Topics: Global Warming, Green Tech, Materials Science, Solid-State Physics, Thermodynamics Researchers in China have shown that applying strain to a composite material using an electric field induces a large and reversible caloric effect. This novel way of enhancing the caloric effect without a magnetic field could open new avenues of solid-state cooling and lead toContinue reading “Solid-State Cooling…”
Category Archives: Materials Science
Mirror, Mirror…
Topics: Applied Physics, Atomic-Scale Microscopy, Materials Science, Optics (Nanowerk News) When it goes online, the MAGIS-100 experiment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and its successors will explore the nature of gravitational waves and search for certain kinds of wavelike dark matter. But first, researchers need to figure out something pretty basic: how to get good photographsContinue reading “Mirror, Mirror…”
Nanotubes and Nitro…
Topics: Carbon Nanotubes, Materials Science, Nanotechnology From TNT to nitro-glycerine, nitrogen-rich compounds are known for packing an explosive punch. When these materials explode, bonds between atoms in the compounds are broken, which gives a chance for two nitrogen atoms to form very strong triple bonds with each other. This releases an enormous amount of chemicalContinue reading “Nanotubes and Nitro…”
Getting Back Mojo…
Topics: Applied Physics, Lasers, Magnetism, Materials Science, Phonons When a magnetic material is bombarded with short pulses of laser light, it loses its magnetism within femtoseconds (10–15 seconds). The spin, or angular momentum, of the electrons in the material, thus disappears almost instantly. Yet all that angular momentum cannot simply be lost. It must be conservedContinue reading “Getting Back Mojo…”
Fantastic Plastic…
Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Computer Science, Materials Science Researchers in the US have developed a perovskite-based device that could be used to create a high-plasticity architecture for artificial intelligence. The team, led by Shriram Ramanathan at Purdue University, has shown that the material’s electronic properties can be easily reconfigured, allowing the devices to function like artificial neuronsContinue reading “Fantastic Plastic…”
Quantum AI…
Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Materials Science, Quantum Mechanics Quantum materials known as Mott insulators can “learn” to respond to external stimuli in a way that mimics animal behavior, say researchers at Rutgers University in the US. The discovery of behaviors such as habituation and sensitization in these non-living systems could lead to new algorithmsContinue reading “Quantum AI…”
Kilonovas and Gold…
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Neutron Stars The amounts of heavy elements such as gold created when black holes merge with neutron stars have been calculated and compared with the amounts expected when pairs of neutron stars merge. The calculations were done by Hsin-Yu Chen and Salvatore Vitale at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Francois Foucart at the UniversityContinue reading “Kilonovas and Gold…”
Quantum Exorcism…
Topics: Chemistry, History, Materials Science, Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics Thermodynamics is a strange theory. Although it is fundamental to our understanding of the world, it differs dramatically from other physical theories. For that reason, it has been termed the “village witch” of physics.1 Some of the many oddities of thermodynamics are the bizarre philosophical implications of classicalContinue reading “Quantum Exorcism…”
Big Bet on Small…
Topics: Futurism, Materials Science, Nanotechnology The National Nanotechnology Initiative promised a lot. It has delivered more. We’re now more than two decades out from the initial announcement of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), a federal program from President Bill Clinton founded in 2000 to support nanotechnology research and development in universities, government agencies, and industryContinue reading “Big Bet on Small…”
LCE…
Topics: Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Robotics A new artificial fiber spun from a polymer called liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) using high-voltage electricity replicates the strength, responsiveness, and power density of human muscle fibers, scientists report. When powered by heat or near-infrared light, the fibers pulled upward and downward or oscillated back and forth. “OurContinue reading “LCE…”
Physics and Nano 