Hurricane Katrina whipped up huge, powerful waves that caused severe destruction in 2005 along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Their size and strength convinced Phil Kithil of Santa Fe, New Mexico, there had to be a way to harness that energy. His first thought was a device that would use wave action to pump deep, cold…
Overcoming the Trust Barrier in Nuclear Weapons Verification Measurements
Trust but verify. The catchphrase for arms control popularized by President Ronald Reagan sounds simple. However, verification involving sensitive data is a very complex endeavor. Verifying that a nuclear warhead actually is a warhead may include confirming key attributes. But the act of confirming certain technical attributes might reveal critical design information — closely guarded…
New Math Techniques Can Improve Computational Efficiency in Quantum Chemistry
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed new mathematical techniques to advance the study of molecules at the quantum level. Mathematical and algorithmic developments along these lines are necessary for enabling the detailed study of complex hydrocarbon molecules that are relevant in engine combustion. Existing methods to approximate potential energy functions at the quantum scale…
Drop of Mock Nuclear Weapon by Sandia Lab is First of New Flight Tests
From a distance, the drop of a mock nuclear weapon — containing only non-nuclear components — was a mere puff of dust rising from a dry lake bed at Nevada’s Tonopah Test Range. However, it marked the start of a new series of test flights vital to the nation’s B61-12 weapon refurbishment program. Initial data showed…
Semiconductors Used as Building Blocks for Metamaterials
Metamaterials don’t exist in nature, but their ability to make ultra-thin lenses and ultra-efficient cell phone antennas, bend light to keep satellites cooler, and let photovoltaics absorb more energy mean they offer a world of possibilities. Formed by nanostructures that act as “atoms,” arranged on a substrate to alter light’s path in ways no ordinary…
National Lab Creates 3D Metasurfaces with Optical Possibilities
Metamaterials don’t exist in nature, but their ability to make ultra-thin lenses and ultra-efficient cell phone antennas, bend light to keep satellites cooler and let photovoltaics absorb more energy mean they offer a world of possibilities. Formed by nanostructures that act as “atoms,” arranged on a substrate to alter light’s path in ways no ordinary…
Battling Corrosion to Keep Solar Panels Humming
People think of corrosion as rust on cars or oxidation that blackens silver, but it also harms critical electronics and connections in solar panels, lowering the amount of electricity produced. “It’s challenging to predict and even more challenging to design ways to reduce it because it’s highly dependent on material and environmental conditions,” said Eric…
Honey, I Shrunk The Circuit
Sandia National Laboratories researchers have shown it’s possible to make transistors and diodes from advanced semiconductor materials that could perform much better than silicon, the workhorse of the modern electronics world. The breakthrough work takes a step toward more compact and efficient power electronics, which in turn could improve everything from consumer electronics to electrical…
Advanced Semiconductor Materials Perform Better than Silicon
Sandia National Laboratories researchers have shown it’s possible to make transistors and diodes from advanced semiconductor materials that could perform much better than silicon, the workhorse of the modern electronics world. The breakthrough work takes a step toward more compact and efficient power electronics, which in turn could improve everything from consumer electronics to electrical…
Sandia Labs, Singapore Join Forces to Develop Energy Storage
Sandia National Laboratories has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the government of Singapore’s Energy Market Authority(EMA) that will tap into the labs’ expertise in energy storage. EMA is the statutory body in Singapore responsible for ensuring a reliable and secure energy supply, promoting competition in the energy market and developing a dynamic energy…
Groundbreaking Quantum Computer Bridge Shows Diamonds Aren’t Forever
By forcefully embedding two silicon atoms in a diamond matrix, Sandia researchers have demonstrated for the first time on a single chip all the components needed to create a quantum bridge to link quantum computers together. “People have already built small quantum computers,” says Sandia researcher Ryan Camacho. “Maybe the first useful one won’t be…
Cleaning Concrete Contaminated with Chemicals
In March 1995, members of a Japanese cult released the deadly nerve agent sarin into the Tokyo subway system, killing a dozen people and injuring a thousand more. This leads to the question: What if a U.S. transportation hub was contaminated with a chemical agent? The hub might be shut down for weeks, which could have a…
Fuel Cell Membrane Patented by Sandia Outperforms Market
Fuel cells provide power without pollutants. But, as in the Goldilocks story, membranes in automobile fuel cells work at temperatures either too hot or too cold to be maximally effective. A polyphenyline membrane patented by Sandia National Laboratories, though, seems to work just about right, says Sandia chemist Cy Fujimoto. The membrane, which operates over…