Converting Sound Waves into Electricity
For the first time, scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, California) have converted the highest frequency sound waves into electricity by reversing the process that converts electrical signals to sound.
For the first time, scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, California) have converted the highest frequency sound waves into electricity by reversing the process that converts electrical signals to sound. The researchers predicted that high-frequency acoustic waves could be detected by seeing radiation emitted when the acoustic wave passes an interface between piezoelectric materials.
Very high-frequency sound waves have wavelengths approaching the atomic-length scale. Although detection of these waves is challenging, they are useful for probing materials on very small length scales.
According to Evan Reed, one of the study’s lead researchers, that is not the only application. “This technique provides a new pathway to generation of terahertz (THz) radiation for security, medical, and other purposes,” he said. “In this application, we would utilize acoustic-based technologies to generate THz.” Medical applications of this technique might include detection of skin cancer, while security applications include explosives detection.
Getting accurate IR spectra on monolayer of molecules
April 18th 2024Creating uniform and repeatable monolayers is incredibly important for both scientific pursuits as well as the manufacturing of products in semiconductor, biotechnology, and. other industries. However, measuring monolayers and functionalized surfaces directly is. difficult, and many rely on a variety of characterization techniques that when used together can provide some degree of confidence. By combining non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) and IR spectroscopy, IR PiFM provides sensitive and accurate analysis of sub-monolayer of molecules without the concern of tip-sample cross contamination. Dr. Sung Park, Molecular Vista, joined Spectroscopy to provide insights on how IR PiFM can acquire IR signature of monolayer films due to its unique implementation.
