New method of synthesizing nanographene on metal oxide surfaces

Nanostructures based on carbon are promising materials for nanoelectronics. However, to be suitable, they would often need to be formed on non-metallic surfaces, which has been a challenge -- up to now. Researchers have found a method of forming nanographenes on metal oxide surfaces.

Safeguarding hardware from cyberattack

Researchers have developed an algorithm that safeguards hardware from attacks designed to steal data. In the attacks, hackers detect variations of power and electromagnetic radiation in an electronic device's hardware and use the variation to steal encrypted information.

Fast, flexible ionic transistors for bioelectronic devices

Researchers have developed the first biocompatible internal-ion-gated organic electrochemical transistor (IGT) that is fast enough to enable real-time signal sensing and stimulation of brain signals. The IGT provides a miniaturized, soft, conformable interface with human skin, using local amplification to record high quality neural signals, suitable for advanced data processing. This could lead to safer, smaller, and smarter bioelectronic devices that can be implanted in humans over long periods of time.

Magnetization reversal achieved at room temperature using only an electric field

Scientists have achieved magnetization reversal in cobalt-substituted bismuth ferrite by applying only an electric field. Such an effect had been sought after for over a decade in order to make new types of low-power-consumption magnetic memory devices.

A quantum magnet with a topological twist

Researchers probed a special kind of magnet containing atoms arranged in a pattern called a kagome lattice, which takes its name from a Japanese basket. They found that electrons in this material exhibit exotic behaviors that could be exploited for futuristic applications -- and that under a high magnetic field some electrons in this material act like an upside-down magnet.

Expanding the use of silicon in batteries, by preventing electrodes from expanding

Silicon anodes are generally viewed as the next development in lithium-ion battery technology. Silicon's ability to absorb more charge translates to longer battery life and smaller batteries, if researchers can check the physical expansion of the silicon that comes with charging. Research suggests that adding MXene ink to the silicon electrode-making process would do just that.

Digital phase-locked loop achieves a power consumption of 0.265 mW

Scientists have developed an advanced phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer that can drastically cut power consumption. This digital PLL could be an attractive building block for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and other wireless technologies to support a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Exotic spiraling electrons discovered by physicists

Physicists have discovered an exotic form of electrons that spin like planets and could lead to advances in lighting, solar cells, lasers and electronic displays. It's called a 'chiral surface exciton,' and it consists of particles and anti-particles bound together and swirling around each other on the surface of solids, according to a new study.

Breakthrough in the search for graphene-based electronics

A team of researchers from Denmark has solved one of the biggest challenges in making effective nanoelectronics based on graphene.

Chemical data mining boosts search for new organic semiconductors

Organic semiconductors are lightweight, flexible and easy to manufacture. But they often fail to meet expectations regarding efficiency and stability. Researchers are now deploying data mining approaches to identify promising organic compounds for the electronics of the future.

Using artificial intelligence to engineer materials' properties

New system of 'strain engineering' can change a material's optical, electrical, and thermal properties.

Better red than dread: Barrier keeps batteries safe

A layer of red phosphorus in rechargeable lithium metal batteries can signal when damaging dendrites threaten to create a short circuit. The strategy, which does not require a third electrode, could help bring more powerful lithium metal batteries to market.

You can build complicated circuits

Sustainable electronics manufacturing breakthrough

Researchers are developing an eco-friendly, 3D printable solution for producing wireless Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors that can be used and disposed of without contaminating the environment.

High-performance quantum dot mode-locked laser on silicon

Ten years into the future. That's about how far an electrical and computer engineering professor and his research team are reaching with the recent development of their mode-locked quantum dot lasers on silicon. It's technology that not only can massively increase the data transmission capacity of data centers, telecommunications companies and network hardware products to come, but do so with high stability, low noise and the energy efficiency of silicon photonics.

Customized mix of materials for three-dimensional micro- and nanostructures

Three-dimensional structures on the micrometer and nanometer scales have a great potential for many applications. An efficient and precise process to print such structures from different materials has now been presented: researchers have integrated a microfluidic chamber into a 3D laser lithography device. Then, they used this system to produce multi-colored, fluorescent security features to protect banknotes, documents, and branded products against counterfeiting.

Laser physics: Transformation through light

Laser physicists have taken snapshots of how C60 carbon molecules react to extremely short pulses of intense infrared light.

First transport measurements reveal intriguing properties of germanene

Germanene is a 2D material that derives from germanium and is related to graphene. As it is not stable outside the vacuum chambers in which is it produced, no real measurements of its electronic properties have been made. Scientists have now managed to produce devices with stable germanene. The material is an insulator, and it becomes a semiconductor after moderate heating and a very good metallic conductor after stronger heating.

Quantum strangeness gives rise to new electronics

Today, a new breed of electronic devices, bearing unique properties, is being developed. As ultra-miniaturization continues apace, researchers have begun to explore the intersection of physical and chemical properties occurring at the molecular scale.

Chirality of Weyl fermions

Quasiparticles that behave like massless fermions, known as Weyl fermions, have been in recent years at the center of a string of exciting findings in condensed matter physics. Physicists now report experiments in which they got a handle on one of the defining properties of Weyl fermions -- their chirality.

Engineers develop room temperature, two-dimensional platform for quantum technology

Researchers have now demonstrated a new hardware platform based on isolated electron spins in a two-dimensional material. The electrons are trapped by defects in sheets of hexagonal boron nitride, a one-atom-thick semiconductor material, and the researchers were able to optically detect the system's quantum states.

Scientists build the smallest optical frequency comb to-date

Scientists have built a photonic integrated, compact, and portable soliton microcomb source. The device is less than 1 cm3 in size, and is driven by an on-chip indium phosphide laser consuming less than 1 Watt of electrical power. It can be used in LIDAR, data center interconnects, and even satellites.

Next-generation optics in just two minutes of cooking time

One of the key building blocks of flexible photonic circuits and ultra-thin optics are metasurfaces. And engineers have now discovered a simple way of making these surfaces in just a few minutes -- without needing a clean room -- using a method already employed in manufacturing.

A Colombian Robot [VIDEO]

3D printed tires and shoes that self-repair

Instead of throwing away your broken boots or cracked toys, why not let them fix themselves? Researchers have developed 3D-printed rubber materials that can do just that.

Ferroelectric polymers made more versatile

The ferroelectric polymer PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) has interesting properties and could be used to store information or energy. One of the main drawbacks of PVDF is that if you add extra functional groups to improve certain properties, this also interferes with its ferroelectricity. To solve this, scientists have created block copolymers from PVDF that leave its ferroelectricity intact, but allow them to tune its characteristics.

Theoretical model may help solve molecular mystery

When it comes to realizing low-power electronic devices, spintronics looks promising. However, to generate a suitable spin current, you need a relatively large magnet. An alternative method that uses a special type of molecule has been proposed, but the big question is: does it work? Researchers have constructed a theoretical model which describes how to put this new method to the test.

Physicists create exotic electron liquid

By bombarding an ultrathin semiconductor sandwich with powerful laser pulses, physicists have created the first 'electron liquid' at room temperature. The achievement opens a pathway for development of the first practical and efficient devices to generate and detect light at terahertz wavelengths -- between infrared light and microwaves. Such devices could be used in applications as diverse as communications in outer space, cancer detection, and scanning for concealed weapons.

Transforming flat elastomers into 3D shapes

Researchers have developed a method to change the shape of a flat sheet of elastomer, using actuation that is fast, reversible, controllable by an applied voltage, and reconfigurable to different shapes.

Advances in stretchable semiconductors, integrated electronics

Researchers have reported significant advances in stretchable electronics, moving the field closer to commercialization.

Current generation via quantum proton transfer

Scientists have discovered that proton transfer in electrochemical reactions is governed by the quantum tunneling effect (QTE) under the specific conditions. In addition, they made a first ever observation of the transition between the quantum and classical regimes in electrochemical proton transfer by controlling potential. These results may advance basic research leading to the development of highly efficient electrochemical energy conversion systems based on quantum mechanics.