The findings have been published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

While ethanol in alcoholic beverages impairs drinkers’ motor functions, it is that same substance that can power motor vehicles in a cleaner, more sustainable manner. What is necessary for the production of ethanol is yeast, but ethanol is among the environmental factors that add stress to yeasts, hindering their growth. To promote efficient bioethanol production, scientists have been searching for substances that can help yeasts better withstand ethanol, but few effective ones have been found.

An Osaka Metropolitan University research team, including graduate student Ilhamzah and Professor Ken-ichi Fujita of the Graduate School of Science and Professor Akira Ogita of the Research Center for Urban Health and Sports, has found that tannin from persimmons improves the growth of the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the presence of ethanol.

Professor Fujita stated, “In this study, yeast cultures grown in a medium containing ethanol and persimmon tannin showed an 8.9-fold increase in cell number compared to cultures grown in an ethanol medium without persimmon tannin.”

The researchers explored persimmon tannin because it is known for its antioxidative properties.

“Persimmon tannin reduced ethanol-induced oxidative stress,” Fujita added.

“However, persimmon tannin did not prevent ethanol-induced cell membrane damage. This indicates the potential of persimmon tannin as a protective agent to enhance the yeast’s tolerance to ethanol stress by limiting oxidative damage, rather than limiting damage to the yeast’s cell membranes.”

**

Persimmon isn’t likely in many folks hot list of flavors. But the breadth and depth of the research is what surprises.

It may well be a part of a solution that increases ethanol production efficiency and that is always a welcome thing.

EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) researchers have used a genetic learning algorithm to identify optimal pitch profiles for the blades of vertical-axis wind turbines. Vertical-axis wind turbines with their high energy potential, have until now been vulnerable to strong gusts of wind.

The explanatory open access paper has been published Nature Communications.

When you consider today’s industrial wind turbine, you likely picture the windmill design, technically known as a horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT). But the very first wind turbines, which were developed in the Middle East around the 8^th century for grinding grain, were vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT), meaning they spun perpendicular to the wind, rather than parallel.

Due to their slower rotation speed, VAWTs are less noisy than HAWTs and achieve greater wind energy density, meaning they need less space for the same output both on- and off-shore. The blades are also more wildlife-friendly: because they rotate laterally, rather than slicing down from above, they are easier for birds to avoid.

With these advantages, why are VAWTs largely absent from today’s wind energy market? As Sébastien Le Fouest, a researcher in the School of Engineering Unsteady Flow Diagnostics Lab (UNFOLD) explains, it comes down to an engineering problem – air flow control – that he believes can be solved with a combination of sensor technology and machine learning. In the paper recently published in Nature Communications, Le Fouest and UNFOLD head Karen Mulleners describe two optimal pitch profiles for VAWT blades, which achieve a 200% increase in turbine efficiency and a 77% reduction in structure-threatening vibrations.

EPFL’s experimental VAWT blade Image Credit: © UNFOLD EPFL CC BY SA. Click the press release link for more and larger images.

Le Fouest noted, “Our study represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first experimental application of a genetic learning algorithm to determine the best pitch for a VAWT blade.”

Turning an Achilles’ heel into an advantage

 Le Fouest explained that while Europe’s installed wind energy capacity is growing by 19 gigawatts per year, this figure needs to be closer to 30 GW to meet the UN’s 2050 objectives for carbon emissions.

“The barriers to achieving this are not financial, but social and legislative – there is very low public acceptance of wind turbines because of their size and noisiness,” he said.

Despite their advantages in this regard, VAWTs suffer from a serious drawback: they only function well with moderate, continuous air flow. The vertical axis of rotation means that the blades are constantly changing orientation with respect to the wind. A strong gust increases the angle between air flow and blade, forming a vortex in a phenomenon called dynamic stall. These vortices create transient structural loads that the blades cannot withstand.

To tackle this lack of resistance to gusts, the researchers mounted sensors onto an actuating blade shaft to measure the air forces acting on it. By pitching the blade back and forth at different angles, speeds, and amplitudes, they generated series of ‘pitch profiles’. Then, they used a computer to run a genetic algorithm, which performed over 3500 experimental iterations. Like an evolutionary process, the algorithm selected for the most efficient and robust pitch profiles, and recombined their traits to generate new and improved ‘offspring’.

This approach allowed the researchers not only to identify two pitch profile series that contribute to significantly enhanced turbine efficiency and robustness, but also to turn the biggest weakness of VAWTs into a strength.

“Dynamic stall – the same phenomenon that destroys wind turbines – at a smaller scale can actually propel the blade forward. Here, we really use dynamic stall to our advantage by redirecting the blade pitch forward to produce power,” Le Fouest explained. “Most wind turbines angle the force generated by the blades upwards, which does not help the rotation. Changing that angle not only forms a smaller vortex – it simultaneously pushes it away at precisely the right time, which results in a second region of power production downwind.”

The Nature Communications paper represents Le Fouest’s PhD work in the UNFOLD lab. Now, he has received a BRIDGE grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and Innosuisse to build a proof-of-concept VAWT. The goal is to install it outdoors, so that it can be tested as it responds in real time to real-world conditions.

“We hope this air flow control method can bring efficient and reliable VAWT technology to maturity so that it can finally be made commercially available,” Le Fouest said.

**

One does certainly hope this development has the wherewithal to replace a lot of those dangerous ugly and noisy HAWTs. While wind is a notorious intermittent power source the industry has a lot of momentum that sucks up immense amounts of ratepayer and taxpayer money. Stamping out rent seeking plans like wind turbines could serve as an example of how terribly an economy and its citizens are damaged by political enforced rent making schemes.

It would be great of the developers could say the technology can stand economically on its own. But the press release makes no such comments.  The reality is these can only supplement a bit when the winds blows.

University of Ottawa researchers have now devised a smart approach to optimize solar energy effectiveness. Their innovative method includes incorporating artificial ground reflectors, a simple yet powerful enhancement.

The study “Artificial Ground Reflector Size and Position Effects on Energy Yield and Economics of Single Axis Tracked Bifacial Photovoltaics” was published in the journal Progress in Photovoltaics.

The researchers found that by integrating these reflectors into solar setups, they could improve the system’s energy production and efficiency, making such projects more economically viable. This discovery is significant in assessing the costs and benefits of using artificial reflectors in solar energy ventures.

Test site photo of reflective underlayment for solar panels of an artificial reflector experiment performed on the Bifacial Experimental Single-Axis-Tracking Site (BEST Site) at NREL in Golden, Colorado. Image Credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden Colorado. For more and larger images click the press release link here.

To study how reflective ground covers affect solar energy output, the University of Ottawa’s SUNLAB, led by electrical engineering Professor Karin Hinzer, who is also vice-dean, research of the Faculty of Engineering, collaborated with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, a world leader in clean energy research, development, and deployment. The study, which was conducted by electrical engineering doctoral candidate Mandy Lewis in Golden, Colorado, found that placing reflective surfaces under solar panels can increase their energy output by up to 4.5%.

“We found that highly reflective white surfaces can boost solar power output,” explains Mandy Lewis, the paper’s lead author. “Critically, these reflectors should be placed directly under the solar panels, not between rows, to maximize this benefit.”

Unlocking solar potential in Canada and beyond

These findings are particularly significant in Canada, where snow cover persists for three-to four months of the year in major cities like Ottawa and Toronto, and 65% of the country’s vast landmass experiences snow cover for over half the year. Bifacial solar systems, paired with high ground reflectivity, offer tremendous potential in these regions. Additionally, given that approximately 4% of the world’s land areas are classified as sandy deserts, this finding has global applications.

According to Lewis, “this research is crucial for maximizing solar energy production in geographically diverse locations. Furthermore, by generating more power per unit of land area, reflectors are ideal for densely populated areas, like city centres, where space limitations exist for solar installations.”

This study marks the beginning of a new international research collaboration between the University of Ottawa and NREL. The project was funded by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS), and the US Department of Energy (DoE), underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts in advancing renewable energy technologies.

Global impact in facilitating the transition to clean energy

This research will contribute significantly to the global transition to zero-emission power sources. These findings hold particular value for Canada and other countries that are typically cloudy, since power gains of 6.0% were observed in cloudy Seattle compared to 2.6% in arid Tucson.

**

The photos suggest this technology would be applicable across quite a range of locations. It also looks like there are solar cell panels facing down from under the panel. Just how this technology might cost out isn’t discussed, but for high latitudes and climates with lots of cloudy time compared to clear weather this might be a workable solution.

On the other hand, solar at high latitude or in cloudy locations has a very difficult cost barrier to overcome. While this technology is inventive and innovative, the price to get into service is worrisome, both as an expense, maintenance and as a subject for government policy forcing the costs on consumers.

In a just released Northwestern University study, the new catalyst successfully converted CO₂ into CO, an important building block to produce a variety of useful chemicals. When the reaction occurs in the presence of hydrogen, for example, CO₂ and hydrogen transform into synthesis gas (or syngas), a highly valuable precursor to producing fuels that can potentially replace gasoline.

Schematic Image Credit:Milad Khoshooei at Northwestern University. Click here for the press release page.

The study “An active, stable cubic molybdenum carbide catalyst for the high-temperature reverse water-gas shift reaction,” has been published in the journal Science.

With recent advances in carbon capture technologies, post-combustion carbon capture is becoming a plausible option to help tackle the global climate change crisis. But how to handle the captured carbon remains an open-ended question. The new catalyst potentially could provide one solution for disposing the potent greenhouse gas by converting it into a more valuable product.

“Even if we stopped emitting CO₂ now, our atmosphere would still have a surplus of CO₂ as a result of industrial activities from the past centuries,” said Northwestern’s Milad Khoshooei, who co-led the study. “There is no single solution to this problem. We need to reduce CO₂ emissions and find new ways to decrease the CO₂ concentration that is already in the atmosphere. We should take advantage of all possible solutions.”

“We’re not the first research group to convert CO₂ into another product,” said Northwestern’s Omar K. Farha, the study’s senior author. “However, for the process to be truly practical, it necessitates a catalyst that fulfills several crucial criteria: affordability, stability, ease of production and scalability. Balancing these four elements is key. Fortunately, our material excels in meeting these requirements.”

An expert in carbon capture technologies, Farha is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. After starting this work as a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Calgary in Canada, Khoshooei now is a postdoctoral fellow in Farha’s laboratory.

Solutions from the pantry 

The secret behind the new catalyst is molybdenum carbide, an extremely hard ceramic material. Unlike many other catalysts that require expensive metals, such as platinum or palladium, molybdenum is an inexpensive, non-precious, Earth-abundant metal.

To transform molybdenum into molybdenum carbide, the scientists needed a source of carbon. They discovered a cheap option in an unexpected place: the pantry. Surprisingly, sugar — the white, granulated kind found in nearly every household — served as an inexpensive, convenient source of carbon atoms.

“Every day that I tried to synthesize these materials, I would bring sugar to the lab from my home,” Khoshooei said. “When compared to other classes of materials commonly used for catalysts, ours is incredibly inexpensive.”

Successfully selective and stable

When testing the catalyst, Farha, Khoshooei and their collaborators were impressed by its success. Operating at ambient pressures and high temperatures (300-600° C), the catalyst converted CO₂ into CO with 100% selectivity.

High selectivity means that the catalyst acted only on the CO₂ without disrupting surrounding materials. In other words, industry could apply the catalyst to large volumes of captured gases and selectively target only the CO₂. The catalyst also remained stable over time, meaning that it stayed active and did not degrade.

“In chemistry, it’s not uncommon for a catalyst to lose its selectivity after a few hours,” Farha said. “But, after 500 hours in harsh conditions, its selectivity did not change.”

This is particularly remarkable because CO₂ is a stable — and stubborn — molecule.

“Converting CO₂ is not easy,” Khoshooei said. “CO₂ is a chemically stable molecule, and we had to overcome that stability, which takes a lot of energy.

Tandem approach to carbon clean-up

Developing materials for carbon capture is a major focus of Farha’s laboratory. His group develops metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of highly porous, nano-sized materials that Farha likens to “sophisticated and programmable bath sponges.” Farha explores MOFs for diverse applications, including pulling CO₂ directly from the air.

Now, Farha says MOFs and the new catalyst could work together to play a role in carbon capture and sequestration.

“At some point, we could employ a MOF to capture CO2, followed by a catalyst converting it into something more beneficial,” Farha suggested. “A tandem system utilizing two distinct materials for two sequential steps could be the way forward.”

“This could help us answer the question: ‘What do we do with captured   CO₂?’” Khoshooei added. “Right now, the plan is to sequester it underground. But underground reservoirs must meet many requirements in order to safely and permanently store CO₂. We wanted to design a more universal solution that can be used anywhere while adding economic value.”

Farha is a member of the International Institute for Nanotechology and a faculty affiliate of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy.

**

This catalyst technology just might be what is needed to get CO₂ recycling going. It’s such a pity that there is so much global warming scam involved in the press release. One tolerates it as getting further into the recycling research is going to need funding and for now the warming folks have their mitts on the wallet.

For now, the biologists, agronomists and botanists are horrified by this kind of reporting. Cleaning up CO2 makes knowledgeable folks wonder where the food for creatures is going to come from if humans “clean up” the food source away from green plants. What is it that cherry orange and apple trees, wheat, rice, corn, potatoes, poplar, algae, miscanthus, and sugar cane consume to live and grow?  CO₂

The findings, published in the journal Nature, pave the way for advanced on-chip energy storage and power delivery in next-generation electronics.

In the ongoing quest to make electronic devices ever smaller and more energy efficient, researchers want to bring energy storage directly onto microchips, reducing the losses incurred when power is transported between various device components. To be effective, on-chip energy storage must be able to store a large amount of energy in a very small space and deliver it quickly when needed – requirements that can’t be met with existing technologies.

Addressing this challenge, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley have achieved record-high energy and power densities in microcapacitors made with engineered thin films of hafnium oxide and zirconium oxide, using materials and fabrication techniques already widespread in chip manufacturing.

Microcapacitors made with engineered hafnium oxide/zirconium oxide films in 3D trench capacitor structures – the same structures used in modern microelectronics – achieve record-high energy storage and power density, paving the way for on-chip energy storage. Image Credit: Nirmaan Shanker/Suraj Cheema, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Click the press release link for a larger and more images.

Sayeef Salahuddin, the Berkeley Lab faculty senior scientist and UC Berkeley professor who led the project explained, “We’ve shown that it’s possible to store a lot of energy in microcapacitors made from engineered thin films, much more than what is possible with ordinary dielectrics. What’s more, we’re doing this with a material that can be processed directly on top of microprocessors.”

This research is part of broader efforts at Berkeley Lab to develop new materials and techniques for smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient microelectronics.

Capacitors are one of the basic components of electrical circuits but they can also be used to store energy. Unlike batteries, which store energy through electrochemical reactions, capacitors store energy in an electric field established between two metallic plates separated by a dielectric material. Capacitors can be discharged very rapidly when needed, allowing them to deliver power quickly, and they do not degrade with repeated charge-discharge cycles, giving them much longer lifespans than batteries. However, capacitors generally have much lower energy densities than batteries, meaning they can store less energy per unit volume or weight, and that problem only gets worse when you try to shrink them down to microcapacitor size for on-chip energy storage.

At Lawrence Berkeley National Lab the researchers achieved their record-breaking microcapacitors by carefully engineering thin films of HfO₂-ZrO₂ to achieve a negative capacitance effect. Normally, layering one dielectric material on top of another results in an overall lower capacitance. However, if one of those layers is a negative-capacitance material, then the overall capacitance actually increases. In earlier work, Salahuddin and colleagues demonstrated the use of negative capacitance materials to produce transistors that can be operated at substantially lower voltages than conventional MOSFET transistors. Here, they harnessed negative capacitance to produce capacitors capable of storing greater amounts of charge, and therefore energy.

The crystalline films are made from a mix of HfO₂ and ZrO₂ grown by atomic layer deposition, using standard materials and techniques from industrial chip fabrication. Depending on the ratio of the two components, the films can be ferroelectric, where the crystal structure has a built-in electric polarization, or antiferroelectric, where the structure can be nudged into a polar state by applying an electric field. When the composition is tuned just right, the electric field created by charging the capacitor balances the films at the tipping point between ferroelectric and antiferroelectric order, and this instability gives rise to the negative capacitance effect where the material can be very easily polarized by even a small electric field.

Suraj Cheema, a postdoc in Salahuddin’s group and one of the lead authors of the paper explained, “That unit cell really wants to be polarized during the phase transition, which helps produce extra charge in response to an electric field. This phenomenon is one example of a negative capacitance effect but you can think of it as a way of capturing way more charge than you normally would have.” Nirmaan Shanker, a graduate student in Salahuddin’s group, is also a co-lead author.

To scale up the energy storage capability of the films, the team needed to increase the film thickness without allowing it to relax out of the frustrated antiferroelectric-ferroelectric state. They found that by interspersing atomically thin layers of aluminum oxide after every few layers of HfO₂-ZrO₂, they could grow the films up to 100 nm thick while still retaining the desired properties.

Finally, working with collaborators at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the researchers integrated the films into three-dimensional microcapacitor structures, growing the precisely layered films in deep trenches cut into silicon with aspect ratios up to 100:1. These 3D trench capacitor structures are used in today’s DRAM capacitors and can achieve much higher capacitance per unit footprint compared to planar capacitors, allowing greater miniaturization and design flexibility. The properties of the resulting devices are record breaking: compared to the best electrostatic capacitors today, these microcapacitors have nine-times higher energy density and 170-times higher power density (80 mJ-cm^-2 and 300 kW-cm^-2, respectively).

“The energy and power density we got are much higher than we expected,” Salahuddin noted. “We’ve been developing negative capacitance materials for many years, but these results were quite surprising.”

These high-performance microcapacitors could help meet the growing demand for efficient, miniaturized energy storage in microdevices such as Internet-of-Things sensors, edge computing systems, and artificial intelligence processors. The researchers are now working on scaling up the technology and integrating it into full-size microchips, as well as pushing the fundamental materials science forward to improve the negative capacitance of these films even more.

Cheema added, “With this technology, we can finally start to realize energy storage and power delivery seamlessly integrated on-chip in very small sizes. It can open up a new realm of energy technologies for microelectronics.”

Parts of this work were performed at the Molecular Foundry, a DOE Office of Science nanoscience user facility located at Berkeley Lab.

**

This is quite interesting as a development for more miniaturization. The idea that a chip could substitute for an entire circuit board is almost a revolution all by itself. One wonders would there be anything to see other than the connection facilities on the chip? There might only be a connection and a heat sink to be seen.

The technology will very likely see market uptake. For now, there are rows of folks soldering up circuit boards in assembly line fashion by the millions.

Which means this tech will likely be more better and cheaper coming to consumers soon. Then off to a landfill someday with much less toxic elements.

All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries offer enhanced safety and energy density compared to liquid electrolyte counterparts, but face challenges like lower conductivity and insufficient electrode contact. The non-sulfide solid electrolytes, offer higher conductivity and stability and pave the way for advanced all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries with improved performance and safety.

The study paper has been published in Chemistry of Materials. A research team led by Professor Kenjiro Fujimoto, Professor Akihisa Aimi from Tokyo University of Science, and Dr. Shuhei Yoshida from DENSO CORPORATION, discovered a stable and highly conductive Li-ion conductor in the form of a pyrochlore-type oxyfluoride.

Three Dimensional Ionic Conducting Path of Pyrochlore Type Oxyflouride. More details in the study paper text. Image Credit: Tokyo University of Science.

All-solid-state lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries with solid electrolytes are non-flammable and have higher energy density and transference numbers than those with liquid electrolytes. They are expected to take a share of the market for conventional liquid electrolyte Li-ion batteries, such as electric vehicles.

However, despite these advantages, solid electrolytes have lower Li-ion conductivity and pose challenges in achieving adequate electrode-solid electrolyte contact. While sulfide-based solid electrolytes are conductive, they react with moisture to form toxic hydrogen disulfide. Therefore, there’s a need for non-sulfide solid electrolytes that are both conductive and stable in air to make safe, high-performance, and fast-charging solid-state Li-ion batteries.

According to Prof. Fujimoto, “Making all-solid-state lithium-ion secondary batteries has been a long-held dream of many battery researchers. We have discovered an oxide solid electrolyte that is a key component of all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries, which have both high energy density and safety. In addition to being stable in air, the material exhibits higher ionic conductivity than previously reported oxide solid electrolytes.”

The pyrochlore-type oxyfluoride studied in this work can be denoted as Li_2-xLa_(1+x)/3M₂O₆F (M = Nb, Ta). It underwent structural and compositional analysis using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Rietveld analysis, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and selected-area electron diffraction. Specifically, Li1.25La0.58Nb2O6F was developed, demonstrating a bulk ionic conductivity of 7.0 mS cm⁻¹ and a total ionic conductivity of 3.9 mS cm⁻¹ at room temperature.

It was found to be higher than the lithium-ion conductivity of known oxide solid electrolytes. The activation energy of ionic conduction of this material is extremely low, and the ionic conductivity of this material at low temperature is one of the highest among known solid electrolytes, including sulfide-based materials.Exactly, even at -10° C, the new material has the same conductivity as conventional oxide-based solid electrolytes at room temperature. Furthermore, since conductivity above 100° C has also been verified, the operating range of this solid electrolyte is -10 °C to 100° C. Conventional lithium-ion batteries cannot be used at temperatures below freezing. Therefore, the operating conditions of lithium-ion batteries for commonly used mobile phones are 0° C to 45° C.

The Li-ion conduction mechanism in this material was investigated. The conduction path of pyrochlore-type structure cover the F ions located in the tunnels created by MO₆ octahedra. The conduction mechanism is the sequential movement of Li-ions while changing bonds with F ions. Li ions move to the nearest Li position always passing through metastable positions. Immobile La³⁺ bonded to F ion inhibits the Li-ion conduction by blocking the conduction path and vanishing the surrounding metastable positions.

Unlike existing lithium-ion secondary batteries, oxide-based all solid-state batteries have no risk of electrolyte leakage due to damage and no risk of toxic gas generation as with sulfide-based batteries. Therefore, this new innovation is anticipated to lead future research. “The newly discovered material is safe and exhibits higher ionic conductivity than previously reported oxide-based solid electrolytes. The application of this material is promising for the development of revolutionary batteries that can operate in a wide range of temperatures, from low to high,” envisions Prof. Fujimoto. “We believe that the performance required for the application of solid electrolytes for electric vehicles is satisfied.”

Notably, the new material is highly stable and will not ignite if damaged. It is suitable for airplanes and other places where safety is critical. It is also suitable for high-capacity applications, such as electric vehicles, because it can be used under high temperatures and supports rapid recharging. Moreover, it is also a promising material for miniaturization of batteries, home appliances, and medical devices.

In summary, researchers have not only discovered a Li-ion conductor with high conductivity and air stability but also introduced a new type of superionic conductor with a pyrochlore-type oxyfluoride. Exploring the local structure around lithium, their dynamic changes during conduction, and their potential as solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries are important areas for future research!

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This news has generated quite a bit of high level battery excitement. But the absence of some form of economic cost has left quite a few at the opening lines. How this tech compares to the better current manufacturing art isn’t discussed in term of production costs.

But you can bet there are folks looking into it. This tech gets one a non ignitable lithium ion battery that works from about 13º F to 212º F. The non combustible angle has more import than most folks will assume.

Still, a battery has quite a bit of energy in a confined space. Just what the risks might be are yet to be disclosed. But Wow!

This looks good.

The paper discussing the research has been published in Nature Physics titled “Magnetically tunable supercurrent in a dilute magnetic topological insulator based Josephson junctions.”

Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity without electrical resistance – making them the ideal base material for electronic components in MRI machines, magnetic levitation trains and even particle accelerators. However, conventional superconductors are easily disturbed by magnetism. An international group of researchers has now succeeded in building a hybrid device consisting of a stable proximitized-superconductor enhanced by magnetism and whose function can be specifically controlled.

Sample holder for measurements at millikelvin (-273° C). Image Credit: Mandal/JMU, seitlich erweitert mit Firefly. University of Würzburg. Click the press release link for the largest view.

They combined the superconductor with a special semiconductor material known as a topological insulator. “Topological insulators are materials that conduct electricity on their surface but not inside. This is due to their unique topological structure, i.e. the special arrangement of the electrons,” explained Professor Charles Gould, a physicist at the Institute for Topological Insulators at the University of Würzburg (JMU). “The exciting thing is that we can equip topological insulators with magnetic atoms so that they can be controlled by a magnet.”

The superconductors and topological insulators were coupled to form a so-called Josephson junction, a connection between two superconductors separated by a thin layer of non-superconducting material. “This allowed us to combine the properties of superconductivity and semiconductors”, said Gould. “So we combine the advantages of a superconductor with the controllability of the topological insulator. Using an external magnetic field, we can now precisely control the superconducting properties. This is a true breakthrough in quantum physics!”

Superconductivity Meets Magnetism

The special combination creates an exotic state in which superconductivity and magnetism are combined – normally these are opposite phenomena that rarely coexist. This is known as the proximity-induced Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (p-FFLO) state. The new “superconductor with a control function” could be important for practical applications, such as the development of quantum computers. Unlike conventional computers, quantum computers are based not on bits but on quantum bits (qubits), which can assume not just two but several states simultaneously.

“The problem is that quantum bits are currently very unstable because they are extremely sensitive to external influences, such as electric or magnetic fields,” explained physicist Gould. “Our discovery could help stabilize quantum bits so that they can be used in quantum computers in the future.”

International Quantum Research Team

The experimental research was carried out by a team from the Chair of Experimental Physics III of Professor Laurens W. Molenkamp in Würzburg. It was carried out in close collaboration with theoretical experts from the group of Professor F. Sebastian Bergeret of the Centre for Materials Physics (CFM) in San Sebastian, Spain, and Professor Teun M. Klapwijk of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

The international research group was funded by the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat (Complexity and Topology in Quantum Materials), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Free State of Bavaria, the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), the European research programme Horizon 2020 and the EU ERC Advanced Grant Programme.

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This does answer in part one of the questions that interested observers have had for years about the natural magnetic field around an energized superconductor. It’s not much of a surprise that an intrusive magnetic field would wreak some havoc on a super conductor. Yet, it’s also quite a surprise that the prospective technology is already coming into focus.

One day,  it looks like the temperature issue will be the only major one left.

Scientists from Leipzig University and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have managed to prove this. The scientists have published their findings in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Inti Sodemann Villadiego, Professor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics at Leipzig University commented, “This opens new paradigms for constructing opto-electronic and photovoltaic devices, such as light amplifiers, sensors and solar cells.”

His colleague Li-kun Shi added, “It is possible to drive electric currents by light even when the material has a vanishingly small absorption of such light. This is an important new insight.”

Inti Sodemann Villadiego and his colleagues investigated what are known as “Floquet Fermi liquid” states.

A Fermi liquid is a special state of many quantum mechanical particles with properties that can be very different from those of ordinary classical liquids such as water at ambient temperature.

Fermi liquids can arise in a wide variety of situations, from common materials such as the electrical fluid of electrons in metals like gold or silver, to more exotic situations such as the fluid of Helium-3 atoms at low temperatures.

They can display “spectacular properties,” such as becoming superconductors of electricity at low temperatures.

The “Floquet Fermi liquid” is a variant of this state realized when the particles of the fluid are periodically shaken, such as what happens to electrons in metals when they are illuminated by ideally periodic light.

“In our publication, we explain several properties of these fluid states,” says Professor Sodemann Villadiego. “To study them, we had to develop detailed theoretical models of complex states of electrons shaken by light, which is far from easy.”

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Those new paradigms for constructing opto-electronic and photovoltaic devices have a wide array of possibilities listed. Just where the imaginations of designers and engineers can go with this is without a border today.

The payoff might be sooner than what one might think. Lots of smiles about this and an important journal picked the paper up.

Materials research looks to have a new field opening up!

Image Credit: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Click the press release link for the largest view and more images.

That idea is inspiring a new approach to managing plasma, the super-hot state of matter, for use as a fusion power source. Scientists are using the imperfections in magnetic fields that confine a reaction to improve and enhance the plasma in an approach outlined in a new paper in the journal Nature Communications.

Joseph Snipes, the PPPL’s deputy head of the Tokamak Experimental Science Department and a co-author of the paper said, “This approach allows you to maintain a high-performance plasma, controlling instabilities in the core and the edge of the plasma simultaneously. That simultaneous control is particularly important and difficult to do. That’s what makes this work special.”

PPPL Physicist Seong-Moo Yang led the research team, which spans various institutions in the U.S. and South Korea. Yang says this is the first time any research team has validated a systematic approach to tailoring magnetic field imperfections to make the plasma suitable for use as a power source. These magnetic field imperfections are known as error fields.

“Our novel method identifies optimal error field corrections, enhancing plasma stability,” Yang said. “This method was proven to enhance plasma stability under different plasma conditions, for example, when the plasma was under conditions of high and low magnetic confinement.”

Errors that are hard to correct

Error fields are typically caused by minuscule defects in the magnetic coils of the device that holds the plasma, which is called a tokamak

Until now, error fields were only seen as a nuisance because even a very small error field could cause a plasma disruption that halts fusion reactions and can damage the walls of a fusion vessel. Consequently, fusion researchers have spent considerable time and effort meticulously finding ways to correct error fields.

“It’s quite difficult to eliminate existing error fields, so instead of fixing these coil irregularities, we can apply additional magnetic fields surrounding the fusion vessel in a process known as error field correction,” Yang said.

In the past, this approach would have also hurt the plasma’s core, making the plasma unsuitable for fusion power generation. This time, the researchers were able to eliminate instabilities at the edge of the plasma and maintain the stability of the core. The research is a prime example of how PPPL researchers are bridging the gap between today’s fusion technology and what will be needed to bring fusion power to the electrical grid.

SangKyeun Kim, a staff research scientist at PPPL and paper co-author explained, “This is actually a very effective way of breaking the symmetry of the system, so humans can intentionally degrade the confinement. It’s like making a very tiny hole in a balloon so that it will not explode.” Just as air would leak out of a small hole in a balloon, a tiny quantity of plasma leaks out of the error field, which helps to maintain its overall stability.

Managing the core and the edge of the plasma simultaneously

One of the toughest parts of managing a fusion reaction is getting both the core and the edge of the plasma to behave at the same time. There are ideal zones for the temperature and density of the plasma in both regions, and hitting those targets while eliminating instabilities is tough.

This study demonstrates that adjusting the error fields can simultaneously stabilize both the core and the edge of the plasma. By carefully controlling the magnetic fields produced by the tokamak’s coils, the researchers could suppress edge instabilities, also known as edge localized modes (ELMs), without causing disruptions or a substantial loss of confinement.

PPPL Staff Research Physicist Qiming Hu, another author of the paper noted, “We are trying to protect the device.”

Extending the research beyond KSTAR

The research was conducted using the KSTAR tokamak in South Korea, which stands out for its ability to adjust its magnetic error field configuration with great flexibility. This capability is crucial for experimenting with different error field configurations to find the most effective ones for stabilizing the plasma.

The researchers say their approach has significant implications for the design of future tokamak fusion pilot plants, potentially making them more efficient and reliable. They are currently working on an artificial intelligence (AI) version of their control system to make it more efficient.

“These models are fairly complex; they take a bit of time to calculate. But when you want to do something in a real-time control system, you can only afford a few milliseconds to do a calculation,” said Snipes. “Using AI, you can basically teach the system what to expect and be able to use that artificial intelligence to predict ahead of time what will be necessary to control the plasma and how to implement it in real-time.”

While their new paper highlights work done using KSTAR’s internal magnetic coils, Hu suggests future research with magnetic coils outside of the fusion vessel would be valuable because the fusion community is moving away from the idea of housing such coils inside the vacuum-sealed vessel due to the potential destruction of such components from the extreme heat of the plasma.

Researchers from the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE), Columbia University and Seoul National University were also integral to the project.

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With a large array of devices trying to hold the plasma in place long enough to enter fusion and stay that way — every bit of know-how that can be gained is worthwhile. Controlling plasma is very difficult activity. Getting good enough at it to start fusion, keep it going, and get net energy out is going to be a challenge noteworthy for all of history.

The research paper discussing the work has been published in the journal npj Computational Materials.

a Acquisition of a series of FIB-SEM images for a hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnet (cropped area of 0.8 × 0.8 µm2 is shown). b Processing of the images including 2D segmentation and the conversion of grain slices into point clouds. c Generation of close-packed 3D convex grains isolated from each other by the intergranular phase. Triple junctions are made invisible except for a zoomed region showing the mesh around one of them. Image Credit: National Institute for Materials Science, Japan. For the largest view click here for the open access (at time of posting) study paper. Also, the press release offers other images and simplified information.

Such simulations have shed light on microstructural features that hinder the “coercivity”, a metric that quantifies a magnet’s resistance to demagnetization in opposing magnetic fields. The new tomography-based models are expected to guide toward the development of sustainable permanent magnets with ultimate performance.

Green power generation, electric transportation, and other high-tech industries rely heavily on high-performance permanent magnets, among which the Nd-Fe-B magnets are the strongest and most in demand.

The coercivity of industrial Nd-Fe-B magnets is far below its physical limit up to now.To resolve this issue, micromagnetic simulations on realistic models of the magnets can be employed.

A new approach to reconstruct the real microstructure of ultrafine-grained Nd-Fe-B magnets in large-scale models is proposed in this research.

Specifically, the tomographic data from a series of 2D images obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in combination with consistent focused ion beam (FIB) polishing can be converted into a high-quality 3D finite element model.

This tomography-based approach is universal and can be applied to other polycrystalline materials addressing a wide range of materials science problems. Micromagnetic simulations on the tomography-based models reproduced the coercivity of ultrafine-grained Nd-Fe-B magnets and explained its mechanism.

The microstructural features relevant to the coercivity and nucleation of magnetization reversal were revealed. Thus, the developed model can be considered as a digital twin of Nd-Fe-B magnets — a virtual representation of an object designed to reflect its physics accurately.

The proposed digital twins of the Nd-Fe-B magnets are precise enough in reproducing both the microstructure and magnetic properties that can be implemented for the inverse problem in designing on-demand high-performance permanent magnets.

For instance, when researchers input the magnetic properties required for a specific application (e.g., traction or variable magnetic force motor), a data-driven research pipeline with integrated digital twins will be able to propose the optimal composition, processing conditions, and microstructure of the magnet for that application, significantly reducing development time.

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The point of all this is solving the problem of designing alternative on-demand high-performance permanent magnets. This is no small problem. Right now the magnet production, raw material sourcing and processing are pretty much fully controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

That makes this kid of work a national security issue for a huge array of nations. The stated intentions of the communists aren’t the kinds of things that build better living standards, increase the security of humanity, or improve the health, wealth, and safety of people across the planet.

So, this is critical research. A “Thank You” to this research team is offered and hopes for more funding to flesh out more of the whole this research can offer.