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.
Superconducting qubits—bits of quantum information—have been widely considered a promising technology for moving quantum computing forward. But there's still much work to be done before they can be brought out of a near absolute ...
Optics & Photonics
Apr 20, 2026
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An international collaboration, including Northwestern University, has reached a critical milestone in the search for dark matter, the mysterious substance that makes up about 85% of all matter in the universe. Located two ...
General Physics
Mar 18, 2026
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Dragonfly integration and testing—the activities involved in assembling the mission's rotorcraft lander and testing it for the rigors of launch and extreme conditions of space—is officially underway in clean rooms and control ...
Space Exploration
Mar 13, 2026
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The laser you see in the photo above may one day enhance images taken by the most powerful microscopes in biology. This advancement, detailed in a paper published in eLife from scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute ...
Biotechnology
Feb 21, 2026
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Lasers, devices that emit intense beams of coherent light in specific directions, are widely used in research settings and are central components of various technologies, including optical clocks (i.e., systems that can keep ...
A major theme in communist governments is the idea of central planning. Every five years, the central authorities in communist countries lay out their goals for the country over the course of the next five years, which can ...
Space Exploration
Feb 14, 2026
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Picture a spacecraft returning to Earth after a long journey. The vehicle slams into the planet's atmosphere at roughly 17,000 miles per hour. A shockwave erupts. Molecules in the air are ripped apart, forming a plasma—a ...
Space Exploration
Feb 3, 2026
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When cooled to its superconducting state, niobium blocks the radiative flow of heat 20 times better than when in its metallic state, according to a study led by a University of Michigan Engineering team. The experiment marks ...
Superconductivity
Feb 3, 2026
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What happens if liquefied natural gas (LNG) hits the wall of the cargo tanks in a ship? New research from the team of physicist Devaraj van der Meer from the University of Twente, published in the Proceedings of the National ...
Soft Matter
Jan 26, 2026
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In sending a car-sized rotorcraft to explore Saturn's moon Titan, NASA's Dragonfly mission will undertake an unprecedented voyage of scientific discovery. And the work to ensure this first-of-its-kind project can fulfill ...
Space Exploration
Jan 26, 2026
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