BLOGS

Topics: Civilization, Existentialism, Nanoengineering, Philosophy, Quantum Mechanics, Star Trek

As an undergraduate Engineering Physics major, science classes disabuse you of notions that science fiction might leave you with.

"2001" was released in 1968, the year Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy Sr. were assassinated, the second year of the Star Trek franchise, one year before Apollo 11 landed on the moon, one year before the Trek franchise was canceled, went into syndication, and became a cult phenomenon celebrated and lampooned on Saturday Night Live, featuring William Shatner ("get a life").

When someone asks me if warp drive is "possible," I generally say no. Although following the 1994 Alcubierre Metric paper and extensive research into the mathematics of what a warp bubble would "look" like, no one has yet found what would be the Nobel Prize in an effortless lay-up. It would take more energy than the universe produces, and that is an obvious problem that needs to be solved.

The faithful being undaunted, I am challenged by the notion that the "physics for warp drive hasn't been discovered by Earthlings," and by the Trek timeline, Zephram Cochrane, or his real-world equivalent, hasn't been born yet. Neither have we suffered the calamity of a Third World War, as if the first two were simply "practice" for oblivion.

When challenged that aliens have, or may still be, visiting Earth, I point out the vast distances between stars, and how we at this point are 150,000 years from Alpha Centauri at current slow rocket speeds, unless we get to Warp 1 by some stretch of a miracle. An alien species that can cut that into weeks is incredibly more advanced than our current, less than Type I Kardashev technology.

Taking a friend's argument that aliens have the technology (Type II or greater) to visit our planet, and then might stop us from committing cultural suicide by self-extinction (we hope they're Vulcans, and not Klingons), I asked Claude.ai the following question:

Would it be possible to construct a spaceship with a Nano-composite meta material, such that a spaceship behaves like a Bose-Einstein Condensate? How would such a spaceship work?

Related link: https://www.nist.gov/video/creation-bose-einstein-condensate

Taking a friend's argument that aliens have the technology (Type II or greater) to visit our planet, and then might stop us from committing cultural suicide by self-extinction (we hope they're Vulcans, and not Klingons), I asked Claude.ai the following question:

Would it be possible to construct a spaceship with a Nano-composite meta material, such that a spaceship behaves like a Bose-Einstein Condensate? How would such a spaceship work?

Related link: https://www.nist.gov/video/creation-bose-einstein-condensate

Why did I ask this question? Because my undergraduate is in Physics, my graduate Thesis and Dissertation are in Nanoengineering. By making my spaceship a macro-Bose-Einstein Condensate fashioned with nano-composite metamaterials, I would (hypothetically) make it quantum tunnel from one place to another, that in our three-dimensional fossil-fueled space would seem instantaneous, nay, magical. Or, Flatland, by Edwin Abbott Abbott (yes, his name repeated) written in 1884. The gist: “The book used the fictional two-dimensional world of Flatland to comment on the hierarchy of Victorian culture, but the novella’s more enduring contribution is its examination of dimensions.”

Note: This is a thought experiment. I expect a team of theoretical physicists to find flaws with Claude's conclusions. Maybe it will generate a paper or two. On the other hand, any "arguments" posted online, identified or anonymous, will likely be addressed in the following manner: "Yeah."

Again, I asked Claude the question, and as usual, Claude delivered. I do see the same boot I wear in the yard stamping ant hills. That's more Klingon than Vulcan.

BEC-Like Spaceship: Critical Analysis of Quantum Metamaterial Propulsion

Theoretical Foundation

What Would a BEC-Like Spaceship Mean?

Source: Claude.ai

A Bose-Einstein Condensate spacecraft would theoretically exhibit quantum coherence at macroscopic scales, where the entire vessel behaves as a single quantum entity. This could enable revolutionary propulsion and navigation capabilities by exploiting quantum mechanical effects scaled up to engineering dimensions.

Critical Analysis of Feasibility

The Fundamental Challenges

1. Temperature Requirements

• Natural BECs require temperatures near absolute zero (nanokelvin range)
• Challenge: Maintaining quantum coherence in a space environment
• Potential solution: Metamaterial-induced artificial quantum states

2. Scale Paradox

• BECs typically involve thousands to millions of atoms
• Spaceship scale: ~10²⁶ atoms or more
• Critical question: Can quantum coherence survive at macroscopic scales?

3. Decoherence Threats

• Cosmic radiation
• Thermal fluctuations
• Gravitational interactions
• Internal vibrations and structural stress

Nano Composite Metamaterial Approach

Engineered Quantum Properties

Metamaterial Design Principles:

1. Quantum Dot Arrays: Nanoscale quantum confinement structures
2. Photonic Crystals: Control electromagnetic field interactions
3. Plasmonic Networks: Collective electron oscillations
4. Topological Insulators: Protected quantum states

Critical Innovation Required:

• Materials that maintain quantum coherence at room temperature
• Structures that amplify rather than destroy quantum effects
• Self-healing quantum states resistant to environmental decoherence

Hypothetical Propulsion Mechanisms

1. Quantum Tunneling Propulsion

• Entire spacecraft could theoretically tunnel through spacetime barriers
• Bypass traditional momentum conservation limitations
• Enable instantaneous position changes without acceleration

2. Casimir Effect Amplification

• BEC state could coherently manipulate vacuum fluctuations
• Create asymmetric pressure differentials in quantum vacuum
• Generate thrust without reaction mass

3. Spacetime Curvature Manipulation

• Quantum coherent mass-energy distribution
• Potentially influence local gravitational fields
• Create "warp-like" effects through quantum geometry

Operational Characteristics

Navigation and Control

Quantum State Steering:

• Coherent manipulation of the entire vessel's quantum state
• Navigation through quantum state superposition
• Possible multiple simultaneous trajectories

Information Processing:

• Entire ship acts as quantum computer
• Instantaneous information transfer throughout structure
• Collective decision-making at quantum level

Energy Requirements

Power Sources:

• Zero-point energy extraction (highly speculative)
• Quantum coherence maintenance systems
• Superconducting energy storage and distribution

Critical Technical Barriers

Materials Science Challenges

1. Room-Temperature Quantum Coherence

• Current metamaterials show limited quantum effects at practical temperatures
• Need breakthrough in quantum error correction at material level
• Requires fundamentally new understanding of decoherence

2. Structural Integrity

• Quantum materials often have different mechanical properties
• Must maintain both quantum coherence AND structural strength
• Engineering paradox: rigidity vs. quantum flexibility

3. Manufacturing Complexity

• Precise atomic-level assembly required
• Quality control at quantum scale
• Scalability from laboratory to spacecraft dimensions

Fundamental Physics Questions

1. Macroscopic Quantum Mechanics

• Unclear if quantum mechanics applies unchanged at spacecraft scales
• Possible emergence of classical behavior through complexity
• May require new physics beyond current quantum theory

2. Relativity Interactions

• How would quantum coherence interact with relativistic effects?
• Spacetime curvature impacts on quantum states
• Potential conflicts between quantum mechanics and general relativity

Hypothetical Design Architecture

Core Systems

1. Quantum Coherence Engine

• Central BEC maintenance system
• Continuous cooling and isolation
• Quantum error correction networks

2. Metamaterial Hull

• Layered quantum composite structure
• Self-repairing quantum states
• Environmental shielding systems

3. Navigation Quantum Computer

• Integrated throughout ship structure
• Collective quantum processing
• Real-time spacetime analysis

Operational Modes

1. Classical Mode

• Standard propulsion and navigation
• Quantum systems in standby
• Emergency backup systems

2. Quantum Coherent Mode

• Full BEC-like operation
• Advanced propulsion capabilities
• Enhanced computational processing

3. Hybrid Mode

• Partial quantum coherence
• Selective quantum effects
• Balanced performance and stability

Critical Assessment

Likelihood of Success

Optimistic Scenario (50+ years):

• Breakthrough in room-temperature quantum materials
• New understanding of macroscopic quantum mechanics
• Revolutionary manufacturing techniques

Realistic Assessment:

• Fundamental physics barriers may be insurmountable
• Engineering challenges exceed current technological trajectory
• May require a completely new theoretical framework

Alternative Approaches

1. Quantum-Enhanced Conventional Craft

• Quantum sensors and computers
• Metamaterial components with limited quantum effects
• More achievable near-term goals

2. Hybrid Classical-Quantum Systems

• Selective use of quantum effects
• Conventional structure with quantum subsystems
• Gradual integration of quantum technologies

Conclusion

While a true BEC-like spaceship remains highly speculative, the concept drives important research directions in quantum materials and macroscopic quantum mechanics. The most promising near-term approach may be quantum-enhanced spacecraft that exploit specific quantum effects rather than achieving full macroscopic quantum coherence.

Critical Insight: The boundary between quantum and classical physics at macroscopic scales remains one of the deepest unsolved problems in physics. A BEC spaceship would require not just engineering breakthroughs, but fundamental advances in our understanding of quantum mechanics itself.

Practical Path Forward: Focus on metamaterials that exhibit quantum properties at increasing scales, while developing theoretical frameworks for macroscopic quantum systems. Even partial success could revolutionize both space technology and our understanding of quantum mechanics.

"Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” Arthur C. Clarke, author of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

A finished device: Optical microscope image of the transistor (left) and an ultra-scaled vertical nanowire (right). (Courtesy: Y Shao)

Topics: Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Nanoengineering, Nanomaterials, Nanotechnology, Semiconductor Technology

A new transistor made from semiconducting vertical nanowires of gallium antimonide (GaSb) and indium arsenide (InAs) could rival today’s best silicon-based devices. The new transistors are switched on and off by electrons tunnelling through an energy barrier, making them highly energy-efficient. According to their developers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, they could be ideal for low-energy applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT).

Electronic transistors use an applied voltage to regulate the flow of electricity – that is, electrons – within a semiconductor chip. When this voltage is applied to a conventional silicon transistor, electrons climb over an energy barrier from one side of the device to the other, and it switches from an “off” state to an “on” one. This type of switching is the basis of modern information technology, but there is a fundamental physical limit on the threshold voltage required to get the electrons moving. This limit, which is sometimes termed the “Boltzmann tyranny” because it stems from the Boltzmann-like energy distribution of electrons in a semiconductor, puts a cap on the energy efficiency of this type of transistor.

Highly precise process

In the new work, MIT researchers led by electrical engineer Jesús A del Alamo made their transistor using a top-down fabrication technique they developed. This extremely precise process uses high-quality, epitaxially-grown structures and both dry and wet etching to fabricate nanowires just 6 nm in diameter. The researchers then placed a gate stack composed of a very thin gate dielectric and a metal gate on the sidewalls of the nanowires. Finally, they added point contacts to the source, gate and drain of the transistors using multiple planarization and etch-back steps.

Vertical-nanowire transistors defeat the Boltzmann tyranny, Isabelle Dumé, Physics World

Power with a twist: Twisted ropes made from single-walled carbon nanotubes could store enough energy to power sensors within the human body while avoiding the chemical hazards associated with batteries. (Courtesy: Shigenori UTSUMI)

Topics: Applied Physics, Battery, Carbon Nanotubes, Chemistry, Materials Science, Nanoengineering

Mechanical watches and clockwork toys might seem like relics of a bygone age, but scientists in the US and Japan are bringing this old-fashioned form of energy storage into the modern era. By making single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) into ropes and twisting them like the string on an overworked yo-yo, Katsumi Kaneko, Sanjeev Kumar Ujjain , and colleagues showed that they can store twice as much energy per unit mass as the best commercial lithium-ion batteries. The nanotube ropes are also stable at a wide range of temperatures, and the team says they could be safer than batteries for powering devices such as medical sensors.

SWCNTs are made from sheets of pure carbon just one atom thick that have been rolled into a straw-like tube. They are impressively tough – five times stiffer and 100 times stronger than steel – and earlier theoretical studies by team member David Tománek and others suggested that twisting them could be a viable means of storing large amounts of energy in a compact, lightweight system.

Twisted carbon nanotubes store more energy than lithium-ion batteries, Margaret Harris, Physics World.

Researchers have synthesized sheets of gold that are one atom thick. Credit: imaginima/Getty

Topics: Graphene, Materials Science, Nanoengineering, Nanomaterials, Solid-State Physics

It is the world’s thinnest gold leaf: a gossamer sheet of gold just one atom thick. Researchers have synthesized¹ the long-sought material, known as goldene, which is expected to capture light in ways that could be useful in applications such as sensing and catalysis.

Goldene is a gilded cousin of graphene, the iconic atom-thin material made of carbon that was discovered in 2004. Since then, scientists have identified hundreds more of these 2D materials. But it has been particularly difficult to produce 2D sheets of metals, because their atoms have always tended to cluster together to make nanoparticles instead.

Researchers have previously reported single-atom-thick layers of tin² and lead³ stuck to various substances, and they have produced gold sheets sandwiched between other materials. But “we submit that goldene is the first free-standing 2D metal, to the best of our knowledge”, says materials scientist Lars Hultman at Linköping University in Sweden, who is part of the team behind the new research. Crucially, the simple chemical method used to make goldene should be amenable to larger-scale production, the researchers reported in Nature Synthesis on 16 April¹.

“I’m very excited about it,” says Stephanie Reich, a solid-state physicist and materials scientist at the Free University of Berlin, who was not involved in the work. “People have been thinking for quite some time how to take traditional metals and make them into really well-ordered 2D monolayers.”

In 2022, researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) said that they had produced goldene, but the Linköping team contends that the prior material probably contained multiple atomic layers, on the basis of the electron microscopy images and other data that were published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces⁴. Reich agrees that the 2022 study failed to prove that the material was singler-layer goldene. The principal authors of the NYUAD study did not respond to Nature’s questions about their work.

Meet ‘goldene’: this gilded cousin of graphene is also one atom thick, Mark Peplow, Nature

TSMC is building Two New Facilities to Accommodate 2nm Chip Production

Topics: Applied Physics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Nanoengineering, Semiconductor Technology

Realize that Moore’s “law” isn’t like Newton’s Laws of Gravity or the three laws of Thermodynamics. It’s simply an observation based on experience with manufacturing silicon processors and the desire to make money from the endeavor continually.

As a device engineer, I had heard “7 nm, and that’s it” so often that it became colloquial folklore. TSMC has proven itself a powerhouse once again and, in our faltering geopolitical climate, made itself even more desirable to mainland China in its quest to annex the island, sadly by force if necessary.

Apple will be the first electronic manufacturer to receive chips built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) using a two-nanometer process. According to Korea’s DigiTimes Asia, inside sources said that Apple is "widely believed to be the initial client to utilize the process." The report noted that TSMC has been increasing its production capacity in response to “significant customer orders.” Moreover, the report added that the company has recently established a production expansion strategy aimed at producing 2nm chipsets based on the Gate-all-around (GAA) manufacturing process.

The GAA process, also known as gate-all-around field-effect transistor (GAA-FET) technology, defies the performance limitations of other chip manufacturing processes by allowing the transistors to carry more current while staying relatively small in size.

Apple to jump queue for TSMC's industry-first 2-nanometer chips: Report, Harsh Shivam, New Delhi, Business Standard.

Researchers are working to overcome challenges related to nanoscale optoelectronic interconnects, which use light to transmit signals around an integrated circuit. IMAGE: PROVIDED BY NCNST

Topics: Biology, Materials Science, Nanoengineering, Nanomaterials, Nanotechnology, Quantum Mechanics

The promise of nanotechnology, the engineering of machines and systems at the nanoscale, is anything but tiny. Over the past decade alone, there has been an explosion in research on how to design and build components that solve problems across almost every sector, and nanotechnology innovations have led to huge advancements in our quest to address humanity’s grand challenges, from healthcare to water to food security.

Like any area of scholarship, there are still so many unknowns. And yet, there are more talented scientists and engineers endeavoring to better comprehend and harness the power of nanotechnology than ever before. The future is bright for nanotechnology and its applications.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China (NCNST), a subsidiary of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences, partnered with Science Custom Publishing to survey nanoscience experts from the journal and across the globe about the most knotty and fascinating questions that still need to be answered if we are to advance nanotechnology in society.

The Tiny Ten: Experts weigh in on the top 10 challenges remaining for nanoscience & nanotechnology, Science Magazine

In this image, optical pulses (solitons) can be seen circling through conjoined optical tracks. (Image: Yuan, Bowers, Vahala, et al.) An animated gif is at the original link below.

Topics: Applied Physics, Astronomy, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Nanoengineering, Optics

(Nanowerk News) When we last checked in with Caltech's Kerry Vahala three years ago, his lab had recently reported the development of a new optical device called a turnkey frequency microcomb that has applications in digital communications, precision timekeeping, spectroscopy, and even astronomy.

This device, fabricated on a silicon wafer, takes input laser light of one frequency and converts it into an evenly spaced set of many distinct frequencies that form a train of pulses whose length can be as short as 100 femtoseconds (quadrillionths of a second). (The comb in the name comes from the frequencies being spaced like the teeth of a hair comb.)

Now Vahala, Caltech's Ted and Ginger Jenkins, Professor of Information Science and Technology and Applied Physics and executive officer for applied physics and materials science, along with members of his research group and the group of John Bowers at UC Santa Barbara, have made a breakthrough in the way the short pulses form in an important new material called ultra-low-loss silicon nitride (ULL nitride), a compound formed of silicon and nitrogen. The silicon nitride is prepared to be extremely pure and deposited in a thin film.

In principle, short-pulse microcomb devices made from this material would require very low power to operate. Unfortunately, short light pulses (called solitons) cannot be properly generated in this material because of a property called dispersion, which causes light or other electromagnetic waves to travel at different speeds, depending on their frequency. ULL has what is known as normal dispersion, and this prevents waveguides made of ULL nitride from supporting the short pulses necessary for microcomb operation.

In a paper appearing in Nature Photonics ("Soliton pulse pairs at multiple colors in normal dispersion microresonators"), the researchers discuss their development of the new micro comb, which overcomes the inherent optical limitations of ULL nitride by generating pulses in pairs. This is a significant development because ULL nitride is created with the same technology used for manufacturing computer chips. This kind of manufacturing technique means that these microcombs could one day be integrated into a wide variety of handheld devices similar in form to smartphones.

The most distinctive feature of an ordinary microcomb is a small optical loop that looks a bit like a tiny racetrack. During operation, the solitons automatically form and circulate around it.

"However, when this loop is made of ULL nitride, the dispersion destabilizes the soliton pulses," says co-author Zhiquan Yuan (MS '21), a graduate student in applied physics.

Imagine the loop as a racetrack with cars. If some cars travel faster and some travel slower, then they will spread out as they circle the track instead of staying as a tight pack. Similarly, the normal dispersion of ULL means light pulses spread out in the microcomb waveguides, and the microcomb ceases to work.

The solution devised by the team was to create multiple racetracks, pairing them up so they look a bit like a figure eight. In the middle of that '8,' the two tracks run parallel to each other with only a tiny gap between them.

Conjoined 'racetracks' make new optical devices possible, Nanowerk.

A mathematical tool called a fast Fourier transform maps the structure in a way that reveals the 12-fold symmetry of the quasicrystal. The fast Fourier transform of the electron microscope image of the quasicrystal is shown on the left, while the transform of the simulated crystal is shown on the right. Image credit: Mirkin Research Group, Northwestern University, and Glotzer Group, University of Michigan.

Topics: Biology, DNA, Nanoengineering, Nanomaterials, Nanotechnology

ANN ARBOR—Nanoengineers have created a quasicrystal—a scientifically intriguing and technologically promising material structure—from nanoparticles using DNA, the molecule that encodes life.

The team, led by researchers at Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, and the Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials in San Sebastian, Spain, reports the results in Nature Materials.

Unlike ordinary crystals, which are defined by a repeating structure, the patterns in quasicrystals don’t repeat. Quasicrystals built from atoms can have exceptional properties—for example, absorbing heat and light differently, exhibiting unusual electronic properties such as conducting electricity without resistance, or their surfaces being very hard or very slippery.

Engineers studying nanoscale assembly often view nanoparticles as a kind of ‘designer atom,’ which provides a new level of control over synthetic materials. One of the challenges is directing particles to assemble into desired structures with useful qualities, and in building this first DNA-assembled quasicrystal, the team entered a new frontier in nanomaterial design.

“The existence of quasicrystals has been a puzzle for decades, and their discovery appropriately was awarded a Nobel Prize,” said Chad Mirkin, the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University and co-corresponding author of the study. “Although there are now several known examples, discovered in nature or through serendipitous routes, our research demystifies their formation and, more importantly, shows how we can harness the programmable nature of DNA to design and assemble quasicrystals deliberately.”

Nanoparticle quasicrystal constructed with DNA, Kate McAlpine, University of Michigan