Kyocera Corporation and the Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC) at Tohoku University have developed a new technology that integrates optical isolators directly onto silicon photonics chips using laser annealing, a method that applies localized heat treatment using a laser. As generative AI and other data-intensive technologies continue to expand, data centers need to process more
Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) are tiny devices used in technologies such as microphones, accelerometers, and biosensors. MEMS are highly useful, but prone to physical stress that affects their performance, stability, and reliability. Tracking this interference is important, but attaching a separate sensor to such a miniscule structure is no easy task. Researchers at Tohoku University deve
From targeted cancer treatments to self-healing materials and microscopic robots, many emerging technologies depend on molecules that can be controlled with light. Researchers at Tohoku University have now developed a way to make these light-responsive molecules much more sensitive to visible light by using a molecular antenna. The breakthrough gives scientist better control over molecular photosw
Topological quantum materials combine unusual electronic states with properties such as magnetism or superconductivity, offering possibilities for future electronics and quantum technologies. Researchers at Tohoku University have now shown that changing the number of layers in a crystal can provide a systematic way to design topological magnets. The strategy builds on homologous series, families o
Hydrogen could help store renewable energy and power fuel cells, but storing it remains difficult because hydrogen gas has a low density under everyday conditions. Compressing it to high pressure or cooling it into a liquid requires substantial energy and specialized equipment. Solid materials that absorb or adsorb hydrogen offer an alternative, but finding materials that store enough hydrogen, re
A common blue pigment could help turn carbon dioxide (CO₂) from an industrial waste product into a useful fuel. A joint research team led by Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), in collaboration with Hokkaido University and startup AZUL Energy, has developed a catalyst that converts CO₂ directly into methane (CH₄) with high efficiency using copper phthalocyanin
In the realm of materials science, there is a plethora of datasets and tools at our disposal - the issue is how to effectively make use of these resources in harmony. Researchers at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, have identified major bottlenecks holding back artificial-intelligence-driven polymer innovation and created a system that integrates multipl
There is an elegant mathematical equation behind so many different natural phenomena. From the fractal pattern of a romanesco cauliflower sitting on a grocery store shelf to defining the flow of rivers - they all have underlying mathematical properties. The way heat propagates through one object to another also has a mathematical basis that is strikingly complex. Simulating how heat propagates thr
Potassium (K) is one of the three essential nutrients for plants. It plays a critical role in a wide range of processes, including cell growth, photosynthesis, and regulation of water balance. Plants take up K from the soil and circulate it throughout their bodies via molecules called K + channels. The function of one such K + channel (called AKT5) in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has remai
Plastic waste is one of the world's fastest-growing environmental problems. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Global Plastics Outlook: Policy Scenarios to 2060 report, global plastic use is projected to nearly triple from 460 million metric tons in 2019 to 1.2 billion metric tons by 2060, if current trends continue. Our current approaches are struggling to k
"Micromixer" might just sound like a fancy name for a tiny blender, but mixing liquids at the microliter scale is no simple task. Micromixers are essential components of microfluidic devices that are widely used across the pharmaceutical, life sciences, chemistry, and materials engineering industries, where they rapidly and evenly combine tiny amounts of reagents. Three-dimensional (3D) microchann
Graphene is an exceptionally useful material for creating batteries, catalysts, and electronic devices. Yet producing graphene typically requires temperatures as high as 900°C, limiting energy efficiency and making structural control difficult. To make graphene production more practical, a recent study has overcome this long-standing temperature barrier. In a study published in the Journal of the
