The Sellafield site represents one of the world’s biggest scientific and logistical challenges. Not only does the Cumbria-based site handle spent fuel from most of the UK’s nuclear power stations, it also has to decommission a large number of nuclear facilities on the site itself. With continued focus on delivering value for money for the […]
FLOURISH: User-Focused Driverless Car Project Releases Latest Research Findings
The West-of-England-based FLOURISH driverless car research and development project has today released its mid-project trials report detailing its latest findings and what they mean for the future deployment of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) on the UK road network. The University of Bristol’s Professor Robert Piechocki said: “We are on the cusp of the biggest […]
Harnessing Silicon Fabrication Technology to Build Quantum Optical Circuits
A new study by scientists from the University of Bristol brings us a significant step closer to unleashing the revolutionary potential of quantum computing by harnessing silicon fabrication technology to build complex on-chip quantum optical circuits. Quantum computers offer an exciting new approach to solving problems that are currently intractable even on the most advanced […]
‘Dragon Eggs’ Hatched to Monitor Volcanic Activity
The University of Bristol is pioneering the monitoring of volcanic activity by developing a cutting-edge measurement system that can withstand the harsh conditions around the heart of an active volcano. Such extreme, hazardous and unpredictable environments present a very difficult challenge to reliably record volcanic behaviour for analytical models. For some volcanoes it is simply […]
Multi-Purpose Silicon Chip Created For Quantum Information Processing
An international team of researchers led by the University of Bristol have demonstrated that light can be used to implement a multi-functional quantum processor. This small device can be used as a scientific tool to perform a wide array of quantum information experiments, while at the same time showing the way to how fully functional quantum computers […]
Nanocrystalline Graphite Enables New Class Of Harsh Environment Electronics
Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Southampton, in collaboration with Microsemi, have demonstrated reliable operation of microelectromechanical relays by coating the contacts with nanocrystalline layers of graphite, to enable ultra-low-power electronics for harsh environments. Micro and nanoelectromechanical relays have effectively zero leakage current and can operate at much higher temperatures and levels of radiation […]
Scaling Silicon Quantum Photonic Technology
An international team of quantum scientists and engineers led by the University of Bristol and involving groups from China, Denmark, Spain, Germany and Poland, have realised an advanced large-scale silicon quantum photonic device that can entangle photons to incredible levels of precision. While standard quantum hardware entangles particles in two states, the team has found […]
Nanoantenna Arrays Power A New Generation Of Fluorescence-Based Sensors
Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Bedfordshire, in collaboration with multinational company ABB, have designed and tested a series of plasmonic nanoantenna arrays that could lead to the development of a new generation of ultrasensitive and low-cost fluorescence sensors that could be used to monitor water quality. The arrays, designed and tested by Dr […]
Now You Can Levitate Liquids And Insects At Home
Levitation techniques are no longer confined to the laboratory thanks to University of Bristol engineers who have developed an easier way for suspending matter in mid-air by developing a 3D-printed acoustic levitator. This new technique, published in Review of Scientific Instruments, could be applied to a range of applications, including blood tests. Anyone who has felt […]
Energy Efficiency Is Important To Wireless And Broadcast Networks
When a digital TV system operates with excess transmit power there is no benefit for either the user or broadcaster. New research has found that by deploying a spatially adaptive broadcast system, broadcast powers can be reduced by up to 35 per cent, reducing carbon emissions and saving money. A spatially adaptive broadcast system allows […]