Researchers have developed a simple and stable device to generate the quantum states necessary for quantum key distribution. The device could make it more practical to develop a global data network that uses this very secure method of encryption to protect everything from credit card transactions to texts. New encryption techniques are needed because computers…

Researchers may have identified a new way to improve network security. Many cybersecurity systems use distributed network intrusion detection that allows a small number of highly trained analysts to monitor several networks at the same time, reducing cost through economies of scale and more efficiently leveraging limited cybersecurity expertise; however, this approach requires data be…

Inspired by a concept for discovering exoplanets with a giant space telescope, a team of researchers is developing holographic lenses that render visible and infrared starlight into either a focused image or a spectrum. «We use two spherical waves of light to produce the hologram, which gives us fine control over the diffractive grating recorded…

A new 3D bioprinter developed by nanoengineers operates at record speed — it can print a 96-well array of living human tissue samples within 30 minutes. The technology could help accelerate high-throughput preclinical drug screening and make it less costly. The process for a pharmaceutical company to develop a new drug can take up to…

Lasers in conventional laser printers for paper printouts are very small. 3D laser printers for 3-dimensional microstructures and nanostructures, by contrast, have required big and expensive laser systems so far. Researchers now use another process for this purpose. Two-step absorption works with inexpensive and small, blue laser diodes. As a result, much smaller printers can…

Researchers are now measuring tinier moon dust particles than ever before, a step toward more precisely explaining the Moon’s apparent color and brightness. This in turn might help improve tracking of weather patterns and other phenomena by satellite cameras that use the Moon as a calibration source. Another factor in its appearance is the size…

When the world’s most powerful telescope launches into space this year, scientists will learn whether Earth-sized planets in our ‘solar neighborhood’ have a key prerequisite for life — an atmosphere. These planets orbit an M-dwarf, the smallest and most common type of star in the galaxy. Scientists do not currently know how common it is…

The Universe is filled with energetic particles, such as X rays, gamma rays, and neutrinos. However, most of the high-energy cosmic particles’ origins remain unexplained. Now, an international research team has proposed a scenario that explains these; black holes with low activity act as major factories of high-energy cosmic particles. Details of their research were…

Star-forming galaxies are responsible for creating gamma-rays that until now had not been associated with a known origin. Lead author Dr Matt Roth, from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, said until now it has been unclear what created gamma-rays — one of the most energetic forms of light in the Universe —…

An international team of researchers developed the largest and most detailed simulation of the Universe to date and has made it freely available on the cloud to everyone. This simulation, named Uchuu, will help astronomers to interpret results from Big Data galaxy surveys. Uchuu (meaning «Outer Space» in Japanese) is the largest and most realistic…