June 23, 2021
Enjoy these interesting stories from the scientific community.
*-- New quantum microscope can image incredibly small biological structures --*
Researchers in Australia have engineered a new microscope, powered by quantum entanglement, or what Einstein called "spooky interaction," that can observe previously invisible biological structures.
The technology, described Wednesday in the journal Nature, could inspire breakthroughs in navigational and biomedical imaging technologies.
Quantum entanglement describes the inextricable link between multiple particles, whereby the measure or manipulation of one particle is observed in the others, regardless of time or location.
"Entanglement is thought to lie at the heart of a quantum revolution," lead study author Warwick Bowen, professor of quantum physics at the University of Queensland, said in a press release.
"We've finally demonstrated that sensors that use it can supersede existing, non-quantum technology. This is exciting -- it's the first proof of the paradigm-changing potential of entanglement for sensing," Bowen said.
So far, optical engineers have mostly addressed the shortcomings of traditional microscopes -- whether they are problems with sensitivity, resolution and speed -- by boosting light intensity.
As a result, the world's most capable microscopes utilize extremely powerful lasers, which produce rays billions of times more powerful than the sun's rays.
Unfortunately, fragile biological systems can survive such high-energy light waves for short amounts of time.
"Our microscope is a coherent Raman microscope that offers sub-wavelength resolution and incorporates bright quantum correlated illumination," researchers explained in the new paper.
By using quantum entanglement to illuminate their previously invisible biological targets, researchers were able to boost the microscope's clarity by 35 percent without damaging cellular structures.
"The benefits are obvious -- from a better understanding of living systems, to improved diagnostic technologies," Bowen said.
Scientists have previously demonstrated quantum physics' potential for revolutionizing information security and computing.
"The last piece in the puzzle was sensing, and we've now closed that gap," Bowen said. "This opens the door for some wide-ranging technological revolutions."
*-- Upgraded earmuffs measure blood alcohol levels through ear skin --*
 Scientists in Japan have tweaked a pair of commercial earmuffs to non-invasively measure a person's blood alcohol level.
The technology -- described in a proof-of-concept study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports -- works by measuring ethanol vapors released through the skin of the wearer's ears.
"For stable monitoring of transcutaneous gas, finding a body part with little interference on the measurement is essential," researchers wrote in their paper. "In this study, we have investigated the possibility of external ears for stable and real-time measurement of ethanol vapor."
To test the concept, the researchers integrated an ethanol vapor sensor into commercial earmuffs.
When the sensor detects the presence of ethanol, a light is triggered and the sensors measure the concentration of ethanol in the vapors.
To test the technology, researchers had three male volunteer don the earmuffs while slowly consuming alcoholic beverages for a little over two hours.
During the two-hour period, the researchers regularly captured breathalyzer readings from the three study participants.
The tests results showed both the sensors in the earmuffs and breathalyzer measured similar changes in ethanol concentration over the course of the two-hour experiment.
Studies have previously confirmed a stable relationship between blood alcohol content and the concentration of ethanol released in exhaled vapors.
"These findings suggest the suitability of the external ear for blood ethanol monitoring," researchers concluded.
The researchers plan to adapt the new technology to measure the concentrations of other volatile organic compounds in human blood.
In the future, the earmuffs may also be used to screen for diseases or assess a person's metabolism, they said.
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