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Category: electronics

New contactless method reveals how mirror-image materials respond differently to light

New research introduces a contactless way to see how mirror-image materials respond differently to circularly polarized light, without first building them into a complete electronic device. The researchers developed a novel method based on light-induced charge separation that allows researchers to directly probe how the material’s structure acts like a microscopic filter, influencing how electrons separate and move.

The advance is important because it gives scientists a faster, cleaner way to test promising materials without metal contacts and other parts of a finished device affecting the results. The approach could ultimately help researchers develop new mirror-image materials for technologies that use circularly polarized light, electrical charge and electron spin.

Imagine two nearly identical materials sitting side by side. They are mirror images of each other, much like your left and right hands. Shine an ordinary light on them, and they seem much the same. But shine light that twists in one direction, and one material responds more strongly. Twist the light the other way, and its mirror-image partner takes the lead.

Earthquake sensors can help forecast how hurricanes intensify

Stanford researchers have shown that instruments primarily used to understand earthquakes can capture key details about hurricanes, helping meteorologists better predict how storms will evolve and intensify.

A new study published Aug. 6 in Science demonstrates how specialized microphones and seismometers that detect Earth’s movements can reveal the inner workings of hurricanes. The discovery came after Hurricane Isaac barreled onto the Louisiana coast in 2012, passing over areas where geophysicists had installed sensors for another project.

“We’ve found a new and effective way to gather valuable information about hurricanes from seismic and acoustic sensors,” said lead study author Qing Ji, who conducted the research as a doctoral student in the lab of Eric Dunham at Stanford University. “The geophysics data can provide a fuller understanding of big storms.”

Elucidating the spatiotemporal dynamics of glucose metabolism with genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors

Recent years have seen the rapid development of genetically encoded fluorescent sensors that can achieve specific and sensitive monitoring of metabolites in glucose metabolism. In this perspective, Li et al. discuss the different biosensors and their applications in understanding glucose metabolism.

Why a UTI hurts—and why that might be a good thing

Australian researchers have discovered a previously overlooked group of bladder nerves that help detect urinary tract infections (UTIs) and trigger the body’s response to clear them, providing a potential new target for future bladder pain therapies.

The study shows that bladder nerves located close to the bladder lining act as frontline infection sensors, helping the body recognize UTIs and trigger responses that reduce the severity and spread of infection. The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

UTIs are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide, with more than 400 million cases reported every year. Nearly one in three women will experience UTIs before the age of 24, and many older people and those with bladder issues from spinal cord injuries can experience multiple UTIs in a single year.

Largescale compressive microscopy via diffractive multiplexing across a sensor array Photonics

By combining an array of 48 sensors with a diffractive mask and compressive sensing, researchers developed a 25 gigapixel-per-second computational microscope that can image at micrometre resolution across multi-centimetre areas at 120 frames per second.

Scientists create an “electron lighthouse” with laser light

Scientists have created an “electron lighthouse” that uses laser light to launch and steer electrons through a semiconductor without an applied electrical field. The quantum effect could eventually improve optical sensors, communications, imaging, and information storage.

New Semiconductor Device Turns Light Into a Directed Current

The light-controlled electron current could open new paths for sensing, telecommunications, and other advanced technologies.

A pair of laser beams can now send electrons through a semiconductor in a chosen direction without any external electrical power. Researchers at the University of Michigan built the device to explore a previously unobserved physical effect and demonstrate that light alone can both generate and steer an electronic current.

The work could eventually support technologies that combine optics and electronics, including sensing, imaging, and telecommunications. By improving how signals move within and between devices, the effect may also allow those signals to carry more information.

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