Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Acoustics put a fresh spin on electron transitions

A Cornell University team has discovered a way to control electron spin transitions using acoustic waves, eliminating the need for magnetic fields. This breakthrough enables the development of smaller, more power-efficient acoustic sensors for navigation technology and other applications.

SourceCornell University·JournalPhysical Review Applied·DateJun 10, 2020

How to put neurons into cages

Researchers at TU Wien and Stanford University have created tiny neuronal networks by printing 3D cages with microscale openings using two-photon polymerization and acoustic bioprinting. This allows for the growth of multicellular nerve tissue and the creation of connections between neurons, enabling targeted study of neural networks.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalBiofabrication·DateMay 4, 2020

How drones can hear walls

Researchers have developed an algorithm that uses the transit time of sound waves to assign echoes to specific walls. The drone's six degrees of freedom are sufficient for optimal microphone placement, reducing ghost wall detection. This innovation opens a new pathway towards practical applications in various fields.

SourceTechnical University of Munich (TUM)·JournalSIAM Journal on Applied Algebra and Geometry·DateMar 6, 2020

Cooling magnets with sound

Researchers at the University of Innsbruck have developed a method to cool microparticles using sound waves, enabling quantum experiments without photons. This innovative approach also provides a path to probe and manipulate exotic dynamics of acoustic and magnetic waves in small particles.

SourceUniversity of Innsbruck·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 5, 2020

Hearing through lip-reading

Researchers found that brain activity in healthy adults synchronized with sound waves produced by a silent woman speaking, indicating the brain can process auditory information from visual cues. This ability arises from visual cortex activity synchronizing with lip movement and signal transmission to other areas for sound synthesis.

Submarine cables: billions of potential seismic sensors!

Scientists have successfully detected seismic waves using submarine telecommunications cables, which can also detect earthquakes, swell, and underwater noise. The researchers deployed a 41 km-long cable to retrieve data from an underwater observatory, converting it into over 6000 seismic sensors.

SourceCNRS·JournalNature Communications·DateDec 18, 2019

Light and sound in silicon chips: The slower the better

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have developed a new concept that combines light and sound waves in standard silicon chips, achieving delays of tens of nano-seconds without introducing additional materials. This breakthrough enables the selective processing of sound waves, which is difficult for electronics and optics alone.

SourceBar-Ilan University·JournalNature Communications·DateSep 16, 2019

Wired for sound: A third wave emerges in integrated circuits

Researchers have developed a new generation of integrated circuits that utilize the interaction between light and sound to revolutionize 5G networks, sensor systems, satellite communication, radar systems, and radio astronomy. This third-wave technology offers immense technological applications and opportunities for pure scientific inv...

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalNature Photonics·DateAug 19, 2019

How to bend waves to arrive at the right place

Researchers at TU Wien have developed a method to manipulate the 'branched flow' of waves, which can be exploited to send waves along specific paths. The technique uses numerical simulations to calculate the optimal wave shape and can be applied to various types of waves, including light, sound, and sonar waves.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 24, 2019

The discovery of acoustic spin

Researchers observe acoustic spin in airborne sound waves, leading to new physics and applications for emerging topics in fundamental physics and acoustics. The discovery enables the control of particle rotation with torque and holds promise for acoustic communication.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·DateMay 28, 2019

Building next gen smart materials with the power of sound

Scientists from RMIT University have created a clean, green technique to produce customised MOFs in minutes, harnessing the precision power of high-frequency sound waves. This innovative approach avoids traditional methods' environmental impacts and produces ready-to-use MOFs quickly and sustainably.

SourceRMIT University·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 23, 2019