Technology

Nonlinear optical processes in the terahertz (THz) range are drawing interest for their potential in wireless communication and signal processing. One of the more intriguing effects in this area is harmonic generation, which converts optical energy into new frequencies that could open additional communication channels. Graphene — a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in…

In a demonstration of “mind over matter,” a 69-year-old man with C4 AIS C spinal cord injury — whose remaining movement was largely restricted to low-amplitude muscle twitching — has piloted a virtual quadcopter merely by thinking about moving his paralyzed fingers. This achievement stems from an intracortical brain-computer interface (iBCI) primarily developed and tested…

Despite another solid national jobs report in December 2024—256,000 new payroll jobs and a steady 4.1% unemployment rate—companies in research-intensive fields have continued to trim their workforces in early 2025. While the broader economy shows gains in health care and retail, our tracking indicates that biotech, advanced software, and other R&D-driven sectors are strategically realigning.…

Welcome to our weekly briefing on R&D headlines that are shaping technology, healthcare, and industry. In this edition, we explore NVIDIA’s global expansion plans (plus a sharp rebuttal to new U.S. AI policy), Google’s ambitious Gemini user goals, a big-ticket pharma acquisition, tighter U.S. chip controls, and more. Keep reading for the latest developments and…

While smart home devices have expanded to include speakers, security systems, lights, and thermostats, their control has mostly been limited to a remote, an app, or voice commands. Users can interact with their phones or speak to the technology. Still, these methods are often less convenient than the simple switches they replace, significantly since devices…

Quantum engineers at UNSW Sydney have placed a ‘Schrödinger’s cat‘—the famous paradox of quantum superposition where a system exists simultaneously in a quantum superposition, in this case being both dead and alive—inside the nucleus of a single antimony atom on a silicon chip. “Antimony is a heavy atom, which possesses a large nuclear spin—meaning a…

Who is leading in terms of U.S. patents? Asia. While U.S. patent grants rebounded by 4% in 2024 after a four-year decline, the real story is who’s driving innovation: Samsung Electronics maintained its crown for the third straight year with 6,377 patents, TSMC claimed second place with 3,989 patents, according to IFI Claims’ roundup of…

The MSP 320 automated digital slide scanner is designed to improve pathology workflows by providing secure digital access to high-resolution slide images, allowing remote review and shortening turn-around times. It scans up to 320 slides per session and integrates advanced AI and machine learning to analyze pathological features, reducing human error and enhancing diagnostic accuracy.…

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Advent Technologies collaborated to develop Ion Pair membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for fuel cell-powered heavy-duty vehicles. This technology aims to improve fuel cell performance, rated power, and durability. As part of the collaboration, Advent Technologies licensed patents from LANL and established a fuel cell research, development, and manufacturing facility…

Weather forecasts are essential for national safety, economic performance, and environmental management. Aircraft-derived observations (ADOs) are especially valuable, offering more impactful data for weather models than traditional sources like ground stations or satellites. ADOs help estimate current atmospheric conditions to help generate accurate forecasts. However, the current NOAA system, MDCRS, is installed on only a…

In this week’s R&D Market Pulse, the $29.1 billion Constellation-Calpine mega-merger promises to reshape U.S. energy, the Commerce Department awards a third CHIPS for America facility to Arizona State University, and new AI export restrictions put China on notice. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s xAI rolls out a consumer app, BlackRock withdraws from a major climate initiative,…

In atomic force microscopy (AFM), numerous incremental improvements have been made, yet relatively few new products showcase transformative technologies and capabilities. Asylum Research has been a player in the AFM industry since its founding in 1999. By implementing closed-loop scanning, the MFP-3D AFM (2002) achieved significant advancements in the accuracy of AFM imaging metrology. The…

For decades, the Nyquist-Shannon theorem—a foundational principle of signal processing—dictated that fully sampling a signal at or above twice its highest frequency was essential for capturing critical information. Now, a Pennsylvania startup called Lightscline suggests we may be entering a “post-Nyquist era.” According to a recent Nature Scientific Reports paper, the company’s neural-network-based software, inspired…

Sandia National Laboratories has partnered with leading research institutions to tackle a potential energy crisis driven by the increasing energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies. Jeffrey Nelson, a principal investigator at Sandia, highlighted the issue’s urgency: “Computing alone is projected to consume a significant portion of the total planetary energy production…

According to the November 2024 TOP500 rankings, Lawrence Livermore’s El Capitan is the most powerful supercomputer. In this list, derived from the TOP500 supercomputer ranking, Frontier and Aurora round out the top three slots. These systems range from newly installed exascale powerhouses to long-established machines that are continuously evolving. All performance results come from the Linpack…

Over the past couple of years, the world’s most powerful supercomputers have experienced a sizable leap in performance. The combined processing power of the computers on the TOP500 list surged from 5.24 exaflops in June 2023 to 11.72 exaflops in November 2024, representing a 123.7% increase. Meanwhile, the anticipated Colossus supercomputer from Elon Musk’s xAI—if…

Stretchable, wearable gadgets took a significant stride in 2024, thanks to a flurry of breakthroughs that could make soft, body-conformable electronics and power sources a reality. Researchers worldwide have unveiled improvements in flexible, high-precision sensors and displays, while engineers in China revealed a self-healing, stretchable lithium-ion battery that could power next-generation wearables. Meanwhile, LG Display…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded two grants to the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) as part of a significant effort to advance microelectronics and sensors. Each project will receive $3 million per year for four years, recognizing PPPL’s expertise in plasma processes, which are crucial for the continued development of semiconductor manufacturing…

MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Precision Photon Synchronization System represents a significant step forward in quantum networking. It offers a practical and efficient solution for enabling quantum communication across vast distances. By ensuring that entangled photons can arrive at their destinations with extreme precision, the system helps overcome one of the significant challenges in establishing global quantum…

Volkswagen AG, a member of the R&D World Index, announced a significant workforce reduction last week, agreeing with its labor union to cut over 35,000 jobs and billions of dollars in costs, concluding three months of intense negotiations and narrowly avoiding factory closures in Germany. In other news, Merck & Co. invested strategically in Chinese…

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is showcasing the ion trap chip developed by IonQ, a quantum computing and networking firm. This is the first time a quantum computing company has been featured at the exchange. The ion trap, a foundational component of IonQ’s quantum computers, is on display in the NYSE lobby, emphasizing the…

The State Department has announced that the United States and China have amended and extended their bilateral Science and Technology Agreement (STA) for five years. Initially signed in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, the deal was designed to foster cooperation in agriculture, energy, space, health, and the environment. U.S. officials…

Over the past several decades, superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) particle accelerators have helped researchers probe the fundamental structure of matter. Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility are working to broaden their capabilities — and potentially reduce operating costs — by using niobium-tin coatings. Traditionally, SRF accelerators rely on cavities…

[Updated December 18, 2024 with new details on Databricks] In 2024, AI-focused startups continued to dominate the funding landscape with industry leaders like OpenAI ($6.6B), xAI ($6B), and Anthropic ($4B) leading the pack. Adding to this trend, MLflow and data lakehouse pioneer Databricks recently secured a $10 billion funding round that was primarily equity-based, at…

The architecture of progress extends beyond laboratories and research hubs. Here, in these 30 architectural monuments, you’ll find a unique blend of R&D centers alongside actual tributes to innovation, like the spiraling Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. From the biotech brilliance Louis Kahn envisioned at the Salk Institute in 1959 to the plant-filled spheres of…