Another measurement significantly improved!

[Uncle Gizmo]

MKID detectors turn out to have 100 times lower noise

Scientists use superconducting detectors (MKIDs) to discern the spectrum of exoplanets from their faint glow. Now, researchers from SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research and TU Delft have observed 100 times lower noise than expected, providing a new fundamental physics insight: the...

phys.org

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Yes, superconductor sensors multiply the sensitivity available vs. more conventional sensors. I had to do a "fake" research paper during my grad student days to discuss available topics. Had to prove that I was keeping up with the literature. It happened that the seminal work on superconductivity (by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schriefer) had just been awarded the Nobel Prize for physics. So, being opportunistic and wanting to show that I was keeping up with current events, I found a couple of papers that discussed the increased sensitivity of superconducting infrared bolometers and magnetometers. That was early 1970s. So far as I recall, the purpose of the "fake research paper" exercise was to prove that I was able to (a) follow complex research threads across multiple journals and (b) make a coherent presentation of my findings.

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Here's another:-

Spiderweb as inspiration for creating of one of the world's most precise microchip sensors

A team of researchers from TU Delft managed to design one of the world's most precise microchip sensors. The device can function at room temperature—a 'holy grail' for quantum technologies and sensing. Combining nanotechnology and machine learning inspired by nature's spiderwebs, they were able...

phys.org

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Not a measurement improvement, but a breakthrough in tackling Cancer:-

Princeton team disables long-targeted gene behind spread of major cancers

The mysterious ways cancer spreads through the body, a process known as metastasis, is what can make it such a difficult enemy to keep at bay. Researchers at Princeton University working in this area have been tugging at a particular thread for more than 15 years, focusing on a single gene central…

newatlas.com

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

And here, expertise from the telecom industry points the way to significantly improve the sensitivity of the gravitational wave detector LIGO ...

New Laser Breakthrough for Gravitational Waves Will Test the Fundamental Limits of General Relativity

New laser breakthrough to help increase understanding of gravitational waves. Scientists have created a proof-of-concept setup of a new laser eigenmode sensor that offers over 1,000 times the sensitivity. After translating this work to gravitational wave detectors, they will offer the unprecedent

scitechdaily.com

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Breakthrough paves way for photonic sensing at the ultimate quantum limit

A Bristol-led team of physicists has found a way to operate mass manufacturable photonic sensors at the quantum limit. This breakthrough paves the way for practical applications such as monitoring greenhouse gases and cancer detection.

phys.org

 

[Harrybrigham]

Yes, superconductor sensors multiply the sensitivity available vs. more conventional sensors. I had to do a "fake" research paper during my grad student days to discuss available topics. Had to prove that I was keeping up with the literature. It happened that the seminal work on superconductivity (by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schriefer) had just been awarded the Nobel Prize for physics. So, being opportunistic and wanting to show that I was keeping up with current events, I found a couple of papers that discussed the increased sensitivity of superconducting infrared bolometers and magnetometers. That was early 1970s. So far as I recall, the purpose of the "fake research paper" exercise was to prove that I was able to (a) follow complex research threads across multiple journals and (b) make a coherent presentation of my findings.

Was that Sheldon Cooper?

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Funny, @Harrybrigham but no. On that show, Mayim Bialak was the real Ph.D (in neuroscience, UCLA 2007).

Leon Cooper, John R Schriefer, and John Bardeen were the team who in 1972 were awarded a Nobel prize for their microscopic theory of superconductivity, now referred to in the scientific literature as the BCS theory. One of its features is the idea that when something becomes superconductive, it has undergone a second-order phase transition. Another example of 2nd-order transitions: Heating up natural or induced magnets to above the Curie temperature causes them to lose magnetization even though they don't melt. What these two 2nd-order transitions have in common is that the electron distribution changes even though the primary state of the affected material stays the same (i.e. nothing melts or evaporates or freezes.)

John Bardeen was the senior member of the BCS team but was the junior member of the team headed by William F. Shockley and with Walter Brattain, who in 1956 were awarded the Nobel Prize for creation of the transistor. So to say that he knew something about solid-state electrical physics is somewhat of an understatement. He passed away in 1991 as the only person to ever win TWO Nobel Prizes in Physics. (Marie Curie also won two prizes but in two different subjects.)

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Not a measurement, but a new material with interesting properties:-

50,000-year-old meteorite could revolutionize electronics and fast-charging

The "Diablo Canyon" meteorite is a gift from the past.

interestingengineering.com

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Not a measurement, but an indication that your brain may use quantum processes. Further investigation required....

New research suggests our brains use quantum computation

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin believe our brains could use quantum computation. Their discovery comes after they adapted an idea developed to prove the existence of quantum gravity to explore the human brain and its workings.

phys.org

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

They are now developing a wooden battery ..

They have developed a concept car containing this wooden battery but it woodn't go!!!

 

[Cronk]

A letter writer to the local paper has come up with the brilliant idea of mounting a fan on the bonnet of EVs to generate electricity.