University of Chicago scientists are part of an international research team that has discovered superconductivity–the ability to conduct electricity perfectly–at the highest temperatures ever recorded. Using advanced technology at UChicago-affiliated Argonne National Laboratory, the team studied a class of materials in which they observed superconductivity at temperatures of about minus-23 degrees Celsius (minus-9 degrees Fahrenheit)–a […]
Breakthrough Could Enable Cheaper Infrared Cameras
There’s an entire world our eyes miss, hidden in the ranges of light wavelengths that human eyes can’t see. But infrared cameras can pick up the secret light emitted as plants photosynthesize, as cool stars burn and batteries get hot. They can see through smoke and fog and plastic. But infrared cameras are much more […]
Quantum Network to Test Unhackable Communications
As the number of hacks and security breaches rapidly climbs, scientists say there may be a way to make a truly unhackable network by using the laws of quantum physics. To explore the concept, scientists are creating a network in the Chicago area that taps the principles of quantum physics to send information. Such a […]
Nanocrystal Links Could Lead To Better Electronics, Scientists Say
Chemists and engineers today are very interested in a kind of nanotechnology enabled by tiny islands of nanoparticles called “colloidal nanocrystals.” They can be made out of abundant and non-toxic materials, and they can be easily tweaked to have a number of different properties as a function of their size. Depending on how they’re built, […]
New Method Improves Accuracy of Imaging Systems
New research provides scientists looking at single molecules or into deep space a more accurate way to analyze imaging data captured by microscopes, telescopes and other devices. The improved method for determining the position of objects captured by imaging systems is the result of new research by scientists at the University of Chicago. The findings, […]
Talking to Children About STEM Fields Boosts Test Scores and Career Interest
A new study finds parents who talk with their high schoolers about the relevance of science and math can increase competency and career interest in the fields. The findings, published Jan. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show a 12 percentage point increase on the math and science ACT for students whose […]
Fast Track Control Accelerates Switching of Quantum Bits
From laptops to cellphones, today’s technology advances through the ever-increasing speed at which electric charges are directed through circuits. Similarly, speeding up control over quantum states in atomic and nanoscale systems could lead to leaps for the emerging field of quantum technology. An international collaboration between physicists at the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, […]
Big Data Gives Insight into Appeal of Services Like Uber
In a novel test of the benefit a company can generate for consumers, a new study estimates just how much consumers are gaining from the technology company Uber, helping to explain the service’s popularity. Economists at the University of Chicago and University of Oxford working with researchers at Uber found the company’s main service generated […]
Moving Electrons Around Loops With Light: A Quantum Device Based On Geometry
While a classical bit found in conventional electronics exists only in binary 1 or 0 states, the more resourceful quantum bit, or ‘qubit’ is represented by a vector, pointing to a simultaneous combination of the 1 and 0 states. To fully implement a qubit, it is necessary to control the direction of this qubit’s vector, […]
Solar-Cell Efficiency Improved with New Polymer Devices
New light has been shed on solar power generation using devices made with polymers, thanks to a collaboration between scientists in the University of Chicago’s chemistry department, the Institute for Molecular Engineering, and Argonne National Laboratory. Researchers identified a new polymer – a type of large molecule that forms plastics and other familiar materials – […]