Cryogenics and vacuum technology is a research area focused on the generation, control, and application of extremely low temperatures in conjunction with high or ultra‑high vacuum environments to study and engineer materials, devices, and processes. It encompasses cryostat and cryocooler design, liquefaction and handling of cryogens (e.g., helium, nitrogen), thermal management at cryogenic temperatures, and the suppression of gas‑phase interactions via reduced pressure. This field underpins research in superconductivity, quantum devices, space simulation, surface science, and particle accelerators, requiring precise understanding of heat transfer, phase behavior of gases, vacuum pumping, outgassing, and material properties under combined cryogenic and low‑pressure conditions.
Researchers have developed a new type of optical fiber by freezing a glass capillary filled with liquid. It guides light and sound waves simultaneously and enables highly efficient coupling between them. The high coupling ...
Optics & Photonics
Jul 21, 2026
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Superconducting technologies have the potential to supercharge the decarbonization of transport, saving gigatonnes of emissions in the future, a landmark new paper suggests.
Superconductivity
Jul 16, 2026
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For NASA's next generation of deep-space exploration missions, spacecraft may need to refuel in Earth orbit before pushing farther into the solar system. Similar to how a gas pump needs a nozzle to fit your fuel tank, future ...
Space Exploration
Jun 29, 2026
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More accurate navigation systems and improved wireless communications may not come from traditional electronics, but rather from atoms. Researchers at Penn State and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) ...
Nanophysics
Jun 26, 2026
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Controlling and trapping molecules, units of a substance consisting of two or more chemically bound atoms, with laser light is significantly more challenging than trapping individual atoms. This is because molecules exhibit ...
There is a chamber at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston that is, in its own way, one of the most extraordinary rooms on Earth. Chamber A is one of the largest thermal vacuum facilities in the world, a vast steel vessel ...
Space Exploration
Jun 1, 2026
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A new race to the moon is emerging between the United States and China. Unlike fifty years ago, the goal is no longer just about landing and leaving, but establishing a base that allows for a sustainable presence and extended ...
Space Exploration
May 30, 2026
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When people eventually head to the moon for long-term exploration and habitation, they'll need equipment and spacesuits made of well-tested materials. That's where NASA's Lunar Environment Test Rig (LESTR) comes in handy. ...
Space Exploration
May 21, 2026
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They rank among the darkest and coldest places in the solar system: Hundreds of lunar craters, many of them at the moon's south pole, never receive direct sunlight and lie in permanent shadow. That's exactly why physicist ...
Planetary Sciences
May 18, 2026
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You're in the lab analyzing Martian regolith samples within your cozy Mars habitat serving on the fifth human mission to Mars. The power within the habitat has been flowing flawlessly thanks to the MARS-MES (Mars Atmospheric ...
Space Exploration
Apr 29, 2026
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