Many next-generation electronic and electro-mechanical device technologies hinge on the development of ferroelectric materials. The unusual crystal structures of these materials have regions in their lattices, called domains, that behave like molecular switches. The alignment of a domain can be toggled by an electric field, which changes the position of atoms in the crystal and…
On-Chip Pumps Achieve High-Speed Sorting Of Large Cells
A research group in Nagoya University developed a high-speed cell sorting method of large cells with high-viability using dual on-chip pumps. The sorting of individual cells is necessary for many biological applications, including the isolation of specific cell types from cell suspensions. A fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) has been used for high-throughput cell sorting. In…
One-Dimensional Crystals for Low-Temperature Thermoelectric Cooling
Thermoelectric cooling is a solid-state refrigeration process where the heat in an electrically conductive material is transferred using the material’s own conduction electrons without any need for the gaseous coolants, such as chlorofluorocarbons, that are used in conventional refrigeration. Coolers based on thermoelectric technology can be scaled down in size without changing their thermal-to-electrical energy…
Record-Breaking Material That Contracts When Heated
Machines and devices used in modern industry are required to withstand harsh conditions. When the environmental temperature changes, the volume of the materials used to make these devices usually changes slightly, typically by less than 0.01 percent. Although this may seem like a trivial change, over time this thermal expansion can seriously degrade the performance…