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electronics

Electrons in Graphene can become superballistic which start a new wave of physics

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In some high-quality materials, like graphene, electrons can travel micron distances without scattering, improving the conductivity by orders of magnitude. This so-called ballistic regime, imposes the maximum possible conductance for any normal metal, which is defined by the Landauer-Buttiker formalism. Three different experiments, including one performed by The University of Manchester, demonstrated that at certain …

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Closer to Flash Memory Successor

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New resistive random access memory (RRAM), could form the basis of a better kind of nonvolatile computer memory, where data is retained even when the power is off. Nonvolatile memory is already familiar as the basis for flash memory in thumb drives, but flash technology has essentially reached its size and performance limits. For several …

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Liquid Metal Antennas will adapt antenna capabilities on demand and be used for wearables

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US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) researchers recently demonstrated that nontoxic liquid metals can create multifunctional, reconfigurable electronics and flexible power connections for nontraditional electronics. The advance may help lead to self-healing electronics, shape-shifting antennas and clothing woven with conductive threads to electronically connect devices. Christopher Tabor, a research scientist in the nanoelectronics branch of …

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Nanophotonic circuits would be 1 million times faster than current electrical circuits

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Zhe Fei pointed to the bright and dark vertical lines running across his computer screen. This nano-image, he explained, shows the waves associated with a half-light, half-matter quasiparticle moving inside a semiconductor. “These are waves just like water waves,” said Fei, an Iowa State University assistant professor of physics and astronomy and an associate of …

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Towards Ultrasonic whispering over distances of 30 meters

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An experimental device lets you whisper in the ear of someone up to 30 meters away. The wearable tech uses ultrasound to beam a speaker’s words directly to a targeted individual without anyone else overhearing what is being said. It currently requires a large speaker mounted on your forehead and the electrodes stuck around your …

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Controlling laser polarization without moving parts

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A research team led by UCLA electrical engineers has developed a new technique to control the polarization state of a laser that could lead to a new class of powerful, high-quality lasers for use in medical imaging, chemical sensing and detection, or fundamental science research. Think of polarized sunglasses, which help people see more clearly …

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Labor participation dropping in US and Sweden but rising in five of the G7 countries plus Spain

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The recent evolution of the U.S. labor force participation rate—that is, the percentage of the population employed or looking for work—has been a controversial topic in macroeconomic discussions and policy debates. After peaking in early 2000, the rate has trended downward, with the bulk of the drop occurring after 2008. The controversy focuses on whether …

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Does child survival make for smaller family sizes?

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Hans Rosling (1948–2017), physician and epidemiologist, famously upturned assumptions widely held by the public and by the development community — assumptions that, thanks to US President Donald Trump, are back in the spotlight. A recurring theme of Rosling’s was that family sizes have been shrinking even though child survival rates have improved. Rosling’s global statistics …

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Russia and Ukraine have a new ceasefire

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A new cease-fire began in eastern Ukraine as international diplomacy to resolve the nation’s conflict with Kremlin-backed insurgents gathers pace. The latest truce is part of a renewed push to advance a stalled peace deal for Ukraine’s easternmost regions, where fighting has been simmering for almost three years and almost 10,000 people have died. The …

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Automation speeds clinical safety surveillance

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Using patient outcomes data from approximately 1,800 hospitals, the largest demonstration to date of automated safety surveillance of a medical device is reported in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. Vanderbilt medical informatics researcher and internal medicine specialist Michael Matheny, M.D., MPH, M.S., and colleagues demonstrate the effectiveness of an automated web-based surveillance system …

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