MAROKO133 Breaking ai: New quantum racetrack laser design could shrink lab spectrometers o

📌 MAROKO133 Eksklusif ai: New quantum racetrack laser design could shrink lab spec

What if a device the size of a microchip could do the job of an entire lab bench, without the bulk or complexity? That is the idea behind a new laser developed by researchers at Harvard University and the Technical University of Vienna.

The team has built a tiny “racetrack” laser that could shrink powerful gas-sensing systems into compact, portable tools.

Built by applied physicists at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the new laser produces a stable frequency comb in the mid-infrared range.

That region is critical for detecting gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

Compact comb generation

The device uses a ring-shaped “racetrack” design based on a quantum cascade laser.

Light circulates inside the loop at extremely high speed. This geometry helps the laser generate a frequency comb, which emits many evenly spaced wavelengths.

Frequency combs power precision measurement tools.

They allow scientists to detect tiny changes in light absorption. That makes them essential for environmental monitoring and industrial sensing.

However, engineers struggle to make these combs stable and compact.

Traditional systems require bulky equipment and remain sensitive to optical feedback. Small reflections can disrupt performance.

The Harvard-led team tackled this problem with a new architecture.

They redesigned the laser into a closed-loop resonator. This forces light to travel in only one direction. Any reflected light moves the opposite way and quickly fades.

Stability without bulky hardware

The team also introduced an electronic control method. They connected metallic probes to the chip. Then they drove the laser using a radio-frequency signal.

This signal matches the light’s round-trip frequency.

“We’re effectively turning the laser on and off really quickly,” Letsou said. “And in doing so, you create this incredibly stable, broadband frequency comb.”

This approach removes the need for external stabilizing components.

It also improves reliability under real-world conditions. In tests, researchers reflected light directly back into the laser.

Standard systems would fail under such feedback. The racetrack design maintained a stable output.

The breakthrough could simplify dual-comb spectrometers. These instruments currently fill large lab setups.

They use two lasers with slightly different frequencies to analyze gases with high sensitivity.

By integrating multiple racetrack lasers on a single chip, engineers could recreate this capability in a compact form.

Each laser could run on its own radio-frequency signal. Together, they could perform precise measurements without bulky optics.

This shift could impact several industries.

Environmental monitoring stands to benefit from portable greenhouse gas sensors.

Industrial plants could gain real-time process monitoring tools. Medical diagnostics may also see advances, including breath-based testing.

The research builds on earlier work in quantum cascade lasers.

Federico Capasso and collaborators first pioneered the technology decades ago. This latest design pushes it toward practical, scalable applications.

If successful, the racetrack laser could move precision spectroscopy out of specialized labs. It may soon operate in the field, on factory floors, and in clinical settings.

The study is published in the journal Optica.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com

📌 MAROKO133 Hot ai: ‘World’s first’ perovskite solar roof tile developed, delivers

A Dutch company has developed the ‘world’s first’ perovskite solar roof tile. Despite its curved shape, the solar roof tile module achieves an energy efficiency of 12.4%.

Developed by researchers at TNO, the innovative material is the world’s first electrically functioning solar roof tile concept based on flexible perovskite solar cells.’

TNO claims that this is an important step towards better integrating solar energy into the built environment, creating more room for sustainable electricity generation without additional pressure on land or infrastructure.

Roofs to generate sustainable electricity

“This allows roofs and infrastructure to generate sustainable electricity without compromising on design or aesthetics,” said Roland Valckenborg, Senior Project Manager at TNO Solar.

“This makes it an important step in the further development of solar energy in the built environment.”

The perovskite solar module on flexible foil has been applied in collaboration with ASAT B.V. to a curved composite roof tile. Measurements show that bending the module onto the roof tile has only a limited effect on its performance. The individual modules achieved an energy efficiency of up to 13.8%. After installation on a curved roof tile, 12.4% efficiency was retained, according to a press release.

The company also claimed that by better integrating solar energy into buildings, more space is created for sustainable electricity generation without additional strain on landscape or infrastructure.

Suitable for large-scale roll-to-roll production of flexible solar foils

TNO also highlighted that the breakthrough is important because the used materials and processes are directly ready for industrial application: they operate under normal conditions and are suitable for large-scale roll-to-roll production of flexible solar foils.

This research line enables both customized solutions and large‑scale application of flexible solar foils. TNO has completed the full development pathway: from small test cells in the laboratory, to flexible modules measuring 10 by 10 centimeters, and ultimately to a perovskite solar roof tile that can be directly applied in practice, as per the release.

“In Brabant, we are working on solutions to the social challenges of today and tomorrow. Thanks to the collaboration within the Solar innovation coalition and the bright minds at TNO, solar cell roof tiles are the next step in the energy transition,” said Martijn van Gruijthuijsen, deputy Economy at the Province of North-Brabant.

“We aim to improve solar energy, make it more affordable and more available, while laying the foundation for increased production in Europe.”

TNO also revealed that it will continue in the coming period to improve the lifetime, reliability and scalability of the technology. This lays the foundation for a next phase in which flexible perovskite solar modules can find their way into commercial applications. On 11 March, TNO established the spin‑out Perovion Technologies to help with the realisation of this commercialization, as per the release.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com