A group of scientists used a new Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) technique to image the electron distribution in electrides, which are ionic compounds, particularly the electrons that float loosely within pockets and appear separate from the atomic network. Differential Phase Contrast (DPC) in STEM is a new technique that measures and maps a material’s [..]

Researchers at UMass Lowell are working on a pilot project to help the university identify and prioritize cost-saving repairs and energy-efficiency projects on campus. Drones equipped with infrared cameras can create thermal maps showing where buildings or underground steam pipes are losing heat and costing organizations money. These can help identify energy efficiency projects. They [..]

Biosensors are usually designed following a three-step process: recognition of biomolecules, triggering of signal, and detection (e.g., using phase change material properties). Recognizing the biomolecules is the first and very important step in designing a biosensor system. Biosensors are useful for environmental analysis and agricultural management applications, particularly in detecting infectious diseases in crops, toxic [..]

Ca3SiO, a chemical compound discovered by researchers, is a direct transition semiconductor, making it a potentially bright infrared LED and infrared detector component. This semiconductor compound, made up of calcium, silicon, and oxygen is inexpensive and non-toxic. Today’s infrared semiconductors contain toxic chemical elements like cadmium and tellurium. Ca3SiO could be used to create cheaper [..]

Excessive fat accumulation in the liver can lead to serious medical problems, including liver failure. Thus, understanding the distribution of lipids within the liver is critical in diagnosing fatty liver diseases. A team of researchers has now shown that near-infrared hyperspectral imaging permits the visualization of lipid content in mouse liver. This technique can facilitate [..]

Temperature recordings were widely used as a screening tool to help detect COVID-infected individuals. Traditional approaches to temperature screening have several important things that could be improved. Because absolute temperature is measured in the axilla, mouth, or eardrum rather than the body’s core temperature, it has limited utility. As a result, there is no accurate [..]

Electrochemiluminescence, also known as electrogenerated chemiluminescence, is one of the most widely used techniques for producing light through efficient electron transfer (ECL). Individual ECL spectra showing emitted light are collected continuously during a potentiodynamic course, allowing ECL mechanisms to be investigated. The obtained spectra are spooled together and plotted along the applied potential axis, which [..]

Researchers used a sensitive scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) to directly measure the optical fields of AGP waves propagating in a nanometer-thin waveguide to demonstrate direct near-field optical imaging of acoustic graphene plasmon (AGP) fields. Scientists could observe the thousandfold compression of mid-infrared light using this method. The strategy paves the way for potentially [..]

An AI tool opens up new possibilities for analyzing microscope images. According to a study, the tool, which has already received international recognition, has the potential to fundamentally change microscopy and pave the way for discoveries and applications in both research and industry. Deep learning has taken the world by storm, having a massive impact [..]

The implementation of the idea of liquid computers would be revolutionary for microfluidics, not because microfluidics seeks computational capabilities but because it would enable the encoding of a variety of algorithms (laboratory procedures) into the structure of the device. Researchers show the successful implementation of advanced sequential logic in droplet microfluidics, whose principles rely on [..]

Point-scanning imaging systems are among the most widely used tools for high-resolution cellular and tissue imaging, benefiting from arbitrarily defined pixel sizes. The resolution, speed, sample preservation, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of these systems are difficult to optimize simultaneously. Researchers show these limitations can be mitigated via the use of deep learning-based supersampling of undersampled [..]

The eyes of mantis shrimp inspired the development of a new type of organic photodetector small enough to fit on a smartphone but capable of hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging. The eyes of mantis shrimp, exceptionally good at capturing subtle gradations of color, inspired the designers of the new organic photodetector. As a result, the researchers [..]

A group of scientists has developed a method that significantly improves the already ultrafast time resolution of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). It has the potential to lead to breakthroughs in the design of new materials and more efficient chemical processes. An X-ray free-electron laser device is a powerful combination of particle accelerator and laser technology [..]

Future head-mounted displays may automatically remove dust obstructing the wearer’s view using a self cleaning glass. If you wear glasses, you also have a cloth you use to repeatedly clean them, and you may still need to wipe over “Apple Glass.” However, a newly-revealed patent application shows that Apple is looking to keep the inside [..]

A particle or “walker” moves stochastically around a discrete space in a classical random walk. Quantum walks are the quantum analog, where the walker is also governed by quantum effects such as superposition, quantum interference, and entanglement. Quantum walks have attracted broad interest because of a growing range of applications in quantum information processing and [..]

Soft robotics, wearable technologies, and biomedical applications all require stretchable electronics. However, the current methods of production have limited their potential. A group of researchers has created a material and fabrication process that can quickly make these devices stretchier, more durable, and ready for mass production. One of the most difficult challenges for stretchable electronics [..]

For centuries, polished glass has been at the heart of imaging systems. Lenses’ precise curvature allows them to focus light and produce sharp images, whether the object in view is a single cell, a book page, or a distant galaxy. To see clearly at all of these scales, the zoom lens must be physically moved [..]

Nonlinear optical properties, such as bulk photovoltaic effects, possess great potential in energy harvesting, photodetection, rectification, etc. To enable efficient light–current conversion, materials with strong photo-responsivity are highly desirable. Researchers predict that monolayer Janus transition metal dichalcogenides (JTMDs) in the 1T′ phase possess colossal nonlinear photoconductivity owing to their topological band mixing, strong inversion symmetry [..]

Calcification of the coronary arteries is a significant and independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attacks. Nonetheless, despite this knowledge and the fact that it can be assessed using any chest CT scan, quantification of coronary artery calcium (CAC) is not automatically integrated into the patient pathway because it requires radiological expertise, [..]

Apple has filed a patent application for their future VR head-mounted display, specifically a system allowing users to customize the headset’s fit on their face to be comfortable and snug. A head-mounted display is worn on the user’s head and engages the user’s face. However, by engaging the face, the head-mounted display may limit facial [..]