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New Research Results

02/28/2024

Development of New Thermoelectric Materials that Generate Electricity Perpendicular to Heat Flow
– Expectations for new maintenance-free thermoelectric modules that do not degrade the electrode interface –

Researchers at AIST, in collaboration with Shimane University, have succeeded in developing a unique thermoelectric material (goniopolar material) that can orthogonalize temperature differences and current direction.
Most primary energy is discharged as heat, and to make effective use of this unused heat (waste heat), development of thermoelectric materials that convert heat into electricity is underway worldwide. In recent years, new materials with high performance have been reported one after another, but only Bi2Te3 based materials, which were discovered more than half a century ago and operate near room temperature, have been put to practical use. The lack of practical thermoelectric modules that can operate at temperatures higher than room temperature has hindered progress in power generation using waste heat. In particular, conventional thermoelectric modules have a "longitudinal" configuration in which the heat flow and the power generation direction are the same, which causes elemental diffusion and other reactions at the electrode interface in contact with the high-temperature heat source during power generation, leading to degradation, which poses a durability challenge. The research group fabricated single crystals of Mg3Sb2 and Mg3Bi2 with precisely controlled carrier density and discovered an extremely unique property (goniopolarity) that leads to the realization of "transverse" thermoelectric modules in which the heat flow and power generation direction are orthogonal. The transverse thermoelectric module does not require electrodes at the high-temperature side of the module, which prevents thermal degradation, and is expected to drastically solve the durability issue that has been the bottleneck of conventional thermoelectric modules.
First-principles calculations were performed to elucidate the origin of the goniopolarity, and it was found that the sign of charge carriers differs depending on the crystallographic direction due to the anisotropy of the electronic structure. Since there are many materials with similar characteristics, the application of the method used in this study is expected to lead to the development of thermoelectric modules with higher performance.

Figure of new research results Energy and Environment

02/02/2024

Simultaneous decoding of 10,000 cells’ glycan and gene expression in single cells – Promotes the use of glycans for disease detection, prevention, and treatment –

Researchers at AIST, in collaboration with the University of Tsukuba, have developed a droplet-type single-cell glycan-RNA sequencing method (droplet-type scGR-seq method) for simultaneous analysis of glycans and RNAs expressed in each of approximately 10,000 cells isolated from tissues and other sources using a next-generation sequencer. We have developed a droplet-type scGR-seq method.
Cell surface glycans are used as drug targets for various diseases and for quality control of cells for regenerative medicine. In the past, we developed a technique to react multiple cells with lectins (sugar-binding proteins) labeled with DNA barcodes, separate each cell into microcentrifuge tubes, and acquire information on the expression of extracellular glycans and intracellular RNA in each cell using a next-generation sequencer. However, the number of cells that can be analyzed in a single experiment is limited to several hundred by the conventional plate-type method in which one cell is dispensed into a microcentrifuge tube. With the introduction of the droplet technology, approximately 10,000 cells can be analyzed in a single experiment, a 100-fold increase in the number of cells that can be processed compared to the conventional method. This enables more comprehensive analysis of the differences between different cell types and the diversity of cell surface glycans within the same cell type, as well as the rapid acquisition of information on rare cells that contain only a small number of cells.

Figure of new research results Life Science and Biotechnology

Dynamic Sign 11/22/2022

General Requirements for “Dynamic Signs” Published as an ISO Standard
– Japan leads in promoting establishment of international standards for new information presentation technology –

AIST proposed the general requirements of an international standard for dynamic signs with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and the proposal was adopted as ISO 23456-1:2021.
The more effective sign system will be established by developing individual standards under this international standard. We are expecting for the society sharing with various age groups, cultures, and perceptual and physical characteristics, such as the elderly and wheelchair users under the concept of accessibility for all people.

Figure of new research results Information Technology and Human Factors

03/18/2024

Discovery of the Tightest Arrangement of Bilayer Alkali Metals between Graphene Layers
– Suggests potential to increase battery capacity –

Researchers at AIST, in collaboration with Osaka University, Tokyo Polytechnic University, Kyushu University, and National Tsing Hua University, have developed a technique to insert alkali metals into the interlayers of graphene. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. They have succeeded in directly observing the atomic arrangement of the inserted alkali metal atoms which is a hexagonal close packed bilayer structure.
The performance of rechargeable batteries is a key factor influencing the driving distance of electric vehicles and the usage time of smartphones. Improving the performance of these electronic devices is possible if rechargeable batteries can accumulate greater electrical capacities. Graphite, the electrode material used in batteries, is composed of multilayers of graphene, with alkali metals placed between the layers to facilitate the flow of electrons during charging and discharging. Achieving a high density of alkali metals storage between graphene layers could increase the electric capacity.
For the past hundred years, it has been widely recognized through X-ray and electron diffraction measurements that graphene interlayers can only accommodate a single layer of alkali metal. Each layer being fully filled by single layer alkali metal atoms is considered the theoretical charging limit. However, there have been no reports of studies directly observing the atomic arrangement of interlayer alkali metals and verify whether graphene layers can only accommodate a single layer of alkali metal atoms or whether other techniques can achieve higher density or multiple layers of alkali metals.
We have developed a technique to insert dense alkali metals between graphene layers. Utilizing a high-performance low-voltage (60 kV) electron microscope, we have successfully observed the arrang11ement structure of alkali metal atoms between the graphene layers. The alkali metals are found densely packed in a two-layer structure in both bilayer graphene and in the surface layer graphite due to the flexible extension ability of their interlayer spacing. This allows approximately twice as many alkali metals to be inserted. If graphene with two layers of alkali metal insertion can be stacked, it is expected to serve as an electrode material enhancing the capacity of alkaline ion secondary batteries.

Figure of new research results

03/19/2024

Developed an Integrated Circuit That Automatically Compensates for the Sensitivity of High-performance Magnetic Sensors
– Cutting-edge integrated circuit design techniques stabilize sensor sensitivity and expand applications –

A researcher at AIST, in collaboration with Aichi Steel Corporation, has developed a highly sensitive magnetic sensor that can automatically compensate for fluctuations in detection sensitivity due to manufacturing variations and environmental changes.
Compact, highly sensitive magnetic sensors are needed in a wide variety of applications, including industrial and biological measurement. To apply them to fields such as IoT, their sensitivity must be maintained at a constant level. The cost of manually adjusting sensitivity has hindered the expansion of applications for small, high-sensitivity magnetic sensors.
By combining an application-specific integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as "ASIC") with an automatic correction function originally designed by AIST and a magnetic impedance element (hereinafter referred to as "MI element") developed by Aichi Steel Corporation, the fluctuation of the magnetic detection sensitivity was reduced to 1/3 of its original level. This automatic calibration technique does not require a special test mode for the process, and can be performed in the background during normal sensing operation. The digital-output architecture achieves both easy handling of output signals and low power consumption. This approach is expected to expand the range of applications for compact, high-sensitivity magnetic sensors.

Figure of new research results Electronics and Manufacturing

10/12/2023

Why Does Asteroid Ryugu Look Different in Space and in the Laboratory?
– Space weathering hides water signs –

Researchers at AIST, in collaboration with Tohoku University, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, the University of Tokyo, Kyushu University, and others, conducted a direct comparison of remote-sensed data of the Cb-type asteroid Ryugu’s surface observed by the Asteroid Explorer Hayabusa2 and lab-measured data using Ryugu samples brought back to the Earth by Hayabusa2 spacecraft without exposure to the Earth's atmosphere. The remote-sensed and lab-measured reflectance spectra of Ryugu are quite similar, however, a clear difference is the OH absorption band depth: the OH band of remote-sensed spectra is more than half weaker than that of lab-measured spectra. To clarify what causes that difference, we performed lab experiments and data comparisons using primitive carbonaceous chondrites similar to Ryugu. Then we revealed that the most likely cause is that the surface of Ryugu, about 1/100 mm in depth, has been affected by space weathering, alteration caused by exposure to cosmic rays and cosmic dusts, resulting in partial dehydration and the OH band weakening. Our result has been enabled for the first time by the combination of remote sensing of asteroid Ryugu and laboratory measurements using collected samples by Hayabusa2, and suggests the importance of sample return missions playing an important role in planetary science.

Figure of new research results Geological Survey of Japan

11/01/2023

Developed Evaluation Technology for Radio-frequency Components Used in Quantum Computers
– Measure temperature dependence of reflection and transmission characteristics from cryogenic to room temperature –

AIST researchers have developed a technique to evaluate the reflection and transmission characteristics (S parameters) of radio-frequency (RF) components at arbitrary temperature from 4 K to 300 K (-269 °C to 27 °C).
Quantum computer systems contain many RF components to transmit analog signals between the cryogenic quantum chip and the room-temperature electronics. However, most of them do not have guaranteed characteristics in cryogenic environments. Unexpected malfunctions of even a single RF component in a circuit consisting of many components can hinder the large-scale integration of quantum computers. Therefore, there is a need to establish a low-temperature evaluation method for RF components. This method improves on existing methods for measuring reflection and transmission characteristics to enable evaluation of RF components at arbitrary temperatures from 4 K to 300 K. The temperature-dependent information obtained by this technique is essential for the development process of high-performance RF components and will contribute to the advancement of quantum-related technologies. The technology will be deployed in a quantum hardware testbed at the Global Research Center for Quantum and AI Fusion Technology Business Development, which will begin offering measurement services to industry.

Newly developed radiation dosimeter

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