Max Planck Society

In an advance that could open new avenues for solar cells, lasers, metamaterials and more, researchers at the University of Illinois have demonstrated the first optoelectronically active 3-D photonic crystal. “We’ve discovered a way to change the three-dimensional structure of a well-established semiconductor material to enable new optical properties while maintaining its very attractive electrical

In California’s sun-scorched Central Valley, the monthly electric bill can easily top $200.   But that’s just about what George Burman spent on electricity for all of last year. When the sun is shining, the solar panels on his Fresno condominium produce more than enough power for his needs, and the local utility is required

Rapid improvement in DNA sequencing has sparked a proliferation of medical and genetic tests that promise to reveal everything from one’s ancestry to fitness levels to microorganisms that live in your gut. A new study from University of Washington researchers that analyzed the security hygiene of common, open-source DNA processing programs finds evidence of poor computer security

It may seem like teens are always over-sharing without a thought. But in a world where opting out of online culture is hardly an option, many take a far more sophisticated view of privacy than adults give them credit for. Taylor is not one to share, and if she had her druthers, she wouldn’t tell

The robot apocalypse came a step closer as Northrop Grumman and the US Navy carried out a successful carrier-style landing of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator. The test, which was carried out on May 4 at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, used a land-based version of an aircraft carrier

System could pore through millions of research papers to extract “recipes” for producing materials. In recent years, research efforts such as the Materials Genome Initiative and the Materials Project have produced a wealth of computational tools for designing new materials useful for a range of applications, from energy and electronics to aeronautics and civil engineering. But developing processes for

Imagine being able to see in black and white or with an Instagram-like filter, or to have what you see through your eyes transmitted wirelessly, simply by swallowing a pill. Or imagine having vision so sharp and accurate that your visual acuity is on par with the most sight-adept people in the world. Italian research

Given the deepwater working conditions endured by submarines, one of the last things most people would want to do is drill holes through their hulls. That’s exactly what is necessary, however, to allow power and data to flow to and from audio and other sensors mounted on the exterior of the vessels. Not only do

Columbia computer scientists invent FontCode, a way to embed hidden information in ordinary text by imperceptibly changing the shapes of fonts in text. Method could prevent document tampering, protect copyrights, as well as embed QR codes and other metadata without altering the look or layout of a document. Computer scientists at Columbia Engineering have invented FontCode, a new

High power conversion of new solar cells that are thin, flexible, and transparent makes them ideal for a wealth of new applications Imagine buildings in which the windows allow the sun’s light to enter, and at the same time capture the energy from the sun needed to meet all their energy needs. In this seemingly