Author: admin

Unless you are an expert in the field, the expression “quantum batteries” will probably mean nothing to you. Perhaps you will associate it, just as this writer does, with words you hear in science fiction films. And yet, for the scientific and technological community, it means a lot. The feasibility, not only theoretical but also experimental, of the quantum battery has been demonstrated for the first time by researchers Giulio Cerullo, from the Physics Department at the Politecnico di Milano, and Tersilla Virgili, from the Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology at the National Research Council, in a study developed in collaboration with international research groups and published in Science Advances.

THE LARGER THE BATTERY, THE QUICKER IT RECHARGES

This phenomenon is called superabsorption and has the potential to lead to the development of a new class of energy storage devices based on models and prototypes developed by scientists. The central core of the model is the idea that larger systems absorb energy more quickly. With this as a starting point, Cerullo and Virgili have developed experimentally for the first time a prototype of a quantum battery: in simple terms, the device consists of microcavities filled with organic molecules, dispersed in an inert matrix, charged using a laser.

the authors of the work explained: to allow the various units to exist in superposition, the whole system is allowed to behave collectively. This behaviour, known as quantum coherence, allows the units to act cooperatively, giving rise to a hyper-fast charge that depends on the number of molecule-units.

“Each molecule represents a unit that can exist in a quantum superposition state of two energy levels (fundamental and excited), similar to the way a qubit, the basic unit of quantum information, can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously in quantum computers,” Cerullo explained. Ultrafast optical spectroscopy allows us to observe charging dynamics at femtosecond resolution to demonstrate charging rates and storage capacity.

AN IMPORTANT STEP IN ENERGY TRANSITION

We are still a long way from commercial use of this type of battery, but the development of new energy capture, storage and transport technologies, combined with interconnections between networks, is vital in all energy transition scenarios and essential to integrating renewable energy intermittency. Cerullo and Virgili now plan to develop a fully working prototype of a quantum battery which may pave the way to new power systems for electric vehicles and electronic devices.

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Credits home and header: hao wang on Unsplash

Climate and extensive anthropisation of the area make the Po Valley one of Europe’s most polluted regions, despite emissions being actually comparable to those of other industrialised districts. Particulate matter, or fine dust, heads the list of the most critical polluting agents.

Long-term exposure to high concentrations of particulate matter increases the incidence of both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Industries, traffic and domestic heating are some of the leading sources of fine dust emissions. However, even intensive livestock breeding and agricultural activities can contribute to the dissemination of this harmful pollutant. To date, few studies have been conducted on the topic.

The D-DUST project (Data-driven moDelling of particUlate with Satellite Technology aid) vaims to bridge this gap by providing important data to investigate the impact of emissions from agricultural and livestock activities on our health. D-DUST, funded by Fondazione Cariplo, ’s 'Data Science for Science and Society' call for proposals, counts on  Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA) as lead partner, in partnership with Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering /strong> (DEIB) and l’Università degli Studi dell’Insubria (DiSAT) as scientific partners.

Maria Antonia Brovelli, Geographical Information Systems professor who is coordinating the project, explained that

the D-DUST project will test new analytical and predictive procedures for the generation and diffusion mechanisms of particulate matter from the agricultural sector. These procedures are solely based on the vast wealth of environmental data and observations now available as open data, with particular focus on the potential contribution of new satellite missions designed to monitor air quality.

The study will also make use of the Sentinel satellite platforms of the European Copernicus programme, including the Sentinel 5P satellite, which provides open data measurements of the main atmospheric pollutants on a global scale, together with the study of spatial predictive models based on machine learning techniques. Models will be developed taking into account data from the fixed ground-based monitoring stations of the ARPA Lombardy network, and data from the detection and chemical characterisation campaigns of particulate matter combined with data on the incidence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Professor Brovelli further emphasises that

The research aims to increase local knowledge of particulate matter even in areas not covered by ground-based measurement stations, in order to provide estimates and forecasts that could be replicated and used to monitor and analyse population exposure to this pollutant.

In parallel to the research described above, educational activities will be organised, mainly involving students from agricultural senior high schools through awareness-building workshops and direct participation in monitoring campaigns. The project will also involve non-profit organisations and foundations actively participating in research, education and dissemination projects on environmental issues.

Credits home/header: ansa.it

There is still a lot to discover about our past and new technologies are coming to meet us, shedding light on hitherto unsolved mysteries. One of the most fascinating and remote mistery relates to the Kofun period in the history of Japan , between the third and seventh centuries AD, known for the huge tumulus tombs (called Kofun) which, according to tradition, guard the earthly remains of the first, legendary emperors and dignitaries of Japan.

They are among the largest monuments ever built and so far little studied, because they are strictly protected by the Japanese government and it is also forbidden for researchers to approach them . There are no written sources, either from the time or more modern, to refer to to find out more.

So we study them from afar : with satellite eyes, using the remote sensing technique. The group of Politecnico di Milano led by researchers Giulio Magli, Norma Baratta and Arianna Picotti was the first to observe, in the its entirety, the shape, size and orientation of these constructions, which recall enormous keyholes.

SATELLITES TO PEEK THROUGH THE LOCK HOLE OF TIME

In particular, for the first time the researchers were able to "explore" the largest and most mysterious mound: the majestic Daisen Kofun , 486 meters long and about 36 meters high, attributed to the legendary Japanese emperor Nintoku, the sixteenth in the history of Japan.
The remote sensing has made it possible to study the orientation of over one hundred Kofuns and verify that there is "a connection of all the entrance corridors with the arch of the sky where the Sun and the Moon are visible every day of the year ". The Daisen Kofun, on the other hand, is oriented "towards the arc of the rising / shining Sun", where - during the winter solstice - the Sun is born.

"The study of the orientation of ancient tombs is a powerful tool to better understand the cognitive aspects of religion and power in ancient societies", reads the article published by researchers in the prestigious journal Remote Sens ( here the link to the full article ). The ancient Japanese emperors linked to the mythical origin of their dynasty, precisely to the Sun, the deity believed to be descended from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu.

The research group is led by Giulio Magli , astrophysicist and archaeoastronomer specialized in the study of the relationships between the architecture of ancient civilizations, the landscape and the celestial vault, teacher of Archaeoastronomy at Politecnico di Milano.

Work has begun on ROSE, the project funded by the European Union which sees Politecnico as one of the seven leading European partners.  

The ROSE project is dedicated to people affected by a total or partial loss of smell (anosmia and hyposmia) and aims at developing technologies to give them support. Unlike other sensory systems, to date there is no way to partially or totally restore the sense of smell, once damaged.

The ROSE project combines disciplines such as nanotechnology, microtechnology, biotechnology, mechanical design, neurosurgery, clinical olfaction, neuroscience and cognitive psychology, with the aim of verifying the feasibility of a olfactory prosthesis miniaturized that combines micro odor sensors and neural stimulators .

In fact, it is estimated that the loss of smell affects about 20% of the world population, with a recent increase due to the Covid-19 pandemic, since about 1 in 2 infected registers anosmia or hyposmia among its symptoms. 

THE ROLE OF POLITECNICO 

Our University plays a fundamental role in the development of the project: under the guidance of the professors Marina Carulli and Monica Bordegoni of the Department of Mechanics, Politecnico will develop customized miniaturized olfactory receptors and will have to design, test and produce prototypes of miniaturized olfactory prostheses, using 3D printing technologies .

The project is funded with over € 3 million by the European Union under the H2020 Pathfinder Pilot program. In addition to the Politecnico the participants are Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CNRS, France), Technische Universität Dresden (Germany), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Aryballe (France), Aristotelio Panepistimio Thessalonikis (Greece) and CEA LETI (France ).