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Oxidation reaction is first-ever with well-defined alignment, spin

Oxidation reaction is first-ever with well-defined alignment, spin

An important chemical species, molecular oxygen is linear, has an anisotropic shape, and spins from two unpaired electrons. However, until now, we didn’t know how these properties influenced important oxidation reactions. Researchers in Japan have now reported development of the world's first molecular oxygen beam that can designate the alignment of the molecular axis and spin direction.

Resistive RAM chip promises major jump in speed, efficiency

Resistive RAM chip promises major jump in speed, efficiency

The first purely silicon oxide-based “resistive RAM” memory chip that can operate in ambient conditions has been developed by researchers in the U.K., and it needs just a thousandth of the energy of Flash-based chips. Unlike other attempts to develop similar silicon-oxide chips, this invention does not require a vacuum to operate.

Return of the vacuum tube

With the advent of the solid-state transistor and semi-conductor-based flat panel display technology, the vacuum tube has virtually disappeared from consumer electronics. But a team of researchers in Korea and at NASA’s Ames Research Center have combined the best traits of both technologies to create a vacuum channel transistor just 150 nm long.

Computing experts unveil superefficient “inexact” chip

Computing experts unveil superefficient “inexact” chip

In a recent project that has challenged the notion that the best chip is the most accurate one, a research team has unveiled this week its prototype “inexact” computer chip. By allowing the chip to make a few mistakes, developers were able to slash the power consumption of the chip dramatically. The result is a chip at least 15 times more efficient than today’s technology.

You can't play nano-billiards on a bumpy table

You can't play nano-billiards on a bumpy table

There's nothing worse than a shonky pool table with an unseen groove or bump that sends your shot off course. A new study has found that the same goes at the nano-scale, where the "billiard balls" are tiny electrons moving across a "table" made of the semiconductor gallium arsenide.

Not your grandma’s quilt

Not your grandma’s quilt

Gallium nitride, a semiconductor material found in bright lights since the 1990s, is used in wireless applications because of its high efficiency and high voltage operation. However, it’s difficult to remove heat from GaN electronics, which limits applications and markets. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have made a material from graphene that does the job, and it looks a lot like a patterned quilt.

Quantum dots brighten, whiten the future of lighting

Quantum dots brighten, whiten the future of lighting

White-light quantum dots made from cadmium selenide can convert blue light produced by a light-emitting diode into a warm white light similar to that generated by an incandescent bulb. But their performance has been poor until recent development breakthroughs have improved efficiency from just 3% originally to as high as 45%.

Honeycomb of magnets could usher in new type of computing

Honeycomb of magnets could usher in new type of computing

The performance of magnetic storage devices is limited by the way magnetic domains interact when in close proximity. Researchers in the U.K. have demonstrated that a honeycomb pattern of nano-sized magnets in a material known as spin ice introduces competition between neighboring magnets, and reduces the problems caused by these interactions by two-thirds.

Phase-change breakthrough could transform memory media

Phase-change breakthrough could transform memory media

By using diamond-tipped tools to apply pressure, a team led by Johns Hopkins engineers has discovered some previously unknown electrical properties of a common memory material, a mix of germanium, antimony, and tellurium called GST. The discovery should make GST more useful for electronics developers by allowing memory formats that retain data more quickly, last longer, and allow far more capacity.

Composite collaboration leads to faster plastic electronics

Scientists from Imperial College London have collaborated with colleagues at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia to produce organic thin-film transistors that consistently achieve record-breaking carrier mobility through careful solution-processing of a blend of two organic semiconductors.

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R&D 100: Now and Then

R&D 100: Now and Then

As R&D Magazine prepares for the 50th annual R&D 100 Awards, the editors take a stroll through the awards history, and invite former winners to join them.

R&D 100 Awards: Final Deadline is April 30

R&D 100 Awards: Final Deadline is April 30

The editors of R&D Magazine have extended the submission deadline for the 2012 R&D 100 Awards to April 30, 2012, at 11:59 pm, eastern U.S. time. This is the FINAL DEADLINE. We cannot accept entries after that time.

Multimedia

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CC Radio - Episode 99

NIH bikes to work. For transcripts of this and other NIH Clinical Center podcasts, visit http://www.cc.nih.gov/podcast/

Blueshift - May 21, 2012: Astrophysicist to the Stars, Dr. David Saltzberg

In a follow-up to our previous interviews with co-creator of "The Big Bang Theory," Bill Prady, we interviewed Dr. David Saltzberg, the show's resident astrophysicist and science consultant. Find out more about his research, adventures in astrophysics, and how he keeps the science of the...

New To Market

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JEOL to launch world's smallest solid-state NMR probe
JEOL to launch world's smallest solid-state NMR probe

According to JEOL Resonance, a new benchmark for resolution and benchmark will be set with its introduction next week of a new 0.75-mm solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probe. The probe is capable of high resolution sample analysis by spinning the sample at 110 kHz, the world's fastest spinning speed for NMR.

Energy Harvesting Subsystems for Wireless Sensors

Nextreme Thermal Solutions has developed two new energy harvesting subsystems for the plumbing and HVAC industries. The subsystems are the latest additions to Nextreme's Thermobility energy harvesting platform that uses thin-film thermoelectric technology to convert available thermal energy into electric power for a variety of autonomous self-powered applications.

Tools & Technology

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Microscope System with LED Illumination
Microscope System with LED Illumination

Leica Microsystems has introduced the Leica DM4000 B LED, a microscope system with LED illumination suited for biomedical applications.

Liquid Handler

Gilson Inc. has introduced the GX-241 liquid handler, a compact liquid handler suited for application and laboratories where bench space is at a premium.

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