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A new electrical method to conveniently change the direction of electron flow in some quantum materials could have implications for the development of next-generation electronic devices and quantum computers.

A team of researchers from Penn State developed and demonstrated the method in materials that exhibit the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect—a phenomenon in which the flow of electrons along the edge of a material does not lose energy. The team described the work in a paper in the journal Nature Materials.

“As electronic devices get smaller and computational demands get larger, it is increasingly important to find ways to improve the efficiency of information transfer, which includes the control of electron flow,” said Cui-Zu Chang, Henry W. Knerr Early Career Professor and associate professor of physics at Penn State and co-corresponding author of the paper. “The QAH effect is promising because there is no energy loss as electrons flow along the edges of materials.”

It’s inspired by Iron Man.

The super-special material graphene continues to surprise and fascinate scientists, this time revealing a rare electronic state termed ‘ferro-valleytricity’, which occurs when graphene is stacked up in a particular five-layer combination.

When in this new state, the graphene stack exhibits weird and wonderful magnetic and electronic behavior, as reported by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, and the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan.

Using graphene in this way could help in the development of both classical and quantum computers, according to the team, especially in terms of creating data storage solutions that offer large capacities but that also need relatively little energy to run.

Quantum teleportation enables the transfer of quantum information to distant locations through the use of quantum entanglement and classical communication. This concept has been realized in various quantum light systems, ranging from laboratory-based experiments to practical real-world tests. Notably, by utilizing the low-Earth orbit Micius satellite, scientists have successfully teleported quantum information over distances exceeding 1,200 km. However, there hasn’t been a quantum teleportation system yet whose rate can reach the order of Hertz. This hinders future applications of the quantum internet.

In a paper published in Light Science & Application, a team of scientists, led by Prof. Guangcan Guo and Prof. Qiang Zhou from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) cooperating with Prof. Lixing You from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have improved the teleportation rate to 7.1 qubits per second for the first time based on the “No. 1 Metropolitan Quantum Internet of UESTC”.

This presents a new record for the quantum teleportation system over metropolitan range.

Quantum mechanics (QM) is derived based on a universe composed solely of events, for example, outcomes of observables. Such an event universe is represented by a dendrogram (a finite tree) and in the limit of infinitely many events by the p-adic tree. The trees are endowed with an ultrametric expressing hierarchical relationships between events. All events are coupled through the tree structure. Such a holistic picture of event-processes was formalized within the Dendrographic Hologram Theory (DHT). The present paper is devoted to the emergence of QM from DHT. We used the generalization of the QM-emergence scheme developed by Smolin. Following this scheme, we did not quantize events but rather the differences between them and through analytic derivation arrived at Bohmian mechanics.

Neurotechnology will improve our lives in many ways. However, to sustain a world where our neurobiological data (in some cases perhaps including our innermost thoughts and feelings) remains properly secure, we must invest in both policy and technology that prevents bad actors from stealing private information or even directly manipulating people’s brains. We don’t want the very real possibility of ‘telepathy’ and ‘mind control’ to harm people and society. So, let’s start laying the groundwork now to ensure the best possible neurotech future! #neurotech #future #policy #neuroscience

We provide a Perspective highlighting the significant ethical implications of the use of fast-developing neurotechnologies in humans, as well as the regulatory frameworks and guidelines needed to protect neurodata and mental privacy.

Neurons, the main cells that make up our brain and spinal cord, are among the slowest cells to regenerate after an injury, and many neurons fail to regenerate entirely. While scientists have made progress in understanding neuronal regeneration, it remains unknown why some neurons regenerate and others do not.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, a method that determines which genes are activated in individual cells, researchers from University of California San Diego School of Medicine have identified a new biomarker that can be used to predict whether or not neurons will regenerate after an injury. Testing their discovery in mice, they found that the biomarker was consistently reliable in… More.

Researchers from University of California San Diego have identified a new biomarker that can predict whether or not neurons will regenerate after an injury. The findings could help scientists develop regenerative therapies for spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions.

Before epilepsy was understood to be a neurological condition, people believed it was caused by the moon, or by phlegm in the brain. They condemned seizures as evidence of witchcraft or demonic possession, and killed or castrated sufferers to prevent them from passing tainted blood to a new generation.

Today we know epilepsy is a disease. By and large, it’s accepted that a person who causes a fatal traffic accident while in the grip of a seizure should not be charged with murder.

That’s good, says Stanford University neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky. That’s progress. But there’s still a long way to go.

Continue reading “Stanford scientist, after decades of study, concludes: We don’t have free will” »

Autonomous shopping carts that follow grocery store customers and robots that pick ripe cucumbers faster than humans may grab headlines, but the most compelling applications of AI and ML technology are behind the scenes. Increasingly, organizations are finding substantial efficiency gains by applying AI-and ML-powered tools to back-office procedures such as document processing, data entry, employee onboarding, and workflow automation.

The power of automation to augment productivity in the back office has been clear for decades, but the recent emergence of advanced AI and ML tools offers a step change in what automation can accomplish, including in highly regulated industries such as health care.