RLE News

New chip fabrication approach

New chip fabrication approach

Depositing different materials within a single chip layer could lead to more efficient computers. «more» Related Links: New chip fabrication approach (MIT News) Professor Mildred Dresselhaus Professor Jing Kong 

Self-stacking nanogrids

Self-stacking nanogrids

Polymer nanowires that assemble in perpendicular layers could offer route to tinier chip components. « more » Related Links: Self-stacking nanogrids (MIT News) Professor Karl k. Berggren

Local boy makes good

Local boy makes good

Michael Watts took two decades to make the 20-mile trip from suburban Hingham to tenure at MIT. « more » Related Links: Local boy makes good (MIT News) Professor Michael Watts Photonic Microsystems Group

A nanophotonic comeback for incandescent bulbs?

A nanophotonic comeback for incandescent bulbs?

Researchers combine the warm look of traditional light bulbs with 21st-century energy efficiency. « more » Related Links: A nanophotonic comeback for incandescent bulbs? (MIT News) Tailoring high-temperature radiation and the resurrection of the…

A new way to store solar heat

A new way to store solar heat

Material could harvest sunlight by day, release heat on demand hours or days later. « more » Related Links: A new way to store solar heat (MIT News) Solid-State Solar Thermal Fuels for Heat Release Applications (Advanced Energy Materials) Professor…

Bose Grants fund bold and innovative visions

Bose Grants fund bold and innovative visions

Four high-risk, high-reward projects launch with support from Professor Amar G. Bose Research Grants, including project from Prof. Polina Anikeeva. « more » Related Links: Bose Grants fund bold and innovative visions (MIT News) Professor Polina…

An extreme close-up on heat transfer

An extreme close-up on heat transfer

New formula identifies limits to nanoscale heat transfer, may help optimize devices that convert heat to electricity. « more » Related Links: An extreme close-up on heat transfer (MIT News) Professor Steven Johnson

A new way to make X‑rays

A new way to make X‑rays

MIT researchers have found a phenomenon that might lead to more compact, tunable X‑ray devices made of graphene. « more » Related Links: A new way to make X‑rays (MIT News) Towards graphene plasmon-based free-electron infrared to X‑ray sources (Nature…

Quantum physics meets genetic engineering

Quantum physics meets genetic engineering

Researchers use engineered viruses to provide quantum-based enhancement of energy transport. « more » Related Links: Quantum physics meets genetic engineering (MIT News) Enhanced energy transport in genetically engineered excitonic networks (Nature…

How to make large 2‑D sheets

How to make large 2‑D sheets

MIT-led team develops method for scaling up production of thin electronic material. « more » Related Links: How to make large 2‑D sheets (MIT News) Professor Mildred Dresselhaus

Silicon photonics meets the foundry

Silicon photonics meets the foundry

Lionel Kimerling, Rajeev Ram, and other MIT researchers explore practical ways to bring optical interconnection toward and directly onto chips. « more » Related Links: Silicon photonics meets the foundry (MIT News) Professor Rajeev J. Ram

Study identifies new cheating method in MOOCs

Study identifies new cheating method in MOOCs

Research from MIT and Harvard shows how to exploit and protect MOOC certification. « more » Related Links: Study identifies new cheating method in MOOCs (MIT News) Detecting and Preventing “Multiple-Account” Cheating in Massive Open Online Courses…

A new look at superfluidity

A new look at superfluidity

MIT team creates a superfluid in a record-high magnetic field. « more » Related Links: A new look at superfluidity (MIT News) Professor Wolfgang Ketterle Ketterle Group MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms

Computing at full capacity

Computing at full capacity

MIT spinout Jisto helps companies optimize utilization with real-time deployment, monitoring, and analytics. « more » Related Links: Computing at full capacity (MIT News)

How to look for a few good catalysts

How to look for a few good catalysts

New research shows non-wetting surfaces promote chemical reaction rates. « more » Related Links: How to look for a few good catalysts (MIT News) Reactivity of Perovskites with Water: Role of Hydroxylation in Wetting and Implications for Oxygen…

Long-sought phenomenon finally detected

Long-sought phenomenon finally detected

Weyl points, first predicted in 1929, observed for the first time. « more » Related Links: Long-sought phenomenon finally detected (MIT News) Experimental observation of Weyl points (Science) Prof. John Joannopoulos Prof.…

Computing at the speed of light

Computing at the speed of light

Graduate student Sergio Cantu studies lasers to increase computational speed and security. « more » Related Links: Computing at the speed of light (MIT News) MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms

Toward tiny, solar-powered sensors

Toward tiny, solar-powered sensors

New ultralow-power circuit improves efficiency of energy harvesting to more than 80 percent. « more » Related Links: Toward tiny, solar-powered sensors (MIT News) Professor Anantha Chandrakasan

MIT team creates ultracold molecules

MIT team creates ultracold molecules

At near absolute zero, molecules may start to exhibit exotic states of matter. « more » Related Links: MIT team creates ultracold molecules (MIT News) Ultracold Dipolar Gas of Fermionic Na23K40 Molecules in Their Absolute Ground State (Phys. Rev. Lett.)…

Vanishing friction

Vanishing friction

In tuning friction to the point where it disappears, technique could boost development of nanomachines. « more » Related Links: Vanishing friction (MIT News) Prof. Vladan Vuletic

Teaming Up for Better Batteries

Teaming Up for Better Batteries

MIT’s Yang Shao-Horn and BMW’s Odysseas Paschos collaborate to advance fundamental research on lithium-ion battery technologies. « more » Related Links: Teaming Up for Better Batteries (MIT Industrial Liaison Program) Prof. Yang Shao-Horn

Fast-Tracking Innovation for MIT’s Postdocs

Fast-Tracking Innovation for MIT’s Postdocs

Yoel Fink PhD ’00 wants to save the next generation of researchers time and frustration in their efforts to move their ideas and inventions from lab to market. A professor of materials science and director of MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE), Fink has…

Bringing microgrids to rural villages

Bringing microgrids to rural villages

MIT team, working with villagers in India, designs peer-to-peer system to enable local power sharing. « more » Related Links: Bringing microgrids to rural villages (MIT News) Prof. Rajeev Ram Prof. David Perreault

Researchers build new fermion microscope

Researchers build new fermion microscope

Instrument freezes and images 1,000 individual fermionic atoms at once. « more » Related Links: Researchers build new fermion microscope (MIT News) Quantum-Gas Microscope for Fermionic Atoms (Phys. Rev. Lett.) Professor Martin Zwierlein Ultracold Quantum…

Watts is promoted to Associate Professor

Watts is promoted to Associate Professor

EECS Department Head Anantha P. Chandrakasan and Associate Department Heads Silvio Micali and David J. Perreault announced today the promotions of Professors Constantinos Daskalakis, Wojciech Matusik, and Michael Watts to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure…

Neurons pick up the heat

Neurons pick up the heat

Non-invasive neuronal stimulation deep within the brain is possible by tapping into an alternating magnetic field using magnetic nanoparticles. « more » Related Links: Neurons pick up the heat (NATURE Methods) Professor Polina Anikeeva Bioelectronics…

A Better Way to Probe the Brain

A Better Way to Probe the Brain

Polina Anikeeva, PhD ’09, is developing materials that offer low-impact or even wireless connections to the nervous system, allowing researchers to stimulate and collect data from individual brain cells. « more » Related Links: A Better Way to Probe the…

A Swiss Army Knife for Neuroscience

A Swiss Army Knife for Neuroscience

Neural probes that combine optics, electronics, and drugs could help unlock the secrets of the brain. « more » Related Links: A Swiss Army Knife for Neuroscience (MIT Technology Review) A Better Way to Probe the Brain (MIT Technology Review) Professor…

Diagnosis by keyboard

Diagnosis by keyboard

By revealing loss of motor skills, typing patterns may help to identify early onset of Parkinson’s. « more » Related Links: Diagnosis by keyboard (MIT News) Madrid-MIT M+Visión Consortium

Fujimoto is recipient of the OSA Frederic Ives Medal

Fujimoto is recipient of the OSA Frederic Ives Medal

The Optical Society (OSA) announced on March 1, 2015, the selection of Professor James G. Fujimoto as the recipient of the Frederic Ives Medal / Quinn Prize. He is recognized for pioneering the field of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and for his research group’s…

Magnetic brain stimulation

Magnetic brain stimulation

New technique could lead to long-lasting localized stimulation of brain tissue without external connections. « more » Related Links: Magnetic brain stimulation (MIT News) Wireless magnetothermal deep brain stimulation (Science) Professor Polina Anikeeva…

Making the leap from lab to market

Making the leap from lab to market

MIT Innovation Initiative aims to foster an even more consistent approach to building bridges from research findings to real world impact. « more » Related Links: Making the leap from lab to market (MIT News) Professor Vladimir Bulovic ONE Lab

Squitching behavior

Squitching behavior

MIT graduate student Farnaz Niroui demonstrates squeezable nano electromechanical switches with quantum tunneling function. « more » Related Links: Squitching behavior (MIT News) Organic and Nanostructured Electronics Laboratory 

Cheap, flexible solar

Cheap, flexible solar

Tuning energy levels through surface chemistry shows promise for higher efficiency quantum dot solar cells, MIT graduate student Patrick R. Brown’s work shows. « more » Related Links: Cheap, flexible solar (MIT News) Improved performance and stability in…

Radio chip for the “Internet of things”

Radio chip for the “Internet of things”

Circuit that reduces power leakage when transmitters are idle could greatly extend battery life. « more » Related Links: Radio chip for the “Internet of things” (MIT News) Professor Anantha Chandrakasan Digital Integrated Circuits and Systems…

Fibers made by transforming materials

Fibers made by transforming materials

New approach could enable low-cost silicon devices in fibers that could be made into fabrics. « more » Related Links: Fibers made by transforming materials (MIT News) Crystalline silicon core fibres from ​aluminium core preforms (Nature Communications)…

Diamonds could help bring proteins into focus

Diamonds could help bring proteins into focus

New technique could use tiny diamond defects to reveal unprecedented detail of molecular structures. « more » Related Links: Diamonds could help bring proteins into focus (MIT News) Atomic-Scale Nuclear Spin Imaging Using Quantum-Assisted Sensors in…

Qubits with staying power

Qubits with staying power

Technique greatly extends duration of fragile quantum states, pointing toward practical quantum computers. « more » Related Links: Qubits with staying power (MIT News) Coherent spin control of a nanocavity-enhanced qubit in diamond (Nature…

Particles accelerate without a push

Particles accelerate without a push

New analysis shows a way to self-propel subatomic particles, extend the lifetime of unstable isotopes. « more » Related Links: Particles accelerate without a push (MIT News) Professor Marin Soljacic

New fibers can deliver many simultaneous stimuli

New fibers can deliver many simultaneous stimuli

Implanted into the brain or spinal column, they can transmit drugs, light, and electrical signals. « more » Related Links: New fibers can deliver many simultaneous stimuli (MIT News) Professor Polina Anikeeva Bioelectronics Group Professor Yoel Fink…

Watching how cells interact

Watching how cells interact

New device allows scientists to glimpse communication between immune cells. « more » Related Links: Watching how cells interact (MIT News) Professor Joel Voldman Biological Microtechnology and BioMEMS Group

Toward quantum chips

Toward quantum chips

  Packing single-photon detectors on an optical chip is a crucial step toward quantum-computational circuits. « more » Related Links: Toward quantum chips (MIT News) On-chip detection of non-classical light by scalable integration of single-photon…

Trapping light with a twister

Trapping light with a twister

New understanding of how to halt photons could lead to miniature particle accelerators, improved data transmission. « more » Related Links: Trapping light with a twister (MIT News) Professor Marin Soljacic