Applied Physics

Researchers at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) have realized the superconducting analogue to the semiconducting diode, the Josephson diode. Demonstrated with magnetic-field-free and single directional superconductivity with Josephson coupling, the realization will serve as the building block of the next generation of superconducting circuit technology. Since superconductivity was discovered in 1911, magnetic-field free single-direction superconductivity was thought to be impossible. The New Atlas reported on this discovery, which is expected to increase computing speed by 400%…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its guidelines about masks and respirators a number of times over the past two years and gave its most recent update on Jan. 14, 2022. The update states that cloth face coverings offer the least protection from the coronavirus compared with surgical masks or N95-style masks. Christian L'Orange is a mechanical engineer who has been testing the performance of masks for the state of Colorado since the beginning of the pandemic. He explains the new CDC guidelines and the science of what makes for a good mask. 1. What changed in the CDC…

Several international airlines recently canceled flights into certain US airports over concerns the rollout of 5G mobile communication technology could interfere with some planes’ equipment. After warnings about the potential problem from aviation bosses and the Federal Aviation Administration, telecommunications companies AT&T and Verizon delayed activating some 5G masts around US airports. Currently being deployed in several countries around the world, 5G is the fifth generation of mobile phone technology. It could offer network speeds up to 100 times faster than what we’ve…

Many physics students would tell you immediately off the bat what Newton's Third Law of Motion states. For those who have forgotten our high school physics, NASA informs us that the third law of motion says that every action has an equal, albeit opposite, reaction. Newton's laws of motion have been a constant in many of our lives, reassuring us over the years that the world is a predictable system. However, that's not always the case. While the math does stand on its own, the world around us shows that nothing is ever in proper equilibrium. Defying Newton's Third Law - Nonreciprocal Systems…

Polyurethane is a plastic material used as foam for medical applications, like tubes for intravenous catheters, mattresses, as packaging material, as construction foam and much more. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institutes for Applied Polymer Research IAP, for Chemical Technology ICT, for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM and for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT are now exploring new ways to produce this type of plastic sustainably and without the use of materials that can be toxic at high levels. Generally, a modular system consisting of three…

A research team is working to better define how the finger interacts with a device to create technology that goes beyond sensing and reacting to touch - they want the ability to mimic the feeling of physical objects. Like virtual shopping experience that would let the user feel the texture of materials before purchasing them. And that's actually better for us in many ways. At its essence, the “touch” in current touch screen technology is more for the screen’s benefit than the user. With the emergence and refinement of increasingly sophisticated haptic technology, that relationship between…

A certain demographic have long had concerns about vaccines causing autism, along with fears about GMOs and cellphones causing cancer. That last one has been the least active. Rich people have always been able to afford organic food and to count on poor kids getting enough vaccines to create herd immunity for their special snowflakes, but cell phones are more challenging because they are individual - and getting a new iPhone was a status symbol. Due to their omnipresence, signals are everywhere, just like TV and radio and cosmic rays before them, so most elites give up and recognize that…

Devices we watch and listen on are smaller than ever, which means speakers for sound are as well. In the past, it was difficult to get quality sound from small parts because sound is still analog when it gets to us, and that takes surface area.  Like synthetic grape flavor, using one important part when it requires lots means a result is not quite right. Today's compact speakers are more like synthetic banana flavor; you are unlikely to know the difference, and that is due to mastering physics beyond the surface area - controlled destruction of sound waves. Just as a flashlight is more…

A new lightweight fabric is 3D-printed from nylon plastic polymers comprises hollow octahedrons (eight equal triangular faces) that interlock with each other. While soft, the fabric can be wrapped within a flexible plastic envelope and vacuum-packed, which makes it rigid - 25 times stiffer or harder to bend. This ‘wearable structured fabrics’ could be optimized to harden automatically, or tuned manually when needed. Modern chain mail, anyone? That LARP weekend just got a lot more fun to watch. The “jamming transition" principle - where solid particles switch from a fluid-like soft…

Most people in the tech world are well aware of quantum computing. Sci-Tech Daily mentions that quantum computing utilizes the power of quantum mechanics to perform calculations exponentially faster than the processors we currently have today. Quantum computing uses elements smaller than an atom to complete its processes. The tiniest component in a quantum circuit is known as a quantum bit or qubit. It might seem like it's easy to get quantum bits to interact since they should just be like regular bitwise operators shrunk down. Unfortunately, the microscopic world of quantum subatomic…