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In race to build quantum computing hardware, silicon begins to shine

Researchers at Princeton University have achieved an unprecedented level of fidelity in two-qubit silicon devices, paving the way for the use of silicon technology in quantum computing. The study's findings suggest that silicon spin qubits have advantages over other qubit types, including scalability and size limitations.

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

Scientists achieve record efficiency for ultra-thin solar panels

Researchers at the University of Surrey have developed a new design for ultra-thin photovoltaic panels that absorbs over 65% of sunlight, outperforming previous records. The innovative honeycomb structure enables efficient light absorption from any angle, trapping light inside the solar cell and generating more energy.

“Hot” spin quantum bits in silicon transistors

The research team created silicon-based qubits using FinFET architecture that can store quantum information in two states at higher temperatures, allowing for scalability and integration into existing industry standards.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Increasing efficiency in two-terminal tandem solar cells

Researchers demonstrate a two-terminal tandem solar cell with enhanced efficiency through spectrum splitting, achieving a 5-6% gain in absolute efficiency. The design uses planar and Lambertian spectral splitters to effectively distribute sunlight among the top and bottom cells.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Quantum computing in silicon hits 99% accuracy

Researchers have achieved 99% accuracy in quantum computing using silicon-based devices. The breakthrough enables the creation of large arrays of qubits capable of robust computations, overcoming a significant challenge in building reliable quantum computers.

Scientists create stable materials for more efficient solar cells

Researchers developed a new process to produce stable formamidinium perovskite (FAPbI3) materials, which can be used to make more efficient and stable solar cells. The novel approach uses lower temperatures and eliminates additives, making it suitable for large-scale production and flexible solar cell applications.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Light speed advances

Prof. Tingyi Gu from the University of Delaware has received a $500,000 DARPA Young Faculty Award to improve the power efficiency of digital communications. Her research focuses on manipulating light direction to create more energy-efficient photonic systems.

Ultra-large single-crystal WS2 monolayer

Researchers develop new epitaxial growth mechanism to achieve large-scale single-crystal WS2 monolayers, overcoming a crucial hurdle in replacing silicon with 2D materials. The technique enables uniform alignment of small crystals and leads to the successful growth of wafer-scale single-crystals of WS2, MoS2, WSe2, and MoSe2.

Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

A superconducting silicon-photonic chip for quantum communication

Researchers have developed a superconducting silicon-photonic chip for quantum communication, enabling optimal Bell-state measurement of time-bin encoded qubits. This breakthrough enhances the key rate of secure quantum communication and removes detector side-channel attacks, significantly increasing security.

Scientists find a way to stabilize a promising material for solar panels

Researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology have developed a synthetic alloy that increases perovskite cells' durability while preserving energy conversion performance. The new material can survive for several minutes completely immersed in water, retaining its efficiency for over 100 days after manufacturing.

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.

New technique paves the way for perfect perovskites

A new instrument at the Advanced Light Source enables simultaneous measurement of crystal structure and optical properties during perovskite synthesis. This allows for real-time monitoring of material quality and performance, leading to potentially more efficient solar cells.

Silicon anodes muscle in on battery technology

Researchers have observed for the first time how silicon anodes degrade in lithium-ion batteries due to swelling and electrolyte infiltration. This degradation leads to reduced battery capacity and charging speed, but scientists are exploring ways to protect silicon from these effects.

Quantum dots enable infrared lasing at room temperature for silicon photonics

Colloidal quantum dot technology enables infrared lasing at room temperature, paving the way for low-cost solution-processed and CMOS integrated lasing sources. The breakthrough discovery may facilitate fully integrated silicon photonics, enabling lower power consumption, higher data rates, and multi-spectral 3D imaging capabilities.

Photonic chip is key to nurturing quantum computers

A team of researchers at Bristol's Quantum Engineering and Technology Labs has developed a silicon photonic chip that can protect quantum bits from errors using photons. This breakthrough could lead to the creation of more powerful quantum computers by reducing the fragility of qubits.

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

A new solid-state battery surprises the researchers who created it

Researchers at University of California San Diego created a high-performance all-solid-state battery using pure-silicon anode, showing safe, long-lasting, and energy-dense properties. The new battery technology offers a promising path forward for silicon anodes, which were previously limited by liquid electrolytes.

All-nitride superconducting qubit made on a silicon substrate

Researchers developed an all-nitride superconducting qubit using niobium nitride on a silicon substrate, achieving long coherence times of up to 22 microseconds. The breakthrough paves the way for large-scale integration and potential applications in quantum computers and nodes.

Towards more energy-efficient 2D semiconductor devices

Researchers from SUTD discover a family of 2D semiconductors with Ohmic contacts, reducing electrical resistance and generating less waste heat. This breakthrough could pave the way for high-performance and energy-efficient electronics, potentially replacing silicon-based technology.

GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Solar gains stack up

Researchers have developed a new structure and materials for tandem solar cells, enabling more light to be captured and energy converted effectively. The n-i-p configuration achieved a significant improvement in power-conversion efficiency, exceeding 27%, surpassing previous best values.

Scalable quantum computing research supported by $2 million grant

A UC Riverside materials scientist has received a $2 million grant to improve the scalability of quantum computers, allowing them to operate at room temperature. The project aims to create design guidelines and manufacturing strategies for hybrid organic-inorganic structures that can produce quantum computers on a larger scale.

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Infrared detector for smartphones and autonomous vehicles

The new infrared detector can make two technically important ranges of infrared radiation visible, previously not covered by conventional photodiodes. The sensor can distinguish between substances based on their different absorption properties in the NIR and SWIR range.

Connective issue: AI learns by doing more with less

A new study from Washington University in St. Louis shows that guided by sparsity, silicon neurons learn to pick the most energy-efficient perturbations and wave patterns, enabling an emergent phenomenon of efficient communication between neurons. This research has significant implications for designing neuromorphic AI systems.

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Doctoral student bridges gap between electronics and optics

A doctoral student at Texas A&M University has designed a chip that can revolutionize data rate for processors by utilizing photons. The chip operates at higher speeds with higher data rates compared to previous generation of chips, and is capable of reaching nearly five times the bandwidth.

Silicon with a two-dimensional structure

Scientists successfully produce and characterize a crystalline complex with a two-dimensional equivalent of silicon, defying geometric expectations. The resulting structure displays surprising physical and chemical properties, opening up new avenues for catalysis and materials research.

The era of single-spin color centers in silicon carbide is approaching

Researchers from USTC created a divacancy color center array and achieved spin-coherent manipulation of a single divacancy color center at room temperature. The spin color centers showed excellent properties comparable to the diamond NV center, with a 30% spin readout contrast and extended coherence time of up to 23 microseconds.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Making clean hydrogen is hard, but researchers just solved a major hurdle

Scientists have found a low-cost way to split off oxygen molecules from water using sunlight, paving the way for more efficient production of clean hydrogen. The breakthrough uses a technique that creates electrically conductive paths through a silicon dioxide layer, allowing for stable and efficient water splitting.

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.

Scalable manufacturing of integrated optical frequency combs

Researchers at EPFL and UCSB successfully integrate ultralow-loss Si3N4 photonic integrated circuits with semiconductor lasers, enabling chip-scale frequency combs for high-capacity transceivers, data centers, and sensing applications. This breakthrough paves the way for large-volume, low-cost manufacturing of soliton microcombs.

New manufacturing technique for flexible electronics

Researchers at Stanford University have invented a manufacturing technique that yields flexible, atomically thin transistors less than 100 nanometers in length. The technique, detailed in a paper published in Nature Electronics, promises bendable, shapeable, yet energy-efficient computer circuits.

Smaller chips open door to new RFID applications

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a 125μm×245μm Gen2-compatible RFID chip, the world's smallest of its kind. The smaller chip size enables mass production and reduces costs to under one cent per tag.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Graphene key for novel hardware security

Researchers at Penn State have developed a novel graphene-based physically unclonable function (PUF) that is more energy-efficient and secure against AI attacks than silicon-based devices. The device's unique properties make it resistant to machine learning attacks, adding tamper resistance as another security feature.

Chill out: Advanced solar tech runs cooler and lasts longer

Researchers have made a breakthrough in photovoltaics technology by developing tandem cells and singlet fission processes that reduce operating temperatures and extend device lifetimes. This innovation leads to a 2%-4% gain in annual energy production and doubles the lifetime of devices for every 10°C reduction in temperature.

Discovery of huge Raman scattering at atomic point contact

Researchers develop a new technique to investigate surface structures of semiconductors at the atomic scale. The technique, called atomic point contact Raman spectroscopy, reveals enhanced Raman scattering from silicon surfaces when a plasmonic silver tip is brought into contact with the surface.

Thin, large-area device converts infrared light into images

A new infrared imager developed by researchers at the University of California San Diego converts shortwave infrared light into visible images using organic semiconductors. The device is compact, simple, and provides better image resolution than existing systems.

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Plastic electronics: Ushering in the next generation of technology

Researchers have developed a new semiconductor material that can conduct electricity more efficiently than before, using inexpensive chemicals like dimethyl sulphoxide and hydrobromic acid. The material has the potential to improve solar cells, mobile phones, and wearable electronics, with costs 5000 times lower than existing materials.

Direct observation of the ad- and desorption of guest atoms into a mesoporous host

Scientists have developed a new method to directly observe the filling and emptying of tiny pores in materials, revealing complex mechanisms behind guest-atom interactions. This breakthrough uses combined X-ray methods to provide empirical insights into confined matter in battery electrodes, catalysts, and hydrogen storage materials.

Combining light, superconductors could boost AI capabilities

Researchers propose integrating photonic components with superconducting electronics to enable artificial cognitive systems of scale and functionality. This approach may be easier at low temperatures using superconductors than at room temperatures using semiconductors.

New tech builds ultralow-loss integrated photonic circuits

Scientists have developed a new technology for building silicon nitride integrated photonic circuits with record low optical losses, significantly reducing power budgets for chip-scale optical frequency combs. The technology enables high-quality-factor microresonators and meter-long waveguides on small chips.

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.