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Category: computing

White light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the semiconductor devices underpinning the functioning of countless lighting technologies on the market today, were first released to the public in 1996. Following their commercial debut, these devices have fueled significant advancements within the electronics and lighting industry, due to their remarkable energy efficiencies and extended lifespans.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge and ETH Zurich recently carried out a study aimed at re-tracing the development of white LEDs over the past three decades, as well as trends in their costs and innovations in other engineering fields that fueled their advancement. Their paper, published in Nature Energy, was part of a larger research project that investigated the factors driving innovation in the clean energy sector.

“As part of our research, we looked at three key technologies at the forefront of the ongoing energy transition: solar photovoltaics for , lithium-ion batteries for , and white LEDs for efficient energy use in lighting,” Michael P. Weinold, first author of the paper, told Tech Xplore.

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Tin-halide perovskites, a class of tin-based materials with a characteristic crystal structure that resembles that of the compound calcium titanate, could be promising alternatives to commonly used semiconductors. Past studies have explored the possibility of using these materials to fabricate p-channel thin-film transistors (TFTs), devices used to control and amplify the flow of charge carriers in electronics devices.

So far, however, the reliable fabrication and integration of thin-film perovskites into commercially available electronics has proved challenging. This is in part due to difficulties encountered when trying to produce uniform perovskite films with consistent electronic properties using scalable and industry-compatible methods.

Researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology recently introduced a new promising strategy for the fabrication of highly performing TFTs based on tin-halide perovskites. Their approach, outlined in a paper published in Nature Electronics, relies on thermal evaporation and the use of lead chloride (PbCl2) as a reaction initiator.

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Researchers at the University of Sydney have successfully performed a quantum simulation of chemical dynamics with real molecules for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the application of quantum computing to chemistry and medicine.

Understanding in real time how atoms interact to form new compounds or interact with light has long been expected as a potential application of quantum technology. Now, quantum chemist Professor Ivan Kassal and Physics Horizon Fellow Dr. Tingrei Tan have shown it is possible using a quantum machine at the University of Sydney.

The innovative work leverages a novel, highly resource-efficient encoding scheme implemented on a trapped-ion quantum computer in the University of Sydney Nanoscience Hub, with implications that could help transform medicine, energy and materials science.

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Brain-computer interfaces are already letting people with paralysis control computers and communicate their needs, and will soon enable them to manipulate prosthetic limbs without moving a muscle.

The year ahead is pivotal for the companies behind this technology.

Fewer than 100 people to date have had brain-computer interfaces permanently installed. In the next 12 months, that number will more than double, provided the companies with new FDA experimental-use approval meet their goals in clinical trials. Apple this week announced its intention to allow these implants to control iPhones and other products.

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If you need an excuse to turn off the laptop over the weekend or rein in overtime, scientists have found that working extended hours actually changes parts of the brain linked to emotional regulation, working memory and solving problems. While we know the toll that “overwork” takes physically and mentally, the precise neurological impact has not been well understood.

An international team of researchers including scientists from Korea’s Chung-Ang University assessed 110 healthcare workers – 32 who worked excessive hours (52 or more per week) and 78 who clocked less than 52 hours per week, or what would be considered closer to standard hours in the field. Voxel based morphometry (VBM) to assess gray matter and atlas-based analysis was then applied to MRI scans of each individual’s brain, identifying volume and connectivity differences.

When the scientists adjusted the results to account for age and sex, they found that, in the overworked cohort, the imaging showed a significant difference in brain volume in 17 different regions of the organ – including the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), insula and superior temporal gyrus (STG). Atlas-based analysis identified that, in the overworked individuals, there was 19% more volume in the left caudal MFG. The MFG – part of the brain’s frontal lobe – is the heavy lifter when it comes to executive functioning like emotional regulation, working memory, attention and planning, while the STG’s main task is auditory and language processing. The insula, meanwhile, is key in pain processing and other sensory signaling.

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Artificial light, once a luxury, has become central to modern life, with its evolution spanning from fire to LEDs. Now, researchers have developed a new class of efficient light-emitting materials as promising candidates to be applied to lighten the darkness. They demonstrated easily accessible aluminum-based organometallic complexes that have the potential to be applied in optoelectronic devices.

The research team is from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and Warsaw University of Technology led by Prof. Janusz Lewiński in collaboration with Prof. Andrew E. H. Wheatley from Cambridge University. The paper is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Growing demand for artificial light spurred the development of energy-efficient solutions like fluorescent lamps and, later, light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Once dropped, LEDs became ubiquitous in homes and portable devices.

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A research team from the School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has developed a new computational model to study the movement of granular materials such as soils, sands and powders. By integrating the dynamic interactions among particles, air and water phases, this state-of-the-art system can accurately predict landslides, improve irrigation and oil extraction systems, and enhance food and drug production processes.

The flow of granular materials—such as soil, sand and powders used in pharmaceuticals and food production—is the underlying mechanism governing many natural settings and industrial operations. Understanding how these particles interact with surrounding fluids like water and air is crucial for predicting behaviors such as soil collapse or fluid leakage.

However, existing models face challenges in accurately capturing these interactions, especially in partially saturated conditions where forces like and viscosity come into play.

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What would happen if you combined the unparalleled efficiency of a superconductor with the flexibility and controllability of a semiconductor? Thanks to a new breakthrough in quantum materials, we may be getting an answer soon.

In an article published in Communications Physics, a multi-institutional research team led by The University of Osaka announces the successful observation of the so-called superconducting diode effect in an Fe(Se, Te)/FeTe heterostructure. The paper is titled “A scaling relation of vortex-induced rectification effects in a superconducting thin-film heterostructure.”

The article describes a series of experiments in which the material developed a preference for current to flow in a particular direction, a phenomenon known as rectification, under a broad range of temperature and magnetic fields.

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The findings are published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Compared with their classical counterparts, systems made up of many quantum particles—such as quantum computers—are horrendously complex to analyze and simulate. This complexity is due in part to the strong correlations between particles, which can act over long distances.

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In the future, quantum technology will become the standard for extremely fast computers. These kinds of machines will be important in everything from space technology to mineral exploration and the development of new medicines.

“Quantum technology is often associated with that have been developed in advanced, completely clean environments,” says Professor Jon Otto Fossum from NTNU’s Department of Physics.

But Fossum and colleagues have good news.

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