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Category: energy – Page 6

On-demand electronic switching of topology achieved in a single crystal

University of British Columbia (UBC) scientists have demonstrated a reversible way to switch the topological state of a quantum material using mechanisms compatible with modern electronic devices. Published in Nature Materials, the study offers a new route toward more energy efficient electronics based on topologically protected currents rather than conventional charge flow.

“Conventional electronics involve currents of electrons that waste energy and generate heat due to electrical resistance. Topological currents are protected by symmetry, and so they are promising for new types of electronics with significantly less dissipation,” said Dr. Meigan Aronson, an investigator with UBC’s Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

“Our research uncovers a specific mechanism where the addition or subtraction of electrical charge can drive a reversible topological transition in the crystal, switching it from a metal that can conduct charge to an insulator that can’t. This is a key step towards the implementation of a new type of low-dissipation electronics based on symmetry and topology, and not simply on charge.”

New graphene breakthrough supercharges energy storage

Engineers have achieved a significant advance in the international effort to create energy storage technologies that combine rapid charging with strong power output, paving the way for next-generation systems in electric transportation, grid support and everyday electronics.

According to findings published in Nature Communications, the researchers have developed a new carbon-based material that enables supercapacitors to hold energy levels comparable to traditional lead-acid batteries while releasing that energy far more quickly than conventional battery designs.

Scientists Detect “Switchback” Phenomenon In Earth’s Magnetosphere For The First Time

The study was led by Emily McDougall, an astrophysicist who conducted the work while at the University of New Hampshire. McDougall’s research focuses on a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection, in which nearby magnetic fields—like those of the Earth and the Sun—interact and release huge amounts of energy. These energy releases, far from our planet, kickstart processes that produce phenomena here on Earth, such as dramatic auroras.

Switchbacks are kink-shaped plasma structures that form out of reconnection events. Switchbacks have been previously found near the Sun, by missions like the Parker Solar Probe, but not near Earth.

Quasi-periodic oscillations detected in unusual multi-trigger gamma-ray burst

A new study led by the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has detected quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) signals in an unusual gamma-ray burst (GRB) event. The findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal.

GRBs are short-timescale, highly energetic explosive phenomena typically associated with the collapse of massive stars or the mergers of compact objects. On July 2, 2025, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) aboard NASA’s Fermi satellite detected an unusual high-energy burst—designated GRB 250702DBE—that triggered the Fermi/GBM system three times.

Despite being named in accordance with standard GRB conventions, the event exhibited striking anomalies: its duration spanned several hours, far exceeding that of typical GRBs. The same source, also detected in the X-ray band by the Einstein Probe (EP) as EP250702a, has drawn scientific interest due to its long duration and unclear physical origin and radiation mechanisms.

Mexico Reveals 314-Petaflop Supercomputer Named After Aztec Goddess

The Mexican government will build a supercomputer with a processing capacity seven times greater than the current most powerful computer in Latin America, officials responsible for the project said Wednesday.

Named Coatlicue, after a goddess in Aztec mythology representing the source of power and life, the computer will have a processing capacity of 314 petaflops.

“We want it to be a public supercomputer, a supercomputer for the people,” President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters.

Dirty water boosts prospects for clean hydrogen

Wastewater can replace clean water as a source for hydrogen, eliminating a major drawback to hydrogen fuel and reducing water treatment costs of hydrogen production by up to 47%, according to new research from Princeton Engineering.

The findings, reported Sept. 24 in the journal Water Research, are a step toward making hydrogen a practical pathway to decarbonize industries that are difficult to electrify, such as steel and fertilizer production.

Z. Jason Ren, the senior study author, said that current electrolytic hydrogen production requires a large amount of clean water, increasing costs and straining local water supplies. His research team wanted to find out whether treated water processed by wastewater plants could be substituted.

Ammonia could power ships, industries with 70% more efficient tech

“No one has showcased that ammonia can be used to power things at the scale of ships and trucks like us,” said CEO Seonghoon Woo, who founded the company with Hyunho Kim, Jongwon Choi, and Young Suk Jo. “We’ve demonstrated this approach works and is scalable.”

The company is targeting power-hungry industries like maritime shipping, power generation, construction, and mining for its early systems as the power density advantages of ammonia over renewables and batteries.

With a manufacturing contract secured with Samsung Heavy Industries, Amogy is set to start delivering more of its systems to customers next year. The company will deploy a 1-megawatt ammonia-to-power pilot project with the South Korean city of Pohang in 2026, with plans to scale up to 40 megawatts at that site by 2028 or 2029, according to a press release.

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