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Category: engineering

Scientists demonstrate unconditional exponential quantum scaling advantage using two 127-qubit computers

Quantum computers have the potential to speed up computation, help design new medicines, break codes, and discover exotic new materials—but that’s only when they are truly functional.

One key thing that gets in the way: noise or the errors that are produced during computations on a quantum machine—which in fact makes them less powerful than —until recently.

Daniel Lidar, holder of the Viterbi Professorship in Engineering and Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, has been iterating on , and in a new study along with collaborators at USC and Johns Hopkins, has been able to demonstrate a quantum exponential scaling advantage, using two 127-qubit IBM Quantum Eagle processor-powered quantum computers, over the cloud.

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Magically reducing errors in quantum computers: Researchers invent technique to decrease overhead

For decades, quantum computers that perform calculations millions of times faster than conventional computers have remained a tantalizing yet distant goal. However, a new breakthrough in quantum physics may have just sped up the timeline.

In an article titled “Efficient Magic State Distillation by Zero-Level Distillation” published in PRX Quantum, researchers from the Graduate School of Engineering Science and the Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology at the University of Osaka devised a method that can be used to prepare high-fidelity “magic states” for use in quantum computers with dramatically less overhead and unprecedented accuracy.

Quantum computers harness the fantastic properties of quantum mechanics such as entanglement and superposition to perform calculations much more efficiently than classical computers can. Such machines could catalyze innovations in fields as diverse as engineering, finance, and biotechnology. But before this can happen, there is a significant obstacle that must be overcome.

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Three-mode smart window cut indoor temperature by 27°C and eliminate urban glare

In the building sector, which accounts for approximately 40% of global energy consumption, heat ingress through windows has been identified as a primary cause of wasted heating and cooling energy.

A KAIST research team has successfully developed a ‘pedestrian-friendly smart window’ technology capable of not only reducing heating and cooling energy in urban buildings but also resolving the persistent issue of ‘’ in urban living.

Professor Hong Chul Moon’s research team at KAIST’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have developed a ‘smart window technology’ that allows users to control the light and entering through windows according to their intent, and effectively neutralize glare from external sources.

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Permanent magnet configurations outperform classical arrangement to deliver strong and homogeneous fields

Physicists Prof. Dr. Ingo Rehberg from the University of Bayreuth and Dr. Peter Blümler from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have developed and experimentally validated an innovative approach for generating homogeneous magnetic fields using permanent magnets.

Their method outperforms the classical Halbach arrangement—which is optimal only for infinitely long and therefore unrealizable magnets—by producing higher field strengths and improved homogeneity in compact, finite-sized configurations.

The study was published in Physical Review Applied, which shows significant advances in the applied sciences at the intersection of physics with engineering, materials science, chemistry, biology, and medicine.

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New all-silicon computer vision hardware advances in-sensor visual processing technology

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have pushed forward the development of computer vision with new, silicon-based hardware that can both capture and process visual data in the analog domain. Their work, described in the journal Nature Communications, could ultimately add to large-scale, data-intensive and latency-sensitive computer vision tasks.

“This is very powerful retinomorphic hardware,” says Guangyu Xu, associate professor of electrical and engineering and adjunct associate professor of biomedical engineering at UMass Amherst. “The idea of fusing the sensing unit and the processing unit at the device level, instead of physically separating them apart, is very similar to the way that process the visual world.”

Existing computer vision systems often involve exchanging redundant data between physically separated sensing and computing units.

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World’s First Hybrid Betavoltaic Cell Promises Decades of Power Without Charging

Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough by creating the world’s first next-generation betavoltaic cell. This advanced power source was made by directly connecting a radioactive isotope electrode to a perovskite absorber layer, a cutting-edge material known for its efficiency.

To boost performance, the team embedded carbon-14-based quantum dots into the electrode and improved the structure of the perovskite layer. These innovations led to a highly stable power output and impressive energy conversion efficiency.

The findings were published in the journal Chemical Communications and led by Professor Su-Il In of the Department of Energy Science & Engineering at DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee).

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Polymers gain fire resistance and sustainability with light-powered chemical upgrade

As demand for advanced polymeric materials increases, post-functionalization has emerged as an effective strategy for designing functional polymers. This approach involves modifying existing polymer chains by introducing new chemical groups after their synthesis, allowing for the transformation of readily available polymers into materials with desirable properties.

Postfunctionalization can be performed under mild conditions using visible light in the presence of catalysts, which provides a sustainable route for developing high-value polymers. However, existing methods often rely on generating carbon radicals along the polymer chain, limiting the variety of functional groups that can be introduced.

In a significant advancement, a team led by Professor Shinsuke Inagi from the Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology at Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, has developed a postfunctionalization technique that allows for the incorporation of phosphonate esters under conditions. This breakthrough paves the way for a broader range of polymer modifications.

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New Material Breaks the Rules: Scientists Turn Insulator Into a Semiconductor

Once considered merely insulating, a change in the angle between silicon and oxygen atoms opens a pathway for electrical charge to flow.

A breakthrough discovery from the University of Michigan has revealed that a new form of silicone can act as a semiconductor. This finding challenges the long-held belief that silicones are only insulating materials.

“The material opens up the opportunity for new types of flat panel displays, flexible photovoltaics, wearable sensors or even clothing that can display different patterns or images,” said Richard Laine, U-M professor of materials science and engineering and macromolecular science and engineering and corresponding author of the study recently published in Macromolecular Rapid Communications.

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Iron powder outperforms activated carbon as adsorbent for PFOS—even when it rusts

PFOS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are synthetic compounds popular for several commercial applications, like making products resistant to stains, fire, grease, soil and water. They have been used in non-stick cookware, carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, food packaging and firefighting foams deployed at airports and military airfields.

PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate or perfluorooctane ) are part of the larger class of forever chemicals called PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances.) Both types have been linked to a variety of health issues, including , immune system malfunction, developmental issues and cancer.

Because of their widespread use, PFOS are found in soil, agricultural products and drinking water sources, presenting a health risk. Xiaoguang Meng and Christos Christodoulatos, professors at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, and Ph.D. student Meng Ji working in their lab, wanted to identify the most efficient way to remove these toxins from the water.

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