news

Electronic devices set to become smaller, flexible and highly efficient - following University of Warwick research on 2D materials Researchers measured the electronic structure of stacks of 2D 'wonder' materials - atomically thin, highly conductive, and extremely strong materials - for first time Understanding the electronic structures will allow scientists to find optimal materials for efficient semiconductors in nano-circuitry Gadgets are set

Research news Modern computer technology is based on the transport of electric charge in semiconductors. But this technology's potential will be reaching its limits in the near future, since the components deployed cannot be miniaturized further. But, there is another option: using an electron's spin, instead of its charge, to transmit information.

For years, their existence has been debated: elusive electrical discharges in the upper atmosphere that sport names such as red sprites, blue jets, pixies and elves. Reported by pilots, they are difficult to study as they occur above thunderstorms. ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen during his mission on the International Space Station in 2015 was asked to take pictures over thunderstorms with the most sensitive camera on the orbiting outpost to look for these brief features.

University of Warwick researchers identify a white dwarf pulsar - a star type which has eluded astronomers for half a century Star lashes its neighbour with intense radiation beam every two minutes Research published in Nature Astronomy An exotic binary star system 380 light-years away has been identified as an elusive white dwarf pulsar - the first of its kind ever to be discovered in the universe - thanks to research by the University of Warwick.

The ANU, the ACT Minister for Health and the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) have launched a new robotic system to fast-track the development of new drugs to fight cancer and other diseases. The High Throughput Robotic Target and Drug Discovery Screening Platform, in the ACRF Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics at The John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU, is the first technology of its kind in the ACT.

Berkeley-led study finds law-breaking property in vanadium dioxide that could lead to applications in thermoelectrics, window coatings There's a known rule-breaker among materials, and a new discovery by an international team of scientists adds more evidence to back up the metal's nonconformist reputation.

Scientists from Imperial have discovered that, contrary to previous understanding, heart scar tissue can conduct electricity following a heart attack. These findings in mice, if confirmed in humans, would have major implications for heart attack survivors, and for patients with an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.

New research that suggests a pre-existing 4G network infrastructure could help drivers make safe decisions in or near accidents has won the 'Best Paper Award' at an international conference. The research carried out by the University of Bristol Communication Systems & Networks (CSN) Group , in collaboration with the Université Blaise Pascal in France, was presented at the international conference Signal Processing, Telecommunications & Computing (SigTelCom) 2017 , supported by IEEE, Newton Fund and British Council.

Science and Nature cite research by Federico Capasso, Jennifer Lewis and Robert Wood  Research done at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) was listed among the breakthroughs of the 2016 by the journals Nature and Science . A flat metalens, developed in the lab of Federico Capasso , the Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering, was named a runner-up for Science's Breakthrough of the Year 2016 .

A team of researchers from the University of Bristol have shown it's possible to create a simplified tractor beam using readily available parts with a total cost of less than £70. Tractor beams are mysterious rays that can grab and attract objects. The concept has been shown in science-fiction movies such as Star Wars or Star Trek and scientists have developed the theory using lasers.

Switzerland's overhead power lines are showing signs of old age and can be damaged by power surges. But how long will they actually last? Empa researchers have developed a tool to keep tabs on the aging process.

New experiments have shown that it is possible for extremely high currents to pass through graphene, a form of carbon. This allows imbalances in electric charge to be rapidly rectified. The strong electric field of the highly charged ions is able to tear dozens of electrons away from the graphene within a matter of femtoseconds.

For the first time, MIT physicists have observed a highly ordered crystal of electrons in a semiconducting material and documented its melting, much like ice thawing into water. The observations confirm a fundamental phase transition in quantum mechanics that was theoretically proposed more than 80 years ago but not experimentally documented until now.

While exploring the atomic-level forces at play in a new type of computer chip, researchers found an energy-saving surprise that could translate into longer battery life for next-generation mobile devices. Scientists often discover interesting things without completely understanding how they work. That has been the case with an experimental memory technology in which temperature and voltage work together to create the conditions for data storage.

Ever since scientists discovered that atomically thin materials could have useful electronic properties, engineers have been seeking ways to mass-produce so-called single-layer chips. A new technique shows how it might be done. For more than 50 years, silicon chipmakers have devised inventive ways to switch electricity on and off, generating the digital ones and zeroes that encode words, pictures, movies and other forms of data.

A new technique developed by MIT researchers reveals the inner details of photonic crystals, synthetic materials whose exotic optical properties are the subject of widespread research. Photonic crystals are generally made by drilling millions of closely spaced, minuscule holes in a slab of transparent material, using variations of microchip-fabrication methods.

Professor Jim McElwaine of the Department of Earth Sciences talks about new research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface , which has given some of the first detailed measurements of what takes place inside an avalanche. Tell us a bit about the research? The aim of the project was to understand what processes are taking place inside an avalanche as it travels down a mountain.

Imagine an electronic wearable device, like a Fitbit, stuck on a sticker or temporary tattoo that could read a pulse or measure hand gestures. Then imagine printing that device on your home printer. Carnegie Mellon University Mechanical Engineering Professor Carmel Majidi, Ph.D. student Eric Markvicka and former postdoctoral fellow Michael Bartlett have created a method to print skin-mountable electronics in a quick and cost-effective way.

Scientists have developed a type of HIV test on a USB stick. The device, created by scientists at Imperial College London and DNA Electronics , uses a drop of blood to detect HIV, and then creates an electrical signal that can be read by a computer, laptop or handheld device. The disposable test could be used for HIV patients to monitor their own treatment.

Earth's magnetic field has reversed direction hundreds of times in the course of our planet's history.