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Hybrid chip enables two-way conversion between terahertz and optical signals for ultrafast communications

Researchers at EPFL and Harvard University have engineered a chip that can convert between electromagnetic pulses in the terahertz and optical ranges on the same device. Their integrated design could enable the development of devices for ultrafast telecommunications, ranging, spectroscopy, and computing.

Terahertz radiation describes a band of waves on the electromagnetic spectrum with frequencies higher than microwaves (which are used in telecommunications technologies like Wi-Fi) but lower than (used in lasers and fiber optics). Their short wavelengths mean that terahertz (THz) signals can transmit large amounts of data very fast, but connecting THz radiation to existing optical and microwave technologies has been extremely challenging.

In 2023, researchers in the Laboratory of Hybrid Photonics came one step closer to bridging this gap when they created an extremely thin photonic chip made of that, when connected to a , produced finely tailorable THz waves. Now, the team has reported a novel design that not only generates THz waves but detects incoming ones as well by converting them to optical signals.

Squeezed perovskite layers show improved light-handling capabilities

Perovskite is a rising star in the field of materials science. The mineral is a cheaper, more efficient alternative to existing photovoltaic materials like silicon, a semiconductor used in solar cells. Now, new research has shown that applying pressure to the material can alter and fine-tune its structures—and thus properties—for a variety of applications.

Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, a team of researchers observed in real time what happened when they “squeezed” a special type of perovskite between two diamonds. 2D hybrid perovskite is made up of alternating organic and inorganic layers. It’s the interaction between these layers, says Dr. Yang Song, professor of chemistry at Western University, that determines how the material absorbs, emits, or controls light.

The research team found that applying pressure significantly increased the material’s photoluminescence, making it brighter, which Song says hints at potential applications in LED lighting. The team also observed a continuous change in its color from green to yellow to red. “So you can tune the color.” Being able to observe changes to the material as they happen using ultrabright synchrotron light was critical to their research, said Song.

Melanin-like nanofibers with highly ordered structures achieve ultrahigh specific electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency

Lightweight electromagnetic shielding materials are of interest, though it is challenging to balance performance and processability with conventional materials. Here, the authors report, an ordered melanin-like polymer, using π–π stacking, for a microwave shielding material.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded for Breakthrough “Click Chemistry” Discoveries

The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Carolyn Bertozzi, K. Barry Sharpless, and Morten Meldal for pioneering the development of “click chemistry.” The trio will share a prize amounting to ten million Swedish kronor, approximately 925,000 euros.

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JWST uncovers hidden black holes devouring stars in dusty galaxies

Astronomers at MIT, Columbia University, and elsewhere have used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to peer through the dust of nearby galaxies and into the aftermath of a black hole’s stellar feast.

In a study appearing today in Astrophysical Journal Letters, the researchers report that for the first time, JWST has observed several tidal disruption events—instances when a galaxy’s central black hole draws in a nearby star and whips up tidal forces that tear the star to shreds, giving off an enormous burst of energy in the process.

Scientists have observed about 100 tidal disruption events (TDEs) since the 1990s, mostly as X-ray or optical light that flashes across relatively dust-free galaxies. But as MIT researchers recently reported, there may be many more star-shredding events in the universe that are “hiding” in dustier, gas-veiled galaxies.

Human CLOCK gene enhances brain connectivity and mental flexibility in mice, study finds

Clock genes are a set of genes known to contribute to the regulation of the human body’s internal 24-hour cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm. One of these genes is the so-called CLOCK gene, a protein that regulates the activity of other genes, contributing to recurrent patterns of sleep and wakefulness.

Past findings suggest that this gene is also expressed in the neocortex, a brain region that supports important cognitive abilities, including reasoning, decision-making and the processing of language. However, the gene’s possible contribution to these specific brain functions remains poorly understood.

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center recently carried out a study on genetically modified mice aimed at better understanding how the expression of the CLOCK gene in the human neocortex influences cognitive functions. Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggest that the gene plays a role in the formation of connections between neurons, which in turn influence mental and behavioral flexibility.

When does the body really start aging? The answer may surprise you

When does aging really shift into overdrive? A new study suggests it may be sooner than you think.

Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied proteins in tissue taken from about 70 people ages 14 to 68, according to the study published July 25 in the journal Cell.

These proteins give scientists a window of when the aging process may begin on a cellular level, said Dr. Thomas Blackwell, associate dean for graduate medical education and professor of medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

New research unveils vast influence of B vitamins on health and disease

Eight essential nutrients make up the suite of B vitamins also known as the B complex. Researchers from Tufts University and elsewhere have revealed that these B vitamins influence a vast spectrum of human health and disease, including cognitive function, cardiovascular health, gastric bypass recovery, neural tube defects, and even cancer.

“It’s hard to study the B vitamins in isolation,” says gastroenterologist Joel Mason, senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) and professor at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Tufts University School of Medicine. “Four of these B-vitamins cooperate as co-factors in many critical activities in cells in what we call ‘one carbon metabolism’.”

One carbon metabolism is a series of pathways that allow for the transfer of single-carbon units to cells for essential processes such as DNA synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and more. It’s their role in all these crucial biological functions that make the B vitamins so important-and so challenging to tease out how they contribute positively and, perhaps negatively, to human health.

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