A Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory research team has developed an exceptional next-generation material for nuclear radiation detection that could provide a significantly less expensive alternative to the detectors now in commercial use. Specifically, the high-performance material is used in a device that can detect gamma rays, weak signals given off by nuclear materials, […]
‘Memtransistor’ Brings World Closer To Brain-Like Computing
Computer algorithms might be performing brain-like functions, such as facial recognition and language translation, but the computers themselves have yet to operate like brains. “Computers have separate processing and memory storage units, whereas the brain uses neurons to perform both functions,” said Northwestern University’s Mark C. Hersam. “Neural networks can achieve complicated computation with significantly […]
Inverse-Design Approach Leads To Metadevices
Imagine wafer-thin eyeglasses or a smartphone camera so small it is invisible to the naked eye. Imagine an aerodynamic sensor that can conform to the exact slope and angle of a jet airplane wing. Imagine a material that can coat a tank to make it seem to disappear. These visions of future technologies emerge from […]
World’s Smallest Wearable Device Measures UV Exposure
New Lithium-Rich Battery Could Last Much Longer
On paper, it doesn’t seem like Christopher Wolverton’s super lithium-rich battery should work. For one, the novel battery uses iron, an inexpensive metal that has notoriously failed in batteries. And in another difficult feat, the battery leverages oxygen to help drive the chemical reaction, which researchers previously believed would cause the battery to become unstable. […]
New Method Benchmarks Organic Mixed Conductors
Within the past five years, Northwestern University’s Jonathan Rivnay has noticed a surge in the development of new organic mixed conductors — polymer materials that can transport both electrons and ions. Lighter, more flexible, and easier to process than their inorganic counterparts, the carbon-based materials show promise in a broad assortment of applications, ranging from […]
Simultaneous Design And Nanomanufacturing Speeds Up Fabrication
Design and nanomanufacturing have collided inside of a Northwestern University laboratory. An interdisciplinary team of researchers has used mathematics and machine learning to design an optimal material for light management in solar cells, then fabricated the nanostructured surfaces simultaneously with a new nanomanufacturing technique. “We have bridged the gap between design and nanomanufacturing,” said Wei […]
Spontaneous System Follows Rules of Equilibrium
Scientists have long known the ins and outs of equilibrium thermodynamics. Systems in equilibrium — a stable state of unchanging balance — are governed by a neat set of rules, making them predictable and easy to explore. “In equilibrium, there is a fantastic framework that is very well tested. There are almost no assumptions,” said […]
New Design Results in Compact, Highly Efficient Frequency Comb
Northwestern University researchers have designed a quantum cascade laser (QCL) frequency comb that is dramatically more efficient than previous iterations. Led by Manijeh Razeghi, researchers in Northwestern’s Center for Quantum Devices theoretically designed and experimentally synthesized a new, strain-engineered emitter material. Made with the new material, the compact QCL frequency comb is one order of […]
Most Complex Nanoparticle Crystal Ever Made by Design
The most complex crystal designed and built from nanoparticles has been reported by researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Michigan. The work demonstrates that some of nature’s most complicated structures can be deliberately assembled if researchers can control the shapes of the particles and the way they connect using DNA. “This is a […]