May 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Since the discovery of quantum mechanics more than a hundred years ago, it has been known that electrons in molecules can be coupled to the motion of the atoms that make up the molecules. Often referred to as molecular vibrations, the motion of atoms act...
AI and holography bring 3D augmented reality to regular glasses
May 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers in the emerging field of spatial computing have developed a prototype augmented reality headset that uses holographic imaging to overlay full-color, 3D moving images on the lenses of what would appear to be an ordinary pair of glasses. Unlike the bulky headsets of present-day...
The interference of many atoms, and a new approach to boson sampling
May 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) In daily life, when two objects are “indistinguishable,” it’s due to an imperfect state of knowledge. As a street magician scrambles the cups and balls, you could, in principle, keep track of which ball is which as they are passed between the cups. However, at...
Scientists develop energy-efficient memristive hardware for transparent AI decision-making
May 08, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Artificial intelligence has rapidly progressed in recent years, transforming fields from healthcare to finance to transportation. AI systems can now match or exceed human-level performance on many complex tasks. However, as AI becomes more ubiquitous, a critical challenge has emerged - the "black box" problem....
Researchers can now accurately measure the emergence and damping of a plasmonic field
May 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) An international research team led by Universität Hamburg, DESY, and Stanford University has developed a new approach to characterize the electric field of arbitrary plasmonic samples, like e.g. gold nanoparticles. Plasmonic materials are of particular interest due to their extraordinary efficiency at absorbing light, which...
X-ray study offers first look at a quantum version of the liquid-crystal phase
May 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Ever since superconductivity was discovered in the early 1900s, it has both captivated and mystified scientists. Superconductors conduct electricity with virtually zero resistance, allowing for highly efficient transmission of electrical currents. Among other uses, they create the strong magnetic fields we depend on for medical...
‘Quartet nanocage’ vaccine protects against future coronavirus outbreaks
May 06, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers have developed a new vaccine technology that has been shown in mice to provide protection against a broad range of coronaviruses with potential for future disease outbreaks - including ones we don’t even know about. This is a new approach to vaccine development called...
Caterbot? Robatapillar? It crawls with ease through loops and bends
May 07, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Engineers at Princeton and North Carolina State University have combined ancient paperfolding and modern materials science to create a soft robot that bends and twists through mazes with ease. Soft robots can be challenging to guide because steering equipment often increases the robot’s rigidity and...
A second life for batteries
May 07, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Discarded lithium-ion cells from electric cars could be re-used as stationary power storage units. Researchers at TU Graz have established the first indicators for a reliable assessment of their condition. In 2030, around 1.2 million lithium-ion batteries of electric cars, buses and construction machinery will...