Related topics: sensors

Physics at the threshold of hearing

(Phys.org) —The mammalian auditory system is one of the most sensitive detectors found in nature. Two kinds of cells, the inner and outer hair cells, work together to transduce mechanical vibrations into action potentials. ...

Constructive conflict in the superconductor

Whether a material conducts electricity without losses is not least a question of the right temperature. In future it may be possible to make a more reliable prediction for high-temperature superconductors. These materials ...

Vibrating atoms make robust qubits, physicists find

MIT physicists have discovered a new quantum bit, or "qubit," in the form of vibrating pairs of atoms known as fermions. They found that when pairs of fermions are chilled and trapped in an optical lattice, the particles ...

Towards a nanomechanical quantum switchboard

Physicists at Universität Regensburg have coupled the vibrations of a macromolecule—a carbon nanotube—to a microwave cavity, creating a novel and highly miniaturized optomechanical system. The team of Dr. Andreas K. ...

How hummingbirds produce fluttering sounds during courtship

Though famous for their mid-air hovering during hunting, tiny hummingbirds have another trait that is literally telltale: males of some hummingbird species generate loud sounds with their tail feathers while courting females. ...

Nanoparticle imaging: A resonant improvement

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique for analyzing atomic structure based on the inelastic scatter of light from molecules, with diverse applications including medical imaging and chemical sensing. Researchers have ...

Diamond imperfections pave the way to technology gold

(Phys.org) —From supersensitive detections of magnetic fields to quantum information processing, the key to a number of highly promising advanced technologies may lie in one of the most common defects in diamonds. Researchers ...

Building a Moebius strip of good vibrations

Yale physicists have created something similar to a Moebius strip of moving energy between two vibrating objects, opening the door to novel forms of control over waves in acoustics, laser optics, and quantum mechanics.

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