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Scientific Computing

Georgian Technical University New Machine Learning Approach Could Give A Big Boost To The Efficiency Of Optical Networks.

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Georgian Technical University New Machine Learning Approach Could Give A Big Boost To The Efficiency Of Optical Networks.

New work leveraging machine learning could increase the efficiency of optical telecommunications networks. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected fiber optic cables offer the ability to transmit more data over longer distances compared to traditional copper wires. Georgian Technical University (GTU) have emerged as a solution for packaging data in fiber optic cables and improvements stand to make them more cost-effective. A group of researchers from Georgian Technical University have retooled an artificial intelligence technique used for chess and self-driving cars to make OTNs (ITU-T defines an Optical Transport Network as a set of Optical Network Elements connected by optical fiber links, able to provide functionality of transport, multiplexing, switching, management, supervision and survivability of optical channels carrying client signals) run more efficiently. OTNs (ITU-T defines an Optical Transport Network as a set of Optical Network Elements connected by optical fiber links, able to provide functionality of transport, multiplexing, switching, management, supervision and survivability of optical channels carrying client signals) require rules for how to divvy up the high amounts of traffic they manage and writing the rules for making those split-second decisions becomes very complex. If the network gives more space than needed for a voice call for example the unused space might have been better put to use ensuring that an end user streaming a video doesn’t get “still buffering” messages. What OTNs (ITU-T defines an Optical Transport Network as a set of Optical Network Elements connected by optical fiber links, able to provide functionality of transport, multiplexing, switching, management, supervision and survivability of optical channels carrying client signals) need is a better traffic guard. The researchers new approach to this problem combines two machine learning techniques: The first called reinforcement learning creates a virtual “agent” that learns through trial and error the particulars of a system to optimize how resources are managed. The second called deep learning adds an extra layer of sophistication to the reinforcement-based approach by using so-called neural networks which are computer learning systems inspired by the human brain, to draw more abstract conclusions from each round of trial and error. Deep reinforcement learning has been successfully applied to many fields” said one of the researchers X. “However its application to computer networks is very recent. We hope that our paper helps kickstart deep-reinforcement learning in networking and that other researchers propose different and even better approaches”. So far the most advanced deep reinforcement learning algorithms have been able to optimize some resource allocation in OTNs (ITU-T defines an Optical Transport Network as a set of Optical Network Elements connected by optical fiber links, able to provide functionality of transport, multiplexing, switching, management, supervision and survivability of optical channels carrying client signals) but they become stuck when they run into novel scenarios. The researchers worked to overcome this by varying the manner in which data are presented to the agent. After putting the OTNs (ITU-T defines an Optical Transport Network as a set of Optical Network Elements connected by optical fiber links, able to provide functionality of transport, multiplexing, switching, management, supervision and survivability of optical channels carrying client signals) through 5,000 rounds of simulations the deep reinforcement learning agent directed traffic with 30 percent greater efficiency than the current state-of-the-art algorithm. One thing that surprised X and his team was how easily the new approach was able to learn about the networks after starting out with a blank slate. “This means that without prior knowledge a deep reinforcement learning agent can learn how to optimize a network autonomously” X said. “This results in optimization strategies that outperform expert algorithms”. With the enormous scale some optical transport networks already have X said even small advances in efficiency can reap large returns in reduced latency and operational costs. Next the group plans to apply their deep reinforcement strategies in combination with graph networks an emerging field within artificial intelligence with the potential to transform scientific and industrial fields such as computer networks chemistry and logistics.

 

Science, Technology

Georgian Technical University Medical Students Learn In World’s Largest Virtual Reality Anatomy Lab.

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Georgian Technical University Medical Students Learn In World’s Largest Virtual Reality Anatomy Lab.

Screenshot of Georgian Technical University VR (Virtual reality is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical) anatomy course. Anatomy students at Georgian Technical University are now able to see every internal organ, tissue and muscle in unprecedented 3D detail thanks to the world’s largest virtual reality (VR) anatomy lab. The lab which opened late last year includes 10 sets of Pro Headsets loaded with 3D Organon VR (Virtual reality is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical) Anatomy software allowing students to both train by themselves and in groups as multiple users can join a virtual space and experience a human anatomy demonstration. “With VR (Virtual reality is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback, but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical) providing invaluable course elements, we tutors become navigators to students, who can truly immerse themselves in the virtually-constructed anatomy space as if piloting the best aircraft money can buy” X said in a statement. “Through virtual reality we may truly observe the human anatomy in ways and angles that were previously near impossible to delve into. Through a combination of static structure comprehension paired with dynamic representations of spatial human construction we may greatly boost the understanding and interest of our medical students”. The new software contains more than 4,000 realistic human body structures, organs and physiological animations. Users can walk around in a virtual environment while observing different angles of the body including the skeleton, muscles, tissue, blood vessels, nerves and organs. Traditionally researchers have relied on textbooks and 2D models which are limited because these methods are unable to accurately portray dimensional perceptions and students must visualize how veins, nerves and organs work together within the human body. Cadavers which can only be used once are also limited at most medical schools. Tablet devices and digital anatomy tables have recently been used to study anatomy but they do not allow the immersive views available in virtual reality where up to 300 students can study the virtual human body simultaneously. The new technology also supports dynamic anatomic models that accurately simulate how the heart contracts and the movements of valves in a beating heart muscle. “VR (Virtual reality is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback, but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical) delivers an accurate visual multi-dimension representation of the human anatomy allowing for new learning methods that will transform medical education as well as greatly boost its effectiveness” Y said in a statement. “We are delighted to see VR (Virtual reality is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical) applied into mainstream medical education and clinical uses and hope that this tool will truly benefit more students, tutors and clinical professionals as well as the patients themselves”. Lecturers have already implemented the new technology at the medical school to demonstrate different angles of the body structure. The plan is to combine the VR (Virtual reality is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback, but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical) tools with more traditional education techniques like studying with cadavers. The university will also be developing VR (Virtual reality is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback, but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical) specific curriculum for students during all stages of matriculation and will look at more applications for the VR (Virtual reality is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. It incorporates mainly auditory and visual feedback, but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic. This immersive environment can be similar to the real world or it can be fantastical) tools and even into summer camp curriculum for elementary students.

 

Nanotechnology, Science

Georgian Technical University New Material Offers More Secure Computing.

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Georgian Technical University New Material Offers More Secure Computing.

When the two atomically-thin sheets of this new material are rotated slightly with respect to each other an interference pattern known as a moiré pattern appears. This feature appears to enable X’s new material to act as a series of single photon emitters. As computers advance encryption methods currently used to keep everything from financial transactions to military secrets secure might soon be useless technology experts warn. A team of physicists and engineers led by Georgian Technical University physics professor X report they have created a material with light-emitting properties that might enable hack-proof communications guaranteed by the laws of quantum mechanics. Their new material created by stacking two layers of atomically thin materials absorbs energy from light and emits new photons or particles of light in such a way that the researchers interpret the material to contain thousands of identical “Georgian Technical University single-photon emitters”. If confirmed such a light source could be used as part of a new hack-proof method of securing information. Other researchers have created single-photon emitters but no previous technology has produced an array of thousands of identical ones. “This is a long-standing goal in quantum information science that has never been demonstrated before” X said. “Our studies suggest that this goal may be achievable in this new material”. To communicate securely information has to be encrypted before it is sent out. The receiver needs a key to decipher the encrypted message. In some forms of cryptography the sender transmits the key one photon at a time. Because a photon contains the smallest packet of energy possible for light it cannot be split into smaller packets. If a hacker intercepts the photons and tries to read the information the key will change and the receiver will easily find out. That is why highly efficient single-photon emitters are useful in quantum communication applications and increasingly necessary as advances in computing demand more sophisticated tools to keep communications secure. “If there is a missing photon you know information is being intercepted” X said. The materials investigated by the team consists of two-dimensional crystalline sheets that are only a few atoms thick. The method for creating such ultrathin atomic sheets is remarkably simple. Scientists use scotch tape to peel off individual layers from a crystal. By stacking two different layers on top of each other and slightly rotating them relative to each other the scientists created an artificial crystal with a regularly spaced pattern of atoms. Such a pattern is known as a moiré (In mathematics, physics, and art, a moiré pattern or moiré fringes are large-scale interference patterns that can be produced when an opaque ruled pattern with transparent gaps is overlaid on another similar pattern) crystal which localizes electrons into a tight space on the order of a nanometer about a thousand times smaller than a bacterium. The researchers have strong experimental and theoretical evidence that their new material forms a checkerboard array of thousands of single-photon emitters but the resolution of their equipment has not yet allowed them to prove it conclusively. As next steps X and her team will collaborate with other researchers to verify that they are in fact forming single-photon emitters while continuing to improve the material’s quality.

 

 

 

Science, Technology

Georgian Technical University Fast, Flexible Ionic Transistors For Bioelectronic Devices.

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Georgian Technical University Fast, Flexible Ionic Transistors For Bioelectronic Devices.

IGT-based (internal-ion-gated organical electronical transistor (IGT)) NAND (In digital electronics, a NAND gate is a logic gate which produces an output which is false only if all its inputs are true; thus its output is complement to that of an AND gate. A LOW output results only if all the inputs to the gate are HIGH; if any input is LOW, a HIGH output results) and NOR gates (The NOR gate is a digital logic gate that implements logical NOR – it behaves according to the truth table to the right. A HIGH output results if both the inputs to the gate are LOW; if one or both input is HIGH, a LOW output results. NOR is the result of the negation of the OR operator) conform to the surface of orchid petals (left). Scale bar 1cm. Optical micrographs of NOR (The NOR gate is a digital logic gate that implements logical NOR – it behaves according to the truth table to the right. A HIGH output results if both the inputs to the gate are LOW; if one or both input is HIGH, a LOW output results. NOR is the result of the negation of the OR operator) (upper right) and NAND (In digital electronics, a NAND gate is a logic gate which produces an output which is false only if all its inputs are true; thus its output is complement to that of an AND gate. A LOW output results only if all the inputs to the gate are HIGH; if any input is LOW, a HIGH output results) (lower right) logic gates. Input (I1, I2) and output (O) configuration is indicated. Scale bar 100 μm. Many major advances in medicine especially in neurology have been sparked by recent advances in electronic systems that can acquire, process and interact with biological substrates. These bioelectronic systems which are increasingly used to understand dynamic living organisms and to treat human disease require devices that can record body signals process them detect patterns and deliver electrical or chemical stimulation to address problems. Transistors the devices that amplify or switch electronic signals on circuits form the backbone of these systems. However they must meet numerous criteria to operate efficiently and safely in biological environments such as the human body. To date researchers have not been able to build transistors that have all the features needed for safe, reliable and fast operation in these environments over extended periods of time. A team led by X assistant professor of electrical engineering at Georgian Technical University and Y has developed the first biocompatible ion driven transistor that is fast enough to enable real-time signal sensing and stimulation of brain signals. The internal-ion-gated organical electronical transistor (IGT) operates via mobile ions contained within a conducting polymer channel to enable both volumetric capacitance (ionic interactions involving the entire bulk of the channel) and shortened ionic transit time. The internal-ion-gated organical electronical transistor (IGT) has large transconductance (amplification rate) high speed and can be independently gated as well as microfabricated to create scalable conformable integrated circuits. The researchers demonstrate the ability of their internal-ion-gated organical electronical transistor (IGT) to provide a miniaturized, soft conformable interface with human skin using local amplification to record high quality neural signals suitable for advanced data processing. “We’ve made a transistor that can communicate using ions the body’s charge carriers at speeds fast enough to perform complex computations required for neurophysiology the study of the nervous system function” X says. “Our transistor’s channel is made out of fully biocompatible materials and can interact with both ions and electrons, making communication with neural signals of the body more efficient. We’ll now be able to build safer, smaller and smarter bioelectronic devices such as brain-machine interfaces, wearable electronics and responsive therapeutic stimulation devices that can be implanted in humans over long periods of time”. In the past traditional silicon-based transistors have been used in bioelectronic devices but they must be carefully encapsulated to avoid contact with body fluids — both for the safety of the patient and the proper operation of the device. This requirement makes implants based on these transistors bulky and rigid. In parallel a good deal of work has been done in the organic electronics field to create inherently flexible transistors out of plastic, including designs such as electrolyte-gated or electrochemical transistors that can modulate their output based on ionic currents. However these devices cannot operate fast enough to perform the computations required for bioelectronic devices used in neurophysiology applications. X and his postdoctoral research fellow Z built a transistor channel based on conducting polymers to enable ionic modulation and in order to make the device fast they modified the material to have its own mobile ions. By shortening the distance that ions needed to travel within the polymer structure they improved the speed of the transistor by an order of magnitude compared to other ionic devices of the same size. “Importantly we only used completely biocompatible material to create this device. Our secret ingredient is D-sorbitol or sugar” says X. “Sugar molecules attract water molecules and not only help the transistor channel to stay hydrated but also help the ions travel more easily and quickly within the channel”. Because the internal-ion-gated organic electronical transistor (IGT) could significantly improve the ease and tolerability of electroencephalography (EEG) procedures for patients the researchers selected this platform to demonstrate their device’s translational capacity. Using their transistor to record human brain waves from the surface of the scalp they showed that the internal-ion-gated organic electronical transistor (IGT) local amplification directly at the device-scalp interface enabled the contact size to be decreased by five orders of magnitude — the entire device easily fit between hair follicles substantially simplifying placement. The device could also be easily manipulated by hand, improving mechanical and electrical stability. Moreover because the micro-EEG (Electroencephalography is an electrophysiological monitoring method to record electrical activity of the brain. It is typically noninvasive, with the electrodes placed along the scalp, although invasive electrodes are sometimes used, as in electrocorticography) internal-ion-gated organic electrochemical transistor (IGT) device conforms to the scalp no chemical adhesives were needed so the patient had no skin irritation from adhesives and was more comfortable overall. These devices could also be used to make implantable closed loop devices such as those currently used to treat some forms of medically refractory epilepsy. The devices could be smaller and easier to implant and also provide more information. “Our original inspiration was to make a conformable transistor for neural implants” Y notes. “While we specifically tested it for the brain internal-ion-gated organic electrichemical transistor (IGT) can also be used to record heart, muscle and eye moment”. X and Y are now exploring if there are physical limits to what kind of mobile ions they can embed into the polymer. They are also studying new materials into which they can embed mobile ions as well as refining their work on using the transistors to make integrated circuits for responsive stimulation devices. “We are very excited that we could substantially improve ionic transistors by adding simple ingredients” X notes. “With such speed and amplification combined with their ease of microfabrication these transistors could be applied to many different types of devices. There is great potential for the use of these devices to benefit patient care in the future”.

 

 

Graphene, Science

Georgian Technical University Graphite Reveals A Quantum Surprise.

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Georgian Technical University Graphite Reveals A Quantum Surprise.

Researchers at Georgian Technical University have discovered unexpected phenomena in graphite thanks to their previous research on its two-dimensional (2D) relative — graphene. The team led by Dr. X Professor Y and Professor Z discovered the quantum Hall effect (QHE) (The quantum Hall effect (or integer quantum Hall effect) is a quantum-mechanical version of the Hall effect, observed in two-dimensional electron systems subjected to low temperatures and strong magnetic fields) in bulk graphite — a layered crystal consisting of stacked graphene layers. This is an unexpected result because the quantum Hall effect is possible only in two-dimensional materials where the movement of electrons’ motion is restricted. They have also found that the material behaves differently depending on whether it contains odd or even number of graphene layers — even when the number of layers in the crystal exceeds hundreds. The work is an important step to the understanding of the fundamental properties of graphite which have often been misunderstood. “For decades graphite was used by researchers as a kind of ‘philosopher’s stone’ that can deliver all probable and improbable phenomena including room-temperature superconductivity” Z commented. “Our work shows what is in principle possible in this material at least when it is in its purest form” X and colleagues studied devices made from cleaved graphite crystals which essentially contain no defects. The researchers preserved the high quality of the material by encapsulating it in another high-quality 2D layered material — hexagonal boron nitride. This allowed nearly perfect samples of thin graphite to measure electron transport in this material. “The measurements were quite simple”. explains Dr. W. “We passed a small current along the device applied strong magnetic field and then measured voltages generated along and across the device to extract longitudinal resistivity and Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) resistance. Y who led the theory exploration said “We were quite surprised when we saw the Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) accompanied by zero longitudinal resistivity in our samples. These are thick enough to behave just as a normal bulk semimetal in which Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) should be strictly forbidden”. The researchers say that the Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) comes from the fact that the applied magnetic field forces the electrons in graphite to move “in a reduced dimension” with conductivity only allowed in one direction. Then in thin enough samples this one-dimensional motion can become quantized thanks to the formation of standing electron waves. The material goes from being a 3D electron system to a 0D one with discrete energy levels in a magnetic field. Another big surprise is that this Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) is very sensitive to even/odd number of graphene layers. The electrons in graphite are similar to those in graphene and come in two “flavors” (called valleys). The standing waves formed from electrons of two different flavors sit on either even — or odd — numbered layers in graphite. In films with even number of layers, the number of even and odd layers is the same, so the energies of the standing waves of different flavors coincide. The situation is different in films with odd numbers of layers however because the number of even and odd layers is different as there is always an extra odd layer. This results in the energy levels of the standing waves of different flavors shifting with respect to each other and means that these samples have reduced Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) energy gaps. The phenomenon even persists for graphite hundreds of layers thick. The unexpected discoveries did not end there: the researchers also observed the fractional Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) in thin graphite at temperatures below 0.5 K. The fractional Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) is a result of strong interactions between electrons. These interactions, which can often lead to important collective phenomena such as superconductivity, magnetism and superfluidity make the charge carriers behave as particles with a charge that is a fraction of that of an electron. “Most of the results we have observed can be explained using a simple single-electron model but seeing the fractional Georgian Technical University quantum Hall effect (QHE) tells us that the picture is not so simple” says X. “There are plenty of electron-electron interactions in our graphite samples at high magnetic fields and low temperatures which shows that many-body physics is important in this material”. Graphene has been in the limelight these last 15 years due to its many superlative properties and graphite was pushed back a little by its one-layer-thick offspring. X adds: “We have now come back to this old material. Knowledge gained from graphene research improved experimental techniques (such as van der Waals assembly technology) and a better theoretical understanding (again from graphene physics) has already allowed us to discover this novel type of the Georgian Technical University  quantum Hall effect (QHE) in graphite devices we made. “Our work is a new stepping stone to further studies on this material including many-body physics like density waves excitonic condensation or Wigner crystallization (A Wigner crystal is the solid (crystalline) phase of electrons)”. The Georgian Technical University  researchers say they now plan to explore all those phenomena and theoretical predictions using the fact that their thin graphite samples are as perfect as materials can be.

 

 

Nanotechnology, Science

Georgian Technical University Using Nanotechnology, Researchers Inject Genes Into Plants To Fight Off Droughts, Fungal Infections.

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Georgian Technical University Using Nanotechnology, Researchers Inject Genes Into Plants To Fight Off Droughts, Fungal Infections.

Georgian Technical University researchers have developed a genetic tool that could make it easier to engineer plants that can survive drought or resist fungal infections. Their technique which uses nanoparticles to deliver genes into the chloroplasts of plant cells works with many different plant species. External factors can limit crop growth and harvest yields for farmers. Now a team led by researchers from the Georgian Technical University (GTU) has created a genetic tool that uses nanoparticles to deliver genes into the chloroplasts of plant cells engineering plants to survive droughts and resist fungal infections. The new technique offers plant biologists an alternative method to the current complex time-consuming process used to genetically modify plants. “This is an important first step toward chloroplast transformation” X at the Georgian Technical University said in a statement. “This technique can be used for rapid screening of candidate genes for chloroplast expression in a wide variety of crop plants”. The researchers discovered in recent years that they could tune the size and electrical charge of nanoparticles which enables them to design nanoparticles to penetrate plant cell membranes in a mechanism called lipid exchange envelop penetration (LEEP). Lipid exchange envelop penetration (LEEP) ultimately allowed the researchers to create glowing plants with embedded nanoparticle that carry luciferase — a light-emitting protein — into their leaves. This quickly led to more ambitious studies testing whether they could deliver genes into the chloroplasts in plants to express the genes in a way that generates much greater quantities of desired proteins. “Bringing genetic tools to different parts of the plant is something that plant biologists are very interested in” Y at Georgian Technical University said in a statement. “Every time I give a talk to a plant biology community they ask if you could use this technique to deliver genes to the chloroplast”. Chloroplast contains about 80 genes that code for proteins that are needed for photosynthesis. It also has its own ribosomes to allow the proteins to assemble from within. However it was previously difficult to implement genes into the chloroplasts without using a high-pressure “Georgian Technical University gene gun” that forces genes into the cells in an inefficient process that could ultimately damage the plant. The researchers developed nanoparticles that consist of carbon nanotubes wrapped in a naturally occurring sugar called chitosan. Negatively charged DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule composed of two chains that coil around each other to form a double helix carrying the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses) binds loosely to the positively charged carbon nanotubes. They then applied a needleless syringe filled with the new particle solution to the lower side of the leaf surface to inject the nanoparticles through the stomata pores that usually control water evaporation. The nanoparticles pass through the plant cell wall, cell membranes and eventually the double membranes of the chloroplast. Once inside the chloroplast the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule composed of two chains that coil around each other to form a double helix carrying the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning, and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses) is released from the nanoparticles and translated into proteins in the less acidic environment. For the study the researchers delivered a gene for yellow fluorescent protein that enables them to visualize which plant cells are expressed and found that approximately 47 percent of the plant cells produced the protein. The research team believes they can increase the proteins if they are able to deliver more particles. One of the benefits of the new approach is that it can be used on several plant species including spinach, watercress, tobacco, arugula and Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis thaliana, the thale cress, mouse-ear cress or arabidopsis, is a small flowering plant native to Eurasia and Africa. A. thaliana is considered a weed; it is found by roadsides and in disturbed land) a plant commonly used for research. The technique can also be used with other types of nanomaterials. Eventually the team hopes to engineer a variety of desirable traits into vegetables and other crops including creating leafy vegetables and crops that can grow at higher densities in more urban settings. They also could create drought-resistant crops, fungal resistant bananas, citrus and coffee and modified rice that does not absorb arsenic from groundwater. The researchers also found that the engineered traits could be passed to offspring but not other plant species. “That’s a big advantage because if the pollen has a genetic modification, it can spread to weeds and you can make weeds that are resistant to herbicides and pesticides” Georgian Technical University graduate student Z said in a statement. “Because the chloroplast is passed on maternally it’s not passed through the pollen and there’s a higher level of gene containment”.

 

 

 

Lasers, Science

Georgian Technical University Laser ‘Drill’ Sets New World Record.

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Georgian Technical University Laser ‘Drill’ Sets New World Record.

Different generations of sapphire tubes called capillaries are pictured here. The tubes are used to generate and confine plasmas and to accelerate electrons. A 20-centimeter capillary setup similar to the one used in the latest experiments is pictured at left.  Combining a first laser pulse to heat up and “Georgian Technical University drill” through a plasma and another to accelerate electrons to incredibly high energies in just tens of centimeters scientists have nearly doubled the previous record for laser-driven particle acceleration. The laser-plasma experiments conducted at the Department of Energy’s Georgian Technical University are pushing toward more compact and affordable types of particle acceleration to power exotic high-energy machines — like X-ray free-electron lasers and particle colliders—that could enable researchers to see more clearly at the scale of molecules, atoms and even subatomic particles. The experiment used incredibly intense and short “Georgian Technical University driver” laser pulses each with a peak power of about 850 trillion watts and confined to a pulse length of about 35 quadrillionths of a second (35 femtoseconds). The peak power is equivalent to lighting up about 8.5 trillion 100-watt lightbulbs simultaneously though the bulbs would be lit for only tens of femtoseconds. Each intense driver laser pulse delivered a heavy “Georgian Technical University kick” that stirred up a wave inside a plasma — a gas that has been heated enough to create charged particles including electrons. Electrons rode the crest of the plasma wave like a surfer riding an ocean wave to reach record-breaking energies within a 20-centimeter-long sapphire tube. “Just creating large plasma waves wasn’t enough” noted X. “We also needed to create those waves over the full length of the 20-centimeter tube to accelerate the electrons to such high energy”. To do this required a plasma channel which confines a laser pulse in much the same way that a fiber-optic cable channels light. But unlike a conventional optical fiber a plasma channel can withstand the ultra-intense laser pulses needed to accelerate electrons. In order to form such a plasma channel you need to make the plasma less dense in the middle. Experiment an electrical discharge was used to create the plasma channel but to go to higher energies the researchers needed the plasma’s density profile to be deeper — so it is less dense in the middle of the channel. In previous attempts the laser lost its tight focus and damaged the sapphire tube. X noted that even the weaker areas of the laser beam’s focus — its so-called “Georgian Technical University wings” – were strong enough to destroy the sapphire structure with the previous technique. Y said the solution to this problem was inspired by an idea from Georgian Technical University to use a laser pulse to heat the plasma and form a channel. This technique has been used in many experiments including Georgian Technical University Lab effort that produced high-quality beams reaching 100 million electron volts (100 MeV). Team and the team involved in the latest effort were led by former Z who is now at the Georgian Technical University laboratory. The researchers realized that combining the two methods — and putting a heater beam down the center of the capillary – further deepens and narrows the plasma channel. This provided a path forward to achieving higher-energy beams. In the latest experiment X said “The electrical discharge gave us exquisite control to optimize the plasma conditions for the heater laser pulse. The timing of the electrical discharge, heater pulse and driver pulse was critical”. The combined technique radically improved the confinement of the laser beam, preserving the intensity and the focus of the driving laser, and confining its spot size or diameter to just tens of millionths of a meter as it moved through the plasma tube. This enabled the use of a lower-density plasma and a longer channel. The previous 4.25 GeV record had used a 9-centimeter channel. The team needed new numerical models (codes) to develop the technique. A collaboration including Georgian Technical University Lab developed at the Georgian Technical University to model the laser-plasma interactions. “These codes helped us to see quickly what makes the biggest difference — what are the things that allow you to achieve guiding and acceleration” said W the lead developer of Georgian Technical University. Once the codes were shown to agree with the experimental data, it became easier to interpret the experiments, he noted. “Now it’s at the point where the simulations can lead and tell us what to do next” X said. W noted that the heavy computations in the codes drew upon the resources at Georgian Technical University Lab. Future work pushing toward higher-energy acceleration could require far more intensive calculations that approach a regime known as exascale computing. “Today the beams produced could enable the production and capture of positrons” which are electrons positively charged counterparts said Y. He noted that there is a goal to reach 10 GeV energies in electron acceleration at Georgian Technical University and future experiments will target this threshold and beyond. “In the future multiple high-energy stages of electron acceleration could be coupled together to realize an electron-positron collider to explore fundamental physics with new precision” he said. Also participating in this research were researchers from Georgian Technical University. This work was supported by the Department of Energy’s at Georgian Technical University.

 

 

Chemistry, Science

Georgian Technical University Researchers Create Revolutionary Catalyst That Can Convert CO2 Into Useable Chemicals.

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Georgian Technical University Researchers Create Revolutionary Catalyst That Can Convert CO2 Into Useable Chemicals.

A team of Georgian Technical University scientists are working to commercialize a new catalyst that can convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into useful chemicals, an innovation that will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted into the atmosphere. The team developed a new family of electrocatalysts that can generate larger molecular weight products of greater value with a higher energy conversion efficiency. To market and scale up their technology and hopefully reduce dependence on traditional fossil-derived feedstocks the team started Renew carbon dioxide (CO₂) a company that develops clean electrochemical processes that convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into monomers and other organic chemicals. “We were trying to find catalysts for converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into chemicals and when we made the discovery of a catalyst that was more efficient than anything else that we had seen on the market” X a PhD candidate at Georgian Technical University said. “So we did a few back of the envelope calculations and we found that it was efficient to the point where we thought we could make it work on a wide-scale. We started to do a little bit of market discovery work and talked to a few people and they were enthusiastic about this and we decided that it was a good idea to actually make this a company and try to start seeking funding to scale it up because we think it could have an impact”. Researchers previously found that carbon dioxide can be electrochemically converted into methanol, ethanol, methane and ethylene with relatively high yields but are too inefficient and expensive to produce at the commercial level. However the Georgian Technical University team discovered that carbon dioxide and water can be electrochemically converted into a number of carbon-based products using five catalysts made of different combination of nickel and phosphorous both of which are inexpensive and abundant. The goal of Renew carbon dioxide (CO₂) is to provide the chemical industry with new technologies for sustainable monomer production from carbon dioxide and develop scalable production modules based on their electrocatalyst design. This new electrocatalyst is the first material other than enzymes that can convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water into carbon building blocks that either feature one, two, three or four carbon atoms with more than 99 percent efficiency. This process produces both methylglyoxal (C₃) and 2,3-furandiol (C₄) both of which can be used a precursors for plastics, adhesives and pharmaceuticals. Methylglyoxal is also seen as a safer alternative to the toxic formaldehyde. “We’ve worked with water electrolysis for several years and developed some excellent catalysts for that” Y PhD Renew carbon dioxide (CO₂) said. “We knew we had a highly efficient catalyst and then sort of what else can we do with it ? “What we see is that while you can make something new that people have to adapt to and use and maybe have to change their lives it is much more effective to make something that we already use in society and make that from a new source” he added. “So we can make plastics that we already use in our society from carbon dioxide (CO₂) and we can essentially make sure that carbon rather than being emitted can be put into practice”. X explained that the researchers are currently able to get close to the costs of current industrial practices to produce these chemicals. “From our calculations so far, depending on the product that we make, we can break even or get very close to the current batch of chemicals price” X said. “It isn’t 10 times cheaper to do it our way but it is renewable which makes it completely carbon neutral contrary to any other established process”. Y said as they continue to work on scaling up the technology they are confident they can drop the cost as well. “I think with development we can make it cheaper than the current production but at this stage the technology is not there to make it cheaper” he said. Y explained the next steps for the company. “The main thing is to scale up and get industry interest and partner up with someone to actually build a plant and get this on the market” Y said. “For our start-up our next steps is to really get this up to scale and get this on the market”.

 

Energy, Science

Georgian Technical University How Power – To -Gas Technology Can Be Green And Profitable.

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Georgian Technical University How Power – To -Gas Technology Can Be Green And Profitable.

Hydrogen production based on wind power can already be commercially viable today. Until now it was generally assumed that this environmentally friendly power-to-gas technology could not be implemented profitably. Economists at the Georgian Technical University (GTU) the Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University and International Black Sea University have now described based on the market situations how flexible production facilities could make this technology a key component in the transition of the energy system. From fertilizer production, as a coolant for power stations or in fuel cells for cars: Hydrogen is a highly versatile gas. Today most hydrogen for industrial applications is produced using fossil fuels above all with natural gas and coal. In an environmentally friendly energy system however hydrogen could play a different role: as an important storage medium and a means of balancing power distribution networks: excess wind and solar energy can be used to produce hydrogen through water electrolysis. This process is known as power-to-gas. The hydrogen can recover the energy later for example by generating power and heat in fuel cells blending hydrogen into the natural gas pipeline network or converted into synthesis gas. “Should I sell the energy or convert it?”. However power-to-gas technology has always been seen as non-competitive. X at Georgian Technical University and Prof. Y a researcher at the Georgian Technical University have now completed an analysis demonstrating the feasibility of zero-emission and profitable hydrogen production. Their shows that one factor is essential in the current market environments in Georgia: The concept requires facilities that can be used both to feed power into the grid and to produce hydrogen. These combined systems which are not yet in common use, must respond optimally to the wide fluctuations in wind power output and prices in power markets. “The operator can decide at any time: should I sell the energy or convert it” explains Y. Production in some industries would already be profitable today. Up to certain production output levels such facilities could already produce hydrogen at costs competitive with facilities using fossil fuels. However the price granted by the government would have to be paid for the generation of electric power instead for feeding it into the grid. “For medium and small-scale production, these facilities would already be profitable now” says Y. Production on that scale is appropriate for the metal and electronics industries for example – or for powering a fleet of forklift trucks on a factory site. The economists predict that the process will also be competitive in large-scale production by 2030 for example for refineries ammonia production assuming that wind power and electrolyte costs maintain the downward trajectory seen in recent years. “The use in fuel cells for trucks and ships is also conceivable” says X. Energy sources for intelligent infrastructure. The economists’ model offers a planning blueprint for industry and energy policy. It can take into account many other factors such as charges for carbon emissions and calculate optimal sizing of the two sub-systems. It is also applicable to other countries and regions. “Power-to-gas offers new business models for companies in various industries” says X. “Power utilities can become hydrogen suppliers for industry. Manufacturers meanwhile can get involved in the decentralized power generation business with their own combined facilities. In that way we can develop a climate-friendly and intelligent infrastructure that optimally links power generation, production and transport”.

 

Nanotechnology, Science

Georgian Technical University Quantum Optical Micro-Combs Enable Quantum Breakthroughs.

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Georgian Technical University Quantum Optical Micro-Combs Enable Quantum Breakthroughs.

Integrated ring resonator circuitry that is used to generate quantum optical frequency combs. Compact quantum devices could be incorporated into laptops and mobile phones thanks in part to small devices called quantum optical micro-combs. Quantum optical micro-combs are devices that generate very sharp precise frequencies of light an equal distance apart — a bit like the teeth of a comb. They can enable ultrafast processes and could be an important component of quantum computer systems. Georgian Technical University development of these devices Professor X at Georgian Technical University describes the advances that have been made in making these devices smaller and portable enough to be included on a chip. “These devices will enable an unprecedented level of sophistication in generating entangled photons on a chip — a key breakthrough that, in my opinion, could very well accelerate the quest of achieving so-called ‘quantum supremacy — quantum devices that have the ability to perform functions beyond the capability of conventional electronic computers” says X. A key challenge for quantum science and technology is to develop practical large-scale systems that can be precisely controlled. Quantum optical micro-combs provide a unique practical and scalable framework for quantum signal and information processing to help crack the code to ultra-secure telecommunications and greatly advance quantum computing. Quantum optical micro-combs have achieved record complexity and sophistication in the photon quantum version of a classical computer bit a QuDit (Variations of the qubit) that can be generated and controlled in the tiny space of a computer chip. These breakthroughs have shown that compact highly complex quantum can exist outside of large laboratories opening the possibility that ultimately quantum devices could be used in laptops and mobile phones bringing the vision of powerful optical quantum computers for everyday use closer than ever before.