Science | Sighenz

Researchers managed to observe Coherent quantum phase slip

Energy band gap obtained using energy spectroscopy. Existence of band gap establish that coherent tunneling has occurred. (© RIKEN)

Oleg Astafiev and his colleagues at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (ASI) and NEC Smart Energy Research Laboratories have in a paper in Nature reported on the first direct observation of Coherent quantum phase slip, in a narrow superconducting wire of indium-oxide (InOx). Coherent quantum phase slip (CQPS), as this phenomenon is known, has long been limited to being just theoretical, an intriguing but until now unobserved parallel to the Josephson effect.

Unlike the Josephson effect were electric charges jump from one superconducting layer to another across an insulating layer, the behavior of the insulator and superconductor are reversed in this parallel theory. A magnetic flux, quanta jump from one insulator to another across a superconducting layer. Quantum tunneling of electrons in the Josephson junction is replaced in this parallel by the coherent “slip” of the phase, a quantum variable that, in superconducting circuits, plays a dual role to that of electric charge.

Continue reading “Researchers managed to observe Coherent quantum phase slip”

New research can give mobile devices that see through walls

UT Dallas Reasearchers — Dr. Kenneth O, left, worked with a team including Dae Yeon Kim, who was among the authors of the research report.

Researchers at UT Dallas have designed a new imaging chip that in the future could let mobile devices see through walls, wood, plastics, paper and other objects. The research team have linked two existing scientific breakthroughs into one. The first involves looking at the terahertz range, a previously unused range in the electromagnetic spectrum. The second utilize advancements in new microchip technology.

Infrared wavelengths have been used for years, making night vision devices among other things possible. The terahertz band, one of the wavelength ranges that falls between microwave and infrared, has however up till now not been accessible for most consumer devices.

“We’ve created approaches that open a previously untapped portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for consumer use and life-saving medical applications”, said Dr. Kenneth O, professor of electrical engineering at UT Dallas and director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence(TxACE). “The terahertz range is full of unlimited potential that could benefit us all.”

Continue reading “New research can give mobile devices that see through walls”

IBM adds new partners to lithium-air battery 500 project.

Today IBM announced that two industry leaders, Asahi Kasei and Central Glass, will join and collaborate on their Battery 500 Project. Back in 2009, IBM Research pioneered a sustainable mobility project to develop lithium-air battery technology, capable of powering a family-sized electric car for approximately 500 miles (800 km) on a single charge. With these new partners there is a great potential to accelerate the switch from gasoline to electricity as the primary power source for vehicles.

“These new partners share our vision of electric cars being critical components of building a cleaner, better world, which is far less dependent on oil”, said Dr. Winfried Wilcke, IBM’s Principle Investigator who initiated the Battery 500 Project. “Their compatible experience, knowledge and commitment to bold innovation in electric vehicle battery technology can help us transfer this research from the lab onto the road.”

Continue reading “IBM adds new partners to lithium-air battery 500 project.”

SpaceX to launch April 30 after NASA gives it all-clear

Space X Dragon Capsule — SpaceX Dragon Capsule (© SpaceX)

A private spaceship, built by the company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, is soon heading for the International Space Station. The launch is planned for April 30, and if successful will mark a historic event, making SpaceX’s Dragon the first commercial American robotic spacecraft to have ever flown and dock with the International Space Station.

The unmanned capsule, named Dragon, will be the first of a new fleet of commercial spacecraft being developed to deliver cargo to the station. The spacecraft will on this first test-run rendezvous with the space station and then be captured by astronauts, operating a robotic arm and offload some cargo. If SpaceX’s April test flight goes according to plans, another Dragon capsule will make the first official cargo delivery run in August.

Continue reading “SpaceX to launch April 30 after NASA gives it all-clear”

Eole Water makes water out of wind in the desert

A new concept has since October been tested in the Abu Dhabi desert, that uses a wind turbine to condense water from the air. After the water has been collected, it’s then pumped in into storage tanks for filtration and purification to deliver fresh drinking water that is up to WHO standards.

With it’s innovative technology, Eole Water can create water in almost any place on earth by using the power of wind energy, and the natural humidity in the air around us. Earth atmosphere is filled with humidity at an estimated capacity of 13000km3 natural water. By using wind power Eole Water is able to liquefy the air steam, and humidity is sucked up and then condensate.

Continue reading “Eole Water makes water out of wind in the desert”

New wallpaper stabilize and may protect against earthquakes

Earthquake secure wallpaper — Earthquake secure fiber glass wallpaper

German researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a new thin wallpaper based on glass fibers, that stabilizes walls and may protect from the devastating effect of an earthquake.

The wallpaper consists of a fine glass fiber fabric, designed to support walls and distribute the powerful lateral forces produced by earthquakes across their entire surfaces and therefore also protect them from collapsing.

Since the material covers the entire wall it also protects against falling debris, much like how a laminated windscreen in a modern car works. If the integrity of the wall gets compromised by forces greater then the material can handle, the eventual debris would be constrained and held back by the wallpaper glass fiber skin.

Continue reading “New wallpaper stabilize and may protect against earthquakes”

New plastic mimics human skin, can ‘bleed’ and heal itself

Self-healing plastic — New plastics turn red when damaged, then heal themselves when exposed to light.

New research presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society March 26, showed a new genre of plastics that mimic the human skin’s ability to heal itself. Self-healing plastics have been developed for a while, but what makes this new material unique is it’s ability to “bleed” and heal itself over and over again in the same spot. The “bleeding” is achieved by using small molecular links or bridges that break when the plastic is scratched. When damaged the plastics turn red, and then can heal itself when exposed to light.

Professor Marek W. Urban, Ph.D. with the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, foresees a wide range of potential applications for plastic with warn-and-self-repair capabilities. It could be used from everything from scratches in automobile fenders that then potentially could easily be repaired by simply exposing the fender to intense light, to critical structural parts in aircraft that would warn of damage by turning red at affected and damaged areas.

Continue reading “New plastic mimics human skin, can ‘bleed’ and heal itself”

ESA successfully launch a new smart supply ship

ATV-3 on Ariane — ATV-3 Edoardo Amaldi on Ariane 5

Yesterday at 04:34 GMT (05:34 CET, 01:34 local), ESA successively launched their new ATV from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, heading towards the International Space Station. The Automated Transfer Vehicle named Edoardo Amaldi, is the most complex spacecraft ever produced in Europe. It’s mission is to deliver essential supplies, and it will also reboost the orbit of the International Space Station’s while it is attached for about five months.

The 20-tonne payload lifted off with the help of a Ariane 5 launcher, operated by Arianespace. The Ariane 5 have on numerous occasion demonstrated its robustness and reliability, and this time was no exception. It started it’s flight over the Atlantic towards the Azores and Europe, where an initial eight-minute burn of Ariane’s upper stage took ATV-3 into a low orbit inclined at 51.6 degrees to the equator. After coasting for about 42 minutes, the upper stage reignited to circularise the orbit at an altitude of 260 km. About 64 minutes into flight, the supply ship separated from the upper stage, and 25 minutes later ATV-3 started deploying its four solar wings, which when completed marked the end of the launch phase.

Continue reading “ESA successfully launch a new smart supply ship”

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has discovered new features on Vesta

NASA‘s Dawn spacecraft has revealed some new and unexpected details on the surface of the giant asteroid Vesta. The images and data captured shows the diversity of Vesta‘s surface, and reveal unusual geologic features. Some never previously seen on a asteroid.

Being one of the brightest objects in the solar system, Vesta is the only asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter visible to the naked eye from Earth. Scientists have previously seen brightness variations in previous images of Vesta captures with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, but the new images captured by the Dawn spacecraft found that some areas on Vesta can be nearly twice as bright as others. This could potentially reveal clues about the asteroid’s history.

Continue reading “NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has discovered new features on Vesta”

NEC develops an ultra thin organic and flexible battery

NEC Corporation announced on March 5 the development of a new ultra-thin, 0.3mm thick, organic radical battery (ORB) that is compatible with standard IC cards of 0.76mm thickness. These new, 0.3mm batteries are less than half the thickness of existing units.

The size reduction is accomplished by using printing technologies to integrate circuit boards with batteries. As a result, IC cards embedded with these batteries can be used for a wide range of functions, including displays, transmission and advanced encryption processing. Conventional ORB‘s have a thickness of 0.7mm which makes them difficult to combine with IC cards of standard 0.76mm thickness.

Continue reading “NEC develops an ultra thin organic and flexible battery”