Researchers detail never-before-seen properties in a family of superconducting Kagome metals
Feb 2023, phys.org
Superconductors that can operate at close to room temperature are considered the holy grail of condensed-matter physics because of the tremendous technological opportunities they would open in power efficiency, including in electricity transmission, transportation and quantum computing.The new study focuses on superconductor RbV3Sb5, which is made of the metals rubidium vanadium and antimony. The material earns its namesake because of its peculiar atomic structure, which resembles a basketweave pattern that features interconnected star-shaped triangles. Kagome materials fascinate researchers because of the insight they provide into quantum phenomena, bridging two of the most fundamental fields of physics—topological quantum physics and condensed matter physics.They showed that the structure moves from a 2x2x1 pattern with a signature Star of David pattern to a 2x2x2 pattern. This happens because the Kagome lattice inverts in on itself when the temperature gets extremely frigid. The new lattice it transitions into is made up largely of separate hexagons and triangles, the researchers showed. They also showed how this pattern connects when they take one plane of the RbV3Sb5 structure and rotate it, ''gazing '' into it from a different angle. [Sounds like magical kagome nano sandwiches to me.]
via Brown University: Jonathan Frassineti et al, Microscopic nature of the charge-density wave in the kagome superconductor RbV3Sb5, Physical Review Research (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.L012017
Origami-inspired robots can sense, analyze and act in challenging environments
Apr 2023, phys.org
Origami about to have its moment:
By embedding flexible and electrically conductive materials into a pre-cut, thin polyester film sheet, the researchers created a system of information-processing units, or transistors, that can be integrated with sensors and actuators. They then programmed the sheet with simple computer analogical functions that emulate those of semiconductors. Once cut, folded and assembled, the sheet transformed into an autonomous robot that can sense, analyze and act in response to their environments with precision. The researchers named their robots "OrigaMechs," short for Origami MechanoBots.
via UCLA Wenzhong Yan et al, Origami-based integration of robots that sense, decide, and respond, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37158-9
Image credit: AI Art - Glass Sculpture of White Pore Fungi - 2022
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