The Kynix Blog

For the first time ever, a cloud of ultra-cold atoms has been successfully created in space on board of a sounding rocket. The MAIUS mission demonstrates that quantum optical sensors can be operated even in harsh environments like space – a prerequisite for finding answers to the most challenging questions of fundamental physics and an important innovation driver for everyday applications.According to Albert Einstein's Equivalence Principle, all bodies are accelerated at the same rate by the Earth's gravity, regardless of their properties. This principle applies to stones, feathers, and atoms alike. Under conditions of microgravity, very long and precise measurements can be carried out to determine whether different types of atoms actually "fall equally fast" in the gravitational field of the Earth – or if we have to revise our understanding of the universe.As part of a national consortium, Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik (FBH) and Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin (HU) now made a historical step towards testing the Equivalence Principle in the microcosm of quantum objects. In the MAIUS mission launched on January 23, 2017 a cloud of nano-Kelvin cold rubidium atoms has been generated in space for the first time ever. This cloud was cooled down with laser light and radio frequency electrical fields so that the atoms finally formed a single quantum object, a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC).More than 20 years after the groundbreaking results of the Nobel laureates Cornell, Ketterle, and Wieman on ultra-cold atoms, preliminary evaluation of the sounding rocket mission data indicates that such experiments can also be carried out under the harsh conditions of space operation – back in 1995, living room-sized setups in a special laboratory environment were required. Today's quantum optical sensor is as small as a freezer and remains fully operational even after experiencing huge mechanical and thermal stress caused by the rocket launch. This groundbreaking mission is a pathfinder for applications of quantum sensors in space. In the future, scientists expect to use quantum sensor technology to cope with one of the biggest challenges of modern physics: the unification of gravitation with the other fundamental interactions (strong, weak, and electro-magnetic force) in a single consistent theory. At the same time, these experiments are drivers of innovation for a broad range of applications, from inertial (non-GPS referenced) navigation to space-borne geodesy used to determine the Earth's shape.For this mission, the FBH has developed hybrid micro-integrated semiconductor laser modules that are suitable for application in space. These laser modules, together with optical and spectroscopic units provided by third partners, have been integrated and qualified by HU to provide the laser subsystem of the scientific payload. The results of this mission coordinated by Leibniz Universitaet Hannover do not only prove that quantum optical experiments with ultra-cold atoms are possible in space, but also give FBH and HU the opportunity to test their miniaturized laser system technology under real operating conditions. The results will also be used to prepare future missions which are already scheduled for launch. MAIUS, however, is not the first sounding rocket test for both institutions' laser technology in space; the technology has already been successfully tested in April 2015 and January 2016 on board of two sounding rockets within the FOKUS and KALEXUS experiments.  The MAIUS mission is supported by the German Space Agency (DLR) with funds provided by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy and tests all key technologies of a space-borne quantum optical sensor on a sounding rocket: vacuum chamber, laser system, electronics, and software. MAIUS constitutes a historical milestone for future missions in space that will take advantage of the full potential of quantum technology. For the first time world-wide, a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) based on rubidium atoms has been created on board of a sounding rocket and has been used to investigate atom interferometry in space. Quantum optical sensors based on BECs enable high-precision measurements of accelerations and rotations using laser pulses which provide a reference for precise determination of the positions of the atomic cloud.The compact and robust diode laser system for laser cooling and atom interferometry with ultra-cold rubidium atoms has been developed under the leadership of the Optical Metrology Group at HU. This system is required for the operation of the MAIUS experiment and consists of four diode laser modules that have been developed by FBH as hybrid-integrated master-oscillator power-amplifier laser modules. The master laser is a monolithic distributed feedback (DFB) laser which is frequency-stabilized to the frequency of an optical transition in rubidium and generates spectrally pure and highly stable (~ 1 MHz linewidth) optical radiation with low output power at 780 nm wavelength. The three other laser modules feature a tapered amplifier chip with a ridge waveguide input section. These tapered amplifier chips boost the optical output power of a DFB laser to beyond 1 W without any loss of spectral stability. Two additional redundancy modules were integrated. Free space acousto-optical modulators and optical components are used to generate the laser pulses according to the experimental sequence. The laser light pulses are finally transferred to the experimental chamber by optical fibers.Furthermore, a laser technology demonstrator designed for future missions has been integrated, consisting of two micro-integrated semiconductor Extended Cavity Diode Laser modules developed by FBH. These modules are specifically required for future atom interferometry experiments that pose more stringent requirements on the spectral stability of the lasers.Reference:GP1A173LCS2FOPB626GP1A53HRJ00F  

At a ceremony today at ESO's Headquarters four contracts were signed for major components of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) that ESO is building. These were for: the casting of the telescope's giant secondary and tertiary mirrors, awarded to SCHOTT; the supply of mirror cells to support these two mirrors, awarded to the SENER Group; and the supply of the edge sensors that form a vital part of the ELT's huge segmented primary mirror control system, awarded to the FAMES consortium.  The construction of the 39-metre ELT, the largest optical/near-infrared telescope in the world, is moving forward. The giant telescope employs a complex five-mirror optical system that has never been used before and requires optical and mechanical elements that stretch modern technology to its limits.Contracts for the manufacture of several of these challenging telescope components have just been signed by ESO's Director General, Tim de Zeeuw, and representatives of three industrial contractors in the ESO Member States.Introducing the ceremony, Tim de Zeeuw said: "It gives me great pleasure to sign these four contracts today, each for advanced components at the heart of the ELT's revolutionary optical system. They underline how the construction of this giant telescope is moving ahead at full speed—on target for first light in 2024. We at ESO look forward to working with SCHOTT, SENER and FAMES—three leading industrial partners from our Member States."The first two contracts were signed with SCHOTT by Christoph Fark, Executive Vice President. They cover the casting of the ELT's largest single mirrors—the 4.2-metre secondary and 3.8-metre tertiary mirror—from SCHOTT's low-expansion ceramic material Zerodur.Hanging upside-down at the top of the telescope structure, high above the 39-metre primary mirror, the secondary mirror will be largest ever employed on a telescope and the largest convex mirror ever produced. The concave tertiary mirror is also an unusual feature of the telescope. The ELT secondary and tertiary mirrors will rival in size the primary mirrors of many modern-day research telescopes and weigh 3.5 and 3.2 tonnes respectively. The secondary mirror is to be delivered by the end of 2018 and the tertiary by July 2019.The third contract was signed with the SENER Group by Diego Rodríguez, Space Department Director. It covers the provision of the sophisticated support cells for the ELT secondary and tertiary mirrors and the associated complex active optics systems that will ensure these massive, but flexible, mirrors retain their correct shapes and are correctly positioned within the telescope. Great precision is needed if the telescope is to deliver optimum image quality.The fourth contract was signed by Didier Rozière, Managing Director (FAMES, Fogale), and Martin Sellen, Managing Director (FAMES, Micro-Epsilon), on behalf of the FAMES consortium, which is composed of Fogale and Micro-Epsilon. The contract covers the fabrication of a total of 4608 edge sensors for the 798 hexagonal segments of the ELT's primary mirror [6].These sensors are the most accurate ever used in a telescope and can measure relative positions to an accuracy of a few nanometres. They form a fundamental part of the very complex system that will continuously sense the locations of the ELT primary mirror segments relative to their neighbours and allow the segments to work together to form a perfect imaging system. It is a huge challenge not only to make sensors with the required precision, but also to produce them quickly enough for thousands to be delivered to the necessarily short timescales.The signing ceremony was also attended by other senior representatives of the companies involved and ESO. It was an excellent opportunity for representatives of the contractors producing many of the giant telescope's optical and mechanical components to get to know each other informally as they begin to help create the world's biggest eye on the sky.Reference:GP1S036PKGS-00GXP1-RRB-3R0232-50

Carbon-based memory materials promise to revolutionise how data is stored and to take computing to a new age in terms of speed, efficiency and power. Improved data storage represents the backbone of the knowledge economy, as well as modern industry, business and multimedia. Creating non-volatile data storage can be accomplished through new carbon-based memory materials, which was the aim of the Carbon resistive random access memory materials project.The project team investigated how to develop eco-friendly, cost-effective and energy-efficient memory materials that are scalable to the molecular level and boast a sub-nanosecond switching time with advanced functionality overall.To achieve its aims the team worked on two areas. On one hand it investigated amorphous-carbon based materials and devices in order to supplement current memory technologies such as hard disks and flash memory.On the other it considered graphene-oxide memories for possible use in flexible electronics applications. Storage capabilities in both concepts involved electrical resistive switching, which led to more in-depth research on the topic and establishment of the technology’s limitations, including minimum device size, temperature range and switching speed.The work involved experiments to pinpoint predicted lifetime at different temperatures, multi-level storage capability, suitability within specific applications, and several other pivotal parameters required to develop the technology. After intensive laboratory work, the team successfully built and characterised prototype devices that achieved almost all of the desired objectives.CARERAMM built nanometre amorphous-carbon based devices with sub-petajoule switching energy and oversaw their successful operation at temperatures reaching 300 degrees C. The project built graphene oxide-based devices with 4-level storage and endurance on flexible substrates, as well as GO-based devices that can resist more than 10,000 bending cycles and high bending radii.Overall the team has produced valuable knowledge on the cutting-edge of resistive switching concerning both amorphous carbon and graphene oxide based materials and devices. It combined atomistic scale modelling with nanoscale characterisation to improve switching considerably, paving the way for the commercialisation of advanced carbon-based memory in the near future.Reference:SDUS5EB-001GCXA1512M MT9VDDT6472HY-335 F2 

Chip scale high precision measurements of physical quantities such as temperature, pressure and refractive index have become common with nanophotonics and nanoplasmonics resonance cavities. As excellent transducers to convert small variations in the local refractive index into measurable spectral shifts, resonance cavities are being used extensively in a variety of disciplines ranging from bio-sensing and pressure gauges to atomic and molecular spectroscopy. Chip-scale microring and microdisk resonators (MRRs) are widely used for these purposes owing to their miniaturized size, relative ease of design and fabrication, high quality factor, and versatility in the optimization of their transfer function.The principle of operation of such resonative sensors is based on monitoring the spectrum dependence of the resonator subject to minute variation in its surrounding (e.g., different types of atoms and molecules, gases, pressure, temperature).  Yet despite several important accomplishments, such optical sensors are still limited in their performances, and their miniaturization is highly challenging.Now, a team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has demonstrated an on-chip sensor capable of detecting unprecedentedly small frequency changes. The approach consists of two cascaded microring resonators, with one serving as the sensing device and the other playing the role of a reference—thus eliminating environmental and system fluctuations such as temperature and laser frequency."Here we demonstrate a record-high sensing precision on a device with a small footprint that can be integrated with standard CMOS technology, paving the way for even more exciting measurements such as single particle detection and high precision chip scale thermometry," said Prof. Uriel Levy, Director of the Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a faculty member at the Department of Applied Physics in the Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering.Among the innovations that made this development possible are chip scale integration of reference measurement, and a servo-loop locking scheme that translates the measured effects from the optical domain to the radio frequency domain. These enabled the researchers to quantify their system capabilities using well-established RF technologies, such as frequency counters, spectrum analyzers, and atomic standards.Reference:TCRT1000GP2S60ITR8307/L24/TR8  

It has been said that spending too much time on a smartphone can negatively impact brain development or even cause damage to the neck. But don't toss yours in the bin just yet. An EU-funded project is working on smartphones' health cred by developing 'Sniffphone' - a module capable of analysing the user's breath to detect as many as 17 diseases.  Adding sensors to smartphones has been a trend lately, with the newest models being able to detect changes in the likes of temperature, humidity, hand gestures or light. But there is one thing these devices can still not do at this point: analyse our breath. Although portable devices have already been commercialised to detect blood alcohol levels and display it on smartphones, using breath analysis technology to its full potential would be a killer feature for both smartphone manufacturers and app developers.A technology called 'Na-Nose' could well be the long-sought-after Holy Grail. Presented in a study published on ACS Nano in December 2016, the device can detect the chemical patterns of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in patients' breath. The new study does not only demonstrate for the first time that specific diseases can be linked to such chemical patterns, but it also shows how Na-Nose can rely on gold nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes to diagnose as many as 17 different diseases including early stage forms of some cancers.Na-Nose's story began 10 years ago when engineer Hossam Haick joined Technion Israel's Institute of Technology. There, he started developing a screening tool made up of two parts: a desktop box with a tube into which a person exhales, sending his or her breath into an array of sensors; and an attached computer equipped with machine-learning software and trained to recognise patterns from those sensors.The array's thin layers of gold nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes are coated with organic ligands. When exhaled VOCs bind to these ligands, the electrical resistance between the nanoparticles or nanotubes is changed. The resulting signal is sent to a computer which uses a pattern-recognition software to determine whether the signal matches that of a particular disease.The device was trained to recognise over 23 illnesses, after which Haick's team tested it on over 8 000 patients to teach the software how to discriminate between disease and confounding factors, such as contamination, age, gender, background disease and geography. Last year, Haick already demonstrated that the resulting tool could detect gastric cancer in a blinded test of patients with 92-94 % accuracy. But with this new study, he took things even further by using Na-Nose to detect and discriminate among 17 different diseases in the breath of 1 404 individuals across five countries.The next step now consists in miniaturising the device enough to be able to bring it onto smartphones by August 2018, thanks to funding under Horizon 2020's SNIFFPHONE project. 'We aim to catch disease at an early stage, where we can increase the survival rate,' says Haick.Reference:10027941005447-11005935-1 

Researchers from the Graphene Flagship, working at the AMBER centre in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland in collaboration with researchers from University of Siegen, Germany, and University of Vienna, Austria, have demonstrated ultrafast and highly sensitive gas sensors using platinum selenide (PtSe2). This material – a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) – has promising potential in different areas of nanoelectronics, including optoelectonics as well as sensing. This research, published in ACS Nano, demonstrates the potential of PtSe2 in a range of applications, and presents this little-studied material as an excellent candidate for further investigation.The new TMD was created using a metal conversion method, in which thin platinum film is converted into PtSe2 by thermally assisted conversion in selenium vapour at 400 °C. PtSe2 now joins the growing class of stable TMDs. Georg Duesberg, from Trinity College Dublin, is the principal investigator of the study. He said "We performed a screening study of materials, to check a few different material combinations. The conversion of metals is helpful in the quest for new materials, because it is simple to do. Of the other combinations that worked, many immediately oxidised, so they were not stable. We were very lucky to find a sweet spot with this material, and to be able to synthesise it on a large scale."One of the benefits of PtSe2 is the method of fabrication, which is compatible with silicon chip fabrication. "We grow PtSe2 at 400 °C which makes it potentially suitable for so-called back end of line (BEOL) processing. This means that it can be combined with existing device architectures to add new functionality," said Niall McEvoy, a researcher at Trinity College Dublin who performed the growth experiments. BEOL processing comes after the actual fabrication of integrated circuits of a silicon chip, It is crucial that the temperature is less than 450 °C, to preserve the functionality of the integrated circuit. "This is very interesting for the Flagship's push towards industrial applications," added Duesberg. "This potentially can be grown on top of a chip. You can imagine using this material for the Internet of Things, sensors and so on."To demonstrate possible applications for the new material, the researchers tested its performance in sensing NO2. "All of our homegrown materials are tested as gas sensors. PtSe2 showed excellent results, high sensitivity, excellent response time and nearly complete recovery," said Kangho Lee, a researcher at Trinity College Dublin who performed the gas sensing experiments. Gas molecules adsorbed onto the surface of the PtSe2 change its conductivity, lowering the resistance. The researchers found that the PtSe2 had extremely high sensitivity, measuring 100 ppb NO2 at room temperature. The sensor was also extremely fast to respond to the gas – detecting low quantities of gas in only seconds – and recovering completely within a minute when the inert atmosphere was restored.For commercial sensing applications, the sensor must be responsive only to specific gases, so that changes in environmental conditions can be monitored. McEvoy is optimistic that the PtSe2 can be treated to have the selective sensing properties needed. "With some added processing steps, to engender selectivity, PtSe2 could potentially be used in a wide array of industrial chemical sensing applications," he said. A potential route to selective sensing could be the addition of chemical groups that are responsive to the chosen gas.Reference:2790427929314100009