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Polarization photodetector that mimics desert ant offers pathway for more sensitive, miniaturized imaging systems

Polarization photodetectors (pol-PDs) have widespread applications in geological remote sensing, machine vision, and biological medicine. However, commercial pol-PDs usually require bulky and complicated optical components and are difficult to miniaturize and integrate.

Chinese researchers have made important progress in this area by developing an on-chip integrated polarization .

This study, published in Science Advances on Dec. 4, was conducted by Prof. Li Mingzhu’s group from the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

New strategy enhances 2D transistor dielectric layers

Transistors based on two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and tungsten diselenide (WSe2), could outperform conventional silicon-based transistors, while also being easier to reduce in size. To perform well, these transistors need to be based on high-quality dielectric materials, which can be difficult to prepare.

Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics recently introduced a new promising strategy to prepare the dielectric materials for these transistors. Their approach, outlined in a paper published in Nature Electronics, was successfully used to deposit an ultrathin and uniform native oxide of Ga2O3 on the surface of MoS2.

“Traditional methods of preparing dielectric layer, such as (ALD), encounter quality problems because of the high-quality surface of 2D semiconductors without sufficient nucleation points, especially at thin thicknesses down to a few nanometers,” Kongyang Yi, first author of the paper, told Tech Xplore.

Unmatched Data Capacity and Security With Revolutionary Vortex Beams

Researchers have developed an innovative optical technology capable of enhancing data transmission by utilizing spatial-frequency patching metasurfaces.

This approach allows light beams to carry significantly more data across multiple independent channels, overcoming traditional optical beam limitations. Its applications extend to secure communication, encryption, and advanced optical systems.

Revolutionary optical technology for data transmission.

Scientists Solve a 40-Year Quantum Mystery That Could Change Electronics Forever

Quantum chaos, previously theoretical, has been observed experimentally, validating a 40-year-old theory about electrons forming patterns in confined spaces.

Using advanced imaging techniques on graphene, researchers confirmed “quantum scars,” where electrons follow unique closed orbits. These findings could revolutionize electronics by enabling efficient, low-power transistors and paving the way for novel quantum control methods. This discovery offers insights into chaotic quantum systems, bridging a gap between classical and quantum physics.

Patterns in chaos revealed in quantum space.

Mind-Reading Tattoos Revolutionize Brainwave Monitoring in Real-Time

Researchers have developed a liquid ink that can be printed directly onto the scalp to monitor brain activity, offering a less intrusive alternative to traditional EEG setups.

This ink enables the creation of e-tattoos that accurately track brainwaves and maintain connectivity over extended periods. These innovations could drastically change the application of brain-computer interface technologies, making them more comfortable and efficient for users.

Innovative liquid ink for brain activity monitoring.

China hits record-breaking 1.85 terabytes of data storage in diamonds

To demonstrate the capabilities of their diamond storage system, the researchers encoded a famous sequence of photographs by Eadweard Muybridge.

“The team then stored images by mapping the brightness of each pixel to the brightness levels of specific sites inside the diamond,” New Scientist reported.

Interestingly, the system achieved a remarkable level of accuracy and completeness, successfully storing and retrieving the images with 99%.

The Future Of Quantum Computing

Each quantum computing trajectory faces unique developmental needs. Gate-based quantum computers require scalability, error correction and quantum gate fidelity improvements to achieve stable, accurate computations. The whole-systems approach needs advances in qubit connectivity and reductions in noise interference to boost computational reliability. Meanwhile, parsing-of-totality depends on advancing sensing techniques to harness atoms’ deeper patterns and potentiality.

Major investments are currently directed toward gate-based quantum computing, with IBM, Google and Microsoft leading the charge, aiming for universal quantum computation. However, the idea of universal quantum computation remains complex given that the parsing-of-totality approach suggests the possibility of new quantum patterns, properties and even principles that could require a conceptual shift as radical as the transition from classical bits to quantum qubits.

All three trajectories will play essential roles in the future of quantum computing. Gate-based systems may ultimately achieve universal applicability. Whole-systems quantum computing will continue to reframe a larger class of problems as complex adaptive systems requiring optimization to be solved. The parsing-based approaches will leverage novel quantum principles to spawn new quantum technologies.

Scientists Turned a Quantum Computer Into a Time Crystal

This study focuses on topological time crystals, which sort of take this idea and make it a bit more complex (not that it wasn’t already). A topological time crystal’s behavior is determined by overall structure, rather than just a single atom or interaction. As ZME Science describes, if normal time crystals are a strand in a spider’s web, a topological time crystal is the entire web, and even the change of a single thread can affect the whole web. This “network” of connection is a feature, not a flaw, as it makes the topological crystal more resilient to disturbances—something quantum computers could definitely put to use.

In this experiment, scientists essentially embedded this behavior into a quantum computer, creating fidelities that exceeded previous quantum experiments. And although this all occurred in a prethermal regime, according to ZME Science, it’s still a big step forward towards potentially creating a more stable quantum computer capable of finally unlocking that future that always feels a decade from our grasp.

Hackers claim major breakthrough in Windows and Office license fraud

Massgrave, a piracy group developing activation scripts for Microsoft products, claims to have discovered a new method to permanently activate “almost any version of Windows and Office.”

This group is behind the MAS (Microsoft Activation Scripts) project, which develops piracy tools to activate various versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems and Office products. Unauthorized software license manipulation is illegal in most jurisdictions.

“Our team has successfully cracked almost the entire Windows/Office software licensing protection,” the group announced on social media.

The Role Of Quantum Computing In Personalized Medicine

The integration of quantum computing into personalized medicine holds great promise for revolutionizing disease diagnosis, treatment development, and patient outcomes. Quantum computers have the potential to process vast amounts of genetic data much faster than classical computers, enabling researchers to identify patterns and correlations that may not be apparent with current technology. This could lead to breakthroughs in understanding the genetic basis of complex diseases and developing targeted treatments.

Quantum computing also has the potential to revolutionize medical imaging by enabling the simulation of complex magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Quantum algorithms can efficiently process large-scale imaging data, enabling researchers to reconstruct high-resolution images that reveal subtle details about tissue structure and function. This has significant implications for disease diagnosis and treatment, where accurate imaging is critical for developing effective treatments.

The use of quantum computing in personalized medicine raises important ethical considerations, such as concerns about privacy and informed consent. The ability to rapidly analyze large amounts of genetic data also raises questions about how this information should be used and shared with patients. Regulatory frameworks will play a crucial role in shaping the development and deployment of quantum computing in personalized medicine, balancing the need to promote innovation with the need to protect patient safety and privacy.