Articles tagged with Silicon
Carolina researchers have engineered silicon nanowires that can convert sunlight into electricity, splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen gas. This innovative design enables the production of a greener alternative to fossil fuels, making it more competitive with traditional energy sources.
Researchers have demonstrated a new type of quantum bit, called 'flip-flop' qubit, which combines the properties of single atoms with easy controllability using electric signals. The qubit is made up of two spins belonging to the same atom and can be programmed by displacing an electron with respect to the nucleus.
Researchers at the University of Rochester develop a new method to control electron spin in silicon quantum dots, paving the way for practical silicon-based quantum computers. The technique harnesses spin-valley coupling to manipulate qubits without oscillating magnetic fields.
Researchers demonstrate the ability of GHz burst mode femtosecond laser pulses to create unique two-dimensional (2D) periodic surface nanostructures on silicon substrates. The GHz burst mode enhances ablation efficiency and quality compared to conventional single-pulse mode, enabling the formation of distinctive 2D LIPSS.
A team of researchers has made two technical breakthroughs to grow high-quality 2D materials, overcoming challenges such as securing single crystallinity and preventing irregular thickness. Their method enables the growth of single-domain heterojunction TMDs at wafer scale, paving the way for next-generation electronics.
A new optical coating system combines antifogging and antireflective properties, enhancing the performance of lidar systems and cameras. The technology, developed by Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering, has been tested in laboratory tests and has shown promising results.
A new nanopore-based sensing device explores the aggregation of tau and tubulin proteins in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The device provides volume information about protein molecules and their states at the single-molecule level, offering insights into protein binding and aggregation.
Researchers at CELIA have developed a laser drilling method that creates elongated, crack-free micro-holes in glass. This breakthrough allows for high-aspect ratio holes with smooth inner walls, enabling new applications in microelectronics.
Georgia Tech researchers developed a new nanoelectronics platform based on graphene, enabling smaller devices, higher speeds, and less heat. The platform may lead to the discovery of a new quasiparticle, potentially exploiting the elusive Majorana fermion.
Researchers compared two semiconductor simulation tools and found that the Fermi kinetics transport solver outperforms a commercial hydrodynamics software package in modeling electronic heat flow and electron temperature, particularly in high-speed applications. The custom-developed code converges faster and provides more consistent re...
Researchers developed an all-optical approach to pumping chip-based nanolasers, enabling dense arrays of highly precise devices. This method could aid in meeting the growing need for faster data processing, streaming ultra-high-definition movies and gaming.
Researchers found biocide-free silicone-based paint to be more effective against fouling than copper-based paints in the Baltic Sea region. The environmentally friendly alternative drastically reduced heavy metal releases into sensitive sea ecosystems.
A research team at NIMS successfully synthesized a two-dimensional silicon-integrated covalent organic framework film on a metal surface. The technique may be applied to develop new materials in a bottom-up manner, with potential applications in battery materials and catalysts.
Researchers at Oxford University and Exciton Science created stable perovskite solar cells with comparable stability to commercial silicon photovoltaics. The new synthesis process led to thin films of greater quality, reduced defects, and enhanced stability.
Researchers at TU Wien have developed a new method for creating high-quality contacts between metal and semiconductor materials, enabling faster and more efficient computer chips. The technology uses crystalline aluminium and a sophisticated silicon-germanium layer system to overcome the problem of oxygen contamination.
Researchers have demonstrated a power-efficient component for demultiplexing operation using silicon photonic MEMS, enabling efficient wavelength demultiplexing for fiber-optic communications. The compact footprint of the add-drop filter allows fast operation compared to established MEMS products.
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a novel nanowire fabrication technique, allowing for the direct creation of ultrafine L10-ordered CoPt nanowires with high coercivity on silicon substrates. The technique enables significant improvements in spintronic device fabrication.
Researchers at Australian National University have developed a new way to boost the performance of silicon photovoltaic cells. By adding passivating contacts, they significantly reduce electrical losses and increase productivity.
MIT researchers have developed a new approach to assemble nanoscale devices from the bottom up, using precise forces to arrange particles and transfer them to surfaces. This technique enables the formation of high-resolution, nanoscale features integrated with nanoparticles, boosting device performance.
A research team from DTU has successfully designed and built a structure that concentrates light in a volume 12 times below the diffraction limit, paving the way for revolutionary new technologies. The breakthrough could lead to more sustainable chip architectures that use less energy.
A research team at UNIST has developed a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell with a special textured anti-reflective coating, increasing its power conversion efficiency to 23.50%. The device maintains its initial efficiency for 120 hours, outperforming existing devices which drop to 50% after 20 hours.
A team of researchers at UNSW Sydney has broken new ground by proving that 'spin qubits' can hold information for up to two milliseconds, a significant improvement over previous benchmarks. By extending the coherence time, they enable more efficient quantum operations and better maintain information during calculations.
The QuTech team engineered a record number of six silicon-based spin qubits in a fully interoperable array, achieving low error-rates through new chip design and methods. This advances scalable quantum computers based on silicon, contributing to the development of fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Researchers at Columbia University have invented a flat lens that exclusively focuses light of a selected color, appearing transparent until illuminated with the correct wavelength. The device overcomes challenges in conventional AR glasses, enabling unattenuated and undistorted vision of both real-world scenes and contextual information.
Researchers created silicon nanopillars using MacEtch, a wet etching technique that generates light particles at the right wavelength to proliferate in optical fibers. This breakthrough enables practical quantum communication via optical fibers.
A novel light-manipulating technology using nanodisk periodic structures has been developed by an international team, including Kyoto University. By controlling bound states in the continuum, researchers can systematically control light distribution states and manipulate near-infrared light within a nanodisk.
Researchers developed a silicon photodiode array for in-sensor processing, allowing for real-time image filtering and extraction of relevant visual information. The technology has potential applications in machine vision, bio-inspired systems, and intelligent imaging devices.
Researchers have developed highly sensitive and mass producible organic photodetectors that can detect weak signals. The new photodetectors exhibited a detectivity comparable to those of conventional silicon photodiodes, operating stably under temperatures above 150 °C.
Researchers at RIKEN have achieved error correction in a three-qubit silicon-based system, a major step toward large-scale quantum computing. This accomplishment demonstrates control of one of the largest qubit systems in silicon, providing a prototype for quantum error correction.
KAUST researchers created a more efficient solar-cell module by redesigning its optical design, reducing power conversion efficiency loss in real-world applications. The new module achieved an efficiency increase from 25.7% to 26.2% due to refractive-index engineering.
Researchers at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a novel anode material consisting of black glasses grafted silicon microparticles, which shows great promise in enhancing lithium-ion battery performance and energy storage. The material exhibits high lithium diffusion ability, reduced internal resistance,...
A newly developed polarizer-embedded metalens microscope system achieves high-quality, wide-field imaging with a large depth-of-field, significantly expanding human eyesight to the microworld. The chip-scale device offers a thousand-fold reduction in volume and weight compared to traditional microscopes.
Inserting magnesium fluoride between perovskite and electron-transport layers reduces charge recombination and enhances performance, leading to a 50 millivolt increase in open-current voltage and a stabilized power conversion efficiency of 29.3 percent.
Cubic boron arsenide overcomes silicon's limitations, providing high electron and hole mobility and excellent thermal conductivity. The material has been shown to have a significant potential in various applications where its unique properties would make a difference.
A team of scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University created unprecedentedly lightweight optics for X-ray space telescopes by employing Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) technology. By refining the patterning and annealing process, they achieved ultra-sharp features that rival existing telescopes in performance while significan...
Scientists at Simon Fraser University have made a breakthrough in developing quantum technology by observing over 150,000 silicon 'T centre' photon-spin qubits. This discovery enables the creation of massively scalable quantum computers and quantum internet that can connect them.
Researchers developed an iron oxide-based ultraviolet-absorbing powder material, which can neutralize UV radiation and is safer than titanium dioxide. The material was found to have comparable performance and stability to TiO2 materials currently used in sunscreens.
A recent study found that perovskite-on-silicon solar PV modules have 6-18% less environmental impact than traditional silicon modules over their 25-year lifetime. The tandem technology's higher power conversion efficiency compensates for its additional material and production costs.
The study compares the behavior of flat (1D), cylindrical (2D) and spherical (3D) micromirrors for free-space light coupling. Silicon micromirrors were fabricated and used to experimentally validate the coupling efficiency in visible and near infrared wavelengths.
The Replica Exchange Grand Canonical (REGC) method describes how surfaces change in contact with reactive gas phases under different temperature and pressure conditions. The approach identifies 25 thermodynamically stable surface phases and predicts stability phase diagrams for real systems.
Researchers observe a significant increase in electrical conductivity when mica is thinned down to few molecular layers, exhibiting semiconductor-like behavior. The findings suggest that thin mica flakes have the potential to be used in two-dimensional electronic devices with exceptional stability and durability.
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory demonstrate a system that can detect propane leaks within seconds, alerting emergency services. They also study the secrets of silicon deposits in plants to enhance soil carbon storage. Additionally, they assess the viability of retrofitting untapped dams for hydropower electricity generation.
Researchers developed a new spatial light modulation strategy incorporating dual epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) effects in a semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor nano-capacitor. This design enables broadband electro-optic modulation by manipulating permittivity crossover wavelengths via external voltage biasing.
Researchers at SUTD design a multiferroic van der Waals heterostructure combining magnetic and ferroelectric 2D materials, offering voltage switchable magnetism. This material can be used for ultracompact memory devices with minimal energy consumption.
A team of scientists from A*STAR and NTU Singapore have developed technology to transform expired solar cells into enhanced thermoelectric material, which harvests heat and converts it into electricity. The technology achieved a record-high thermoelectric figure of merit of 0.45 at 873 K.
Lithium niobate photonics has developed rapidly, enabling compact devices with high performance. Thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) structures have shown significant improvements in refractive index contrast, paving the way for more integrated photonic devices.
An interdisciplinary team of Northwestern University researchers has developed a new method to determine the fingerprint of neighboring disorder in 2D materials. This method enables a universal curve that characterizes disorder potentials, leading to improved performance in transistors and gas sensors.
A team of scientists has discovered a novel magnetotactic bacterium that forms intracellular amorphous silica globules. This finding suggests a previously unobserved influence on the global silicon cycle during early Earth history, expanding our knowledge of prokaryotic biosilicification.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have invented a new type of porous solar cell that can power medical devices, including pacemakers. The innovative technology reduces the size of bulky batteries and eliminates the need for high temperatures or toxic gases in production.
A research group at South-Central MinZu University has achieved the largest complete photonic bandgap (CPBG) of 5.62% in a silicon nitride slab, significantly enhancing nonlinearity and enabling polarization multiplexing. The breakthrough could lead to the development of high-performance CPBG devices in SiN slabs.
Scientists at HZB created sintered porous silicon-aluminum nanomaterials with reduced thermal conductivity using a novel process. The resulting materials have tiny pores, crystalline nanoparticles, and domain boundaries that suppress heat conduction.
Researchers have developed a polymer composite binder that improves the performance of silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries. The binder, consisting of P-BIAN and PAA polymers, stabilizes the silicon particles and maintains a thin solid-electrolyte interface layer, resulting in improved discharge capacity and structural integrity.
Researchers have successfully synthesized a new type of carbon allotrope called holey graphyne, which has semiconductor properties and can be used in various applications. The material was created using a bottom-up approach and consists of alternately linked benzene rings and C≡C bonds.
Scientists have developed a new method of recording data using light on silicon waveguides, enabling non-volatile and high-performance magneto-optical memories. This breakthrough could lead to all-optical alternatives in telecommunications infrastructure and applications in optical computing.
Researchers discovered a novel way to control the optical properties of silicon nanoantennas using vectorial light fields. The technique enables high-contrast reconfigurable optical scattering by switching structured polarization beams.
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have successfully used recycled glass as a replacement for sand in 3D printing concrete mixtures. The new method offers a more environmentally sustainable way of building and construction, reducing waste and pollution.
A research team from City University of Hong Kong and Imperial College London developed a new strategy for highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells using ferrocene molecules. The breakthrough invention can achieve efficiency of up to 25% while maintaining stability, making it a promising alternative to silicon solar cells.
Researchers developed new polymer materials with adjustable refractive index, enabling easy creation of optical interconnects between photonic chips and board-level circuits. The technology has the potential to boost Internet data center efficiency by reducing power consumption and heat generation.
Researchers at the University of Cologne and the University of Wuppertal have developed a tandem solar cell that achieves an unprecedented 24% efficiency, outperforming previous records. The innovative design combines organic and perovskite-based absorbers with an indium oxide interconnect to minimize losses.
Researchers at Hiroshima University have created the world's first silicon quantum dot (QD) LED light using waste rice husks, offering an eco-friendly alternative to toxic semiconducting materials. The new method transforms agricultural waste into high-quality LED lights with high luminescence efficiency and low environmental impact.