Physics
Oct 28th, 2024 - University of Nebraska–Lincoln materials scientists are exploring the physical properties of MXenes, a fast-growing family of two-dimensional materials with the potential for many nanotechnology applications. The team's work builds on about two decades of research into graphenes, another family of 2D materials with important uses across many domains but which exhibit some shortcomings compared to MXenes (pronounced "maxenes"). The team's most recent research is published in the journal ... [Read More]
Source: phys.org
Oct 28th, 2024 - Could elusive axions be gathering in dense clouds around neutron stars? Some scientists certainly think so. In the depths of the universe, far beyond our grasp, lie some of nature's most baffling secrets. One of these mysteries — dark matter — may have found an unlikely accomplice: the dense, collapsed remnants of dead stars. Known as neutron stars, these spinning, magnetic powerhouses might be churning out hypothetical particles called axions. If true, these particles could make up ... [Read More]
Source: zmescience.com
Oct 28th, 2024 - Adding a bit of graphene oxide to slurry and zapping with ultrasound for 10 minutes yields best tiles. In recent years, materials scientists experimenting with ceramics have started adding an oxidized form of graphene to the mix to produce ceramics that are tougher, more durable, and more resistant to fracture, among other desirable properties. Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new method that uses ultrasound to more evenly distribute graphene oxide (GO) ... [Read More]
Source: arstechnica.com
Oct 27th, 2024 - What is the heaviest element in the universe? Are there infinitely many elements? Where and how could superheavy elements be created naturally? The heaviest abundant element known to exist is uranium, with 92 protons (the atomic number "Z"). But scientists have succeeded in synthesizing superheavy elements up to oganesson, with a Z of 118. Immediately before it are livermorium, with 116 protons and tennessine, which has 117. All have short half-lives—the amount of time for half of an ... [Read More]
Source: phys.org
Oct 25th, 2024 - The universe is made up of much more than meets the eye. While telescopes reveal countless galaxies, each containing billions of stars, physicists and astronomers believe that visible matter is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, and that some kind of unseen dark matter must be out there as well, accounting for some 85 percent of the mass of the universe. No one knows what dark matter is made of, but scientists are confident it's something that doesn't interact with electromagnetic ... [Read More]
Source: smithsonianmag.com
Oct 25th, 2024 - Scientists have proposed a new type of data storage device that harnesses the powerful properties of quantum mechanics . The ultra-high-density optical memory device would consist of numerous memory cells, each containing rare earth elements embedded within a solid material — in this case, magnesium oxide (MgO) crystals. The rare earth elements emit photons, or particles of light, which are absorbed by nearby "quantum defects" — vacancies in the crystal lattice containing unbonded ... [Read More]
Source: livescience.com
Oct 25th, 2024 - A team led by Prof. Sun Haiding from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) developed a vertically integrated micro-scale light-emitting diode (micro-LED) array which was then applied in deep ultraviolet (DUV) maskless photolithography system for the first time. Their study was published in Laser & Photonics Reviews . Photolithography plays a crucial role in the manufacture of integrated circuit chips and is one of the key core technologies in the semiconductor and ... [Read More]
Source: phys.org
Oct 24th, 2024 - An old physical phenomenon, known as the Hall effect, has revealed some new tricks. New findings have potential implications for understanding fundamental physics of quantum materials and developing applied technologies such as quantum communication and harvesting energy via radio frequencies. An old physical phenomenon, known as the Hall effect, has revealed some new tricks, according to a team co-led by researchers at Penn State and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They ... [Read More]
Source: sciencedaily.com
Oct 20th, 2024 - For decades, physicists have grappled with a puzzling question: How can we reconcile the two different pictures we have of the atomic nucleus? On one hand, we see nuclei as collections of protons and neutrons. On the other, at higher energies, they appear as a sea of quarks and gluons. This disparity has been a sticking point in nuclear physics, but a recent development might just have the answer. High-tech, innovative approach One physicist determined to solve this mystery is Dr. Aleksander ... [Read More]
Source: earth.com
Sep 30th, 2024 - One of the core components of a quantum computer is the quantum processing unit (QPU) or quantum processor. Instead of binary bits used in classical computing, quantum computers use quantum bits – or qubits for short. These qubits are subatomic particles that can use the properties of quantum mechanics to represent and process vast amounts of data. A quantum processor manipulates qubits in order to complete tasks. It is akin to a conventional computer's central processing unit (CPU), ... [Read More]
Source: livescience.com
Sep 25th, 2024 - The discovery of a stable single-electron covalent bond between two carbon atoms validates a century-old theory. The discovery of a stable single-electron covalent bond between two carbon atoms validates a century-old theory. Covalent bonds, in which two atoms are bound together by sharing a pair of electrons, form the scaffolding that underpins the majority of organic compounds. In 1931, the Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling suggested that covalent bonds made from just a single, unpaired electron ... [Read More]
Source: sciencedaily.com