Power/Performance Bits: April 28


Flat microwave reflector Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory developed a new flat reflector for microwaves that could improve communications while providing a better form factor. It also breaks reciprocity, effectively turning it into a one-way mirror. The flat reflector can be reconfigured on the fly electronically, allowing it to be used for beam steering, customized focusing,... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Oct. 9


World’s strongest silver A group has developed what researchers say is the world’s strongest silver. The silver demonstrated a hardness of 3.05 GPa, which is 42% stronger than the previous world record. The University of Vermont, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, the Ames Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory and UCLA contributed to the work. Silver is an element with high electr... » read more

System Bits: Aug. 5


Algorithm could advance quantum computing Scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory report the development of a quantum computing algorithm that promises to provide a better understanding of the quantum-to-classical transition, enabling model systems for biological proteins and other advanced applications. “The quantum-to-classical transition occurs when you add more and more parti... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Aug. 5


Biofuels from microorganisms Researchers at Uppsala University are working on adapting microorganisms to be capable of producing useful biofuels out of carbon dioxide and solar energy. The team is focused on a series of modified cyanobacteria that produces the alcohol butanol, said Pia Lindberg, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University. "When ... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: June 10


Quantum dots plus perovskites Researchers at the University of Toronto and KAUST created a hybrid material for solar cells that utilizes both perovskites and quantum dots. Both quantum dots and perovskites suffer from instability: perovskites degrade quickly and certain types become incapable of fully absorbing solar radiation at room temperature, while quantum dots must be covered with a p... » read more

System Bits: June 4


Thin films for quantum computing Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory report their development of two-dimensional tungsten/selenium thin films that can control the emission of single photons, potentially useful in quantum technologies. “Efficiently controlling certain thin-film materials so they emit single photons at precise locations—what’s known as deterministic quantum em... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Internet of Things Gartner identified what it says are the top 10 strategic Internet of Things technologies and trends. Number one, no surprise, is artificial intelligence. Nick Jones, research vice president at Gartner, said in a statement, “AI will be applied to a wide range of IoT information, including video, still images, speech, network traffic activity, and sensor data.” Other top t... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 16


Lithium-iron-oxide battery Scientists at Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory developed a rechargeable lithium-iron-oxide battery that can cycle more lithium ions than its common lithium-cobalt-oxide counterpart, leading to a much higher capacity. For their battery, the team not only replaced cobalt with iron, but forced oxygen to participate in the reaction process as we... » read more

System Bits: Sept. 12


Neural network cautionary tale As machine learning and neural networks proliferate widely today, there is a need to exercise caution in how they are employed, according to Stanford University researchers Michal Kosinki and Yilun Wang. In a study conducted recently, they have shown that deep neural networks can be used to determine the sexual orientation of a person, and caution that this ma... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: April 18


Cooling hotspots Engineers at Duke University and Intel developed a technology to cool hotspots in high-performance electronics. The new technology relies on a vapor chamber made of a super-hydrophobic floor with a sponge-like ceiling. When placed beneath operating electronics, moisture trapped in the ceiling vaporizes beneath emerging hotspots. The vapor escapes toward the floor, taking hea... » read more

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