computational materials group at UC Santa Barbara have now uncovered ways to achieve these goals. Their study, published in Applied Physics Letters, explains how adjusting the material’s atomic structure and composition can boost its performance. Strong electro-optic response requires a large concentration of scandium—but the specific arrangement of the scandium atoms within the AlN crystal lattice matters.

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Scientists at Penn State have harnessed a unique property called incipient ferroelectricity to create a new type of computer memory that could revolutionize how electronic devices work, such as using much less energy and operating in extreme environments like outer space.

They published their work, which focuses on multifunctional two-dimensional field-effect transistors (FETs), in Nature Communications. FETs are advanced electronic devices that use ultra-thin layers of materials to control , offering multiple functions like switching, sensing or memory in a compact form.

They are ferroelectric-like, meaning the direction of their electric conduction can be reversed when an external electric field is applied to the system. FETs are essential in computing, since the ferroelectric-like property allows them to shift signals.

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Silicon is the best-known semiconductor material. However, controlled nanostructuring drastically alters the material’s properties. Using a specially developed etching apparatus, a team at HZB has now produced mesoporous silicon layers with countless tiny pores and investigated their electrical and thermal conductivity.

For the first time, the researchers elucidated the electronic transport mechanism in this mesoporous silicon. The material has great potential for applications and could also be used to thermally insulate qubits for quantum computers. The work is published in Small Structures.

Mesoporous silicon is with disordered nanometer-sized pores. The material has a huge internal surface area and is also biocompatible. This opens up a wide range of potential applications, from biosensors to battery anodes and capacitors. In addition, the material’s exceptionally low thermal conductivity suggests applications as thermal insulator.

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Researchers have developed a battery that can convert nuclear energy into electricity via light emission, a new study suggests.

Nuclear power plants, which generate about 20% of all electricity produced in the United States, produce almost no greenhouse gas emissions. However, these systems do create , which can be dangerous to human health and the environment. Safely disposing of this waste can be challenging.

Using a combination of scintillator crystals, high-density materials that emit light when they absorb radiation, and , the team, led by researchers from The Ohio State University, demonstrated that ambient gamma radiation could be harvested to produce a strong enough electric output to power microelectronics, like microchips.

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Using an approach called DNA origami, scientists at Caltech have developed a technique that could lead to cheaper, reusable biomarker sensors for quickly detecting proteins in bodily fluids, eliminating the need to send samples out to lab centers for testing.

“Our work provides a proof-of-concept showing a path to a single-step method that could be used to identify and measure and proteins,” says Paul Rothemund (BS ‘94), a visiting associate at Caltech in computing and mathematical sciences, and computation and neural systems.

A paper describing the work recently appeared in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The lead authors of the paper are former Caltech postdoctoral scholar Byoung-jin Jeon and current graduate student Matteo M. Guareschi, who completed the work in Rothemund’s lab.

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