December 2023 Vacuum Deposition Blog
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December 7, 2023
Micromotors Present a Solution for Wastewater Purification and Green Energy 
Spanish researchers at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia have developed micromotors that are able to purify wastewater while they move around in it, the motors purifying function also produces ammonia which could be utilized as a type of green energy. The micro devices will utilize an AI technology developed at the University of Gothenburg to improve the cleaning efficiency and energy generating properties of the device. The micromotors are composed of a silicon and manganese dioxide tube that operates using a bubble release mechanism that functions due to chemical interactions. It is precisely this bubble release mechanism which allows it to move in water. A chemical component known as laccase coats the micromotors and accelerates the conversion of urea into ammonia. The ammonia could then be converted into hydrogen, a clean energy source.  Water management plants have been known to have trouble converting all the urea, which can result in eutrophication when the water is released, a major problem especially in urban areas. Micromotors could provide a solution to this problem, however for them to function effectively, researchers will need to improve the design of the device. This is where AI can provide a solution, and thanks to Gothenburg University’s new AI technique it was made possible to monitor several motors while they swim in water. Learn more here.

December 16, 2023
Colorado and Illinois Compete for $1B in Quantum Tech Funding

 The U.S. Government’s CHIPS Act will award $10 billion to advanced tech hubs around the country. One such hub will be dedicated to quantum tech and Illinois and Colorado are competing for the estimated $1 billion in federal funding and for billions or trillions more in economic activity. Colorado’s application is led by Elevate Quantum, a consortium of more than 70 companies, organizations, educational institutions, and federal labs that have come together to further develop and grow quantum industry in the region. Elevate Quantum’s application was successful, designation Colorado as a regional technology and innovation hub for the advancement of the quantum industry. However, the  Economic Development Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce also chose to move forward with an application coming out of Illinois called the Bloch Tech Hub. This application is led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange. And it is important to note that Bloch has the support of tech giants IBM and Google. Since both States were given a first phase designation for quantum technology, they are officially in competition to see who will become the regional quantum tech hub. It should be noted that a first-phase designation does not come with direct federal funding, and a second phase will narrow down the list of potential candidates. So far the plan is to have 5 to 10 tech hubs each designated to a certain field of advanced technology.  And if Congress eventually grants access to the full $10 billion, tech hubs could each be awarded $1 billion or more, dependent on the number of tech hubs selected. However, the award goes far beyond receiving vast amounts of federal funding. In fact, the final designation could cement the chosen state as a dominant leader in the emerging quantum industry that could drive $3.5 trillion in economic activity on the computing side alone. Learn more here. 
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December 31, 2023
Images Were Teleported Using Quantum State Transfer for the First Time 
 For the first time ever, scientists were able to use a technique known as quantum state transfer to teleport images without actually sending any physical particles. Researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and The Institute of Photonic Sciences in Spain led the study, which was published in Nature Communications. In the study the team demonstrated how images can be encoded in the quantum states of two entangled photons, which share a link even when they are separated. According to the research it is because of this shared link that it is possible to measure one photon and manipulate the other to recreate the image. Distance isn’t a constraint either as this can be done regardless of the distance between the two photons. The technique is called quantum state transfer, and it functions by transferring the quantum properties of one system to another, something that does not require sending any physical particles. A similar concept known as quantum teleportation had been demonstrated in the past however only single photons or qubits were used in the experiments. In this most recent study researchers achieved a new record by teleporting images with a maximum of 15 dimensions of information, using only two photons. The discovery could pave the way for advances in quantum communication and computing. The team hopes to build on their discovery and to explore its use in other fields such as cryptography, metrology, and biomedicine. Learn more about this topic here.