research topics in physics electronics

Suggestions or feedback?

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Machine learning
• Social justice
• Black holes
• Classes and programs

Departments

• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Brain and Cognitive Sciences
• Architecture
• Political Science
• Mechanical Engineering

Centers, Labs, & Programs

• Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
• Picower Institute for Learning and Memory
• Lincoln Laboratory
• School of Architecture + Planning
• School of Engineering
• School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
• Sloan School of Management
• School of Science
• MIT Schwarzman College of Computing

Physicists create five-lane superhighway for electrons

Press contact :.

Previous image Next image

MIT physicists and colleagues have created a five-lane superhighway for electrons that could allow ultra-efficient electronics and more. 

The work, reported in the May 10 issue of Science , is one of several important discoveries by the same team over the past year involving a material that is a unique form of graphene .

“This discovery has direct implications for low-power electronic devices because no energy is lost during the propagation of electrons, which is not the case in regular materials where the electrons are scattered,” says Long Ju, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and corresponding author of the Science paper.

The phenomenon is akin to cars traveling down an open turnpike as opposed to those moving through neighborhoods. The neighborhood cars can be stopped or slowed by other drivers making abrupt stops or U-turns that disrupt an otherwise smooth commute.

A new material

The material behind this work, known as rhombohedral pentalayer graphene, was discovered two years ago by physicists led by Ju. “We found a goldmine, and every scoop is revealing something new,” says Ju, who is also affiliated with MIT’s Materials Research Laboratory.

In a Nature Nanotechnology paper last October, Ju and colleagues reported the discovery of three important properties arising from rhombohedral graphene. For example, they showed that it could be topological, or allow the unimpeded movement of electrons around the edge of the material but not through the middle. That resulted in a superhighway, but required the application of a large magnetic field some tens of thousands times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field.

In the current work, the team reports creating the superhighway without any magnetic field.

Tonghang Han, an MIT graduate student in physics, is a co-first author of the paper. “We are not the first to discover this general phenomenon, but we did so in a very different system. And compared to previous systems, ours is simpler and also supports more electron channels.” Explains Ju, “other materials can only support one lane of traffic on the edge of the material. We suddenly bumped it up to five.”

Additional co-first authors of the paper who contributed equally to the work are Zhengguang Lu and Yuxuan Yao. Lu is a postdoc in the Materials Research Laboratory. Yao conducted the work as a visiting undergraduate student from Tsinghua University. Other authors are MIT professor of physics Liang Fu; Jixiang Yang and Junseok Seo, both MIT graduate students in physics; Chiho Yoon and Fan Zhang of the University of Texas at Dallas; and Kenji Watanabe and Takashi Taniguchi of the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan.

How it works

Graphite, the primary component of pencil lead, is composed of many layers of graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in hexagons resembling a honeycomb structure. Rhombohedral graphene is composed of five layers of graphene stacked in a specific overlapping order.

Ju and colleagues isolated rhombohedral graphene thanks to a novel microscope Ju built at MIT in 2021 that can quickly and relatively inexpensively determine a variety of important characteristics of a material at the nanoscale. Pentalayer rhombohedral stacked graphene is only a few billionths of a meter thick.

In the current work, the team tinkered with the original system, adding a layer of tungsten disulfide (WS 2 ). “The interaction between the WS 2  and the pentalayer rhombohedral graphene resulted in this five-lane superhighway that operates at zero magnetic field,” says Ju.

Comparison to superconductivity

The phenomenon that the Ju group discovered in rhombohedral graphene that allows electrons to travel with no resistance at zero magnetic field is known as the quantum anomalous Hall effect. Most people are more familiar with superconductivity, a completely different phenomenon that does the same thing but happens in very different materials.

Ju notes that although superconductors were discovered in the 1910s, it took some 100 years of research to coax the system to work at the higher temperatures necessary for applications. “And the world record is still well below room temperature,” he notes.

Similarly, the rhombohedral graphene superhighway currently operates at about 2 kelvins, or -456 degrees Fahrenheit. “It will take a lot of effort to elevate the temperature, but as physicists, our job is to provide the insight; a different way for realizing this [phenomenon],” Ju says.

Very exciting

The discoveries involving rhombohedral graphene came as a result of painstaking research that wasn’t guaranteed to work. “We tried many recipes over many months,” says Han, “so it was very exciting when we cooled the system to a very low temperature and [a five-lane superhighway operating at zero magnetic field] just popped out.”

Says Ju, “it’s very exciting to be the first to discover a phenomenon in a new system, especially in a material that we uncovered.”

This work was supported by a Sloan Fellowship; the U.S. National Science Foundation; the U.S. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI; and the World Premier International Research Initiative of Japan.

Share this news article on:

Related links.

• Condensed Matter Experiment (CMX)
• Materials Research Laboratory
• Department of Physics

Related Topics

• Nanoscience and nanotechnology
• Carbon materials
• Electronics
• Superconductivity
• Materials science and engineering
• National Science Foundation (NSF)

Related Articles

MIT physicists turn pencil lead into “gold”

Physicists find direct evidence of strong electron correlation in a 2D material for the first time

Custom-made MIT tool probes materials at the nanoscale

Previous item Next item

More MIT News

QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2024-25

Read full story →

Study models how ketamine’s molecular action leads to its effects on the brain

SPURS Fellowships offer time out to reflect, learn, and connect

All in the family

Ultrasound offers a new way to perform deep brain stimulation

Helping robots grasp the unpredictable

• More news on MIT News homepage →

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA

• Map (opens in new window)
• Events (opens in new window)
• People (opens in new window)
• Careers (opens in new window)
• Accessibility
• Social Media Hub
• MIT on Facebook
• MIT on YouTube
• MIT on Instagram

share this!

May 29, 2024

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

New study is step towards energy-efficient quantum computing in magnets

by Lancaster University

Researchers from Lancaster University and Radboud University Nijmegen have managed to generate propagating spin waves at the nanoscale and discovered a novel pathway to modulate and amplify them.

Their discovery , published in Nature , could pave the way for the development of dissipation free quantum information technologies. As the spin waves do not involve electric currents , these chips will be free from associated losses of energy.

The rapidly growing popularity of artificial intelligence comes with an increasing desire for fast and energy efficient computing devices and calls for novel ways to store and process information. The electric currents in conventional devices suffer from losses of energy and subsequent heating of the environment.

One alternative for the "lossy" electric currents is to store and process information in waves, using the spins of the electrons instead of their charges. These spins can be seen as the elementary units of magnets.

Lead author Dr. Rostislav Mikhaylovskiy from Lancaster University said, "Our discovery will be essential for future spin-wave based computing. Spin waves are an appealing information carrier as they don't involve electric currents and therefore do not suffer from resistive losses."

It has already been known for many years that spins can be kicked out of their equilibrium orientation. After this perturbation, the spins start to precess (i.e. rotate) around their equilibrium position. In magnets, neighboring spins are extremely strongly coupled, forming a net magnetization. Due to this coupling, the spin precession can propagate in the magnetic material , giving rise to a spin wave.

"Observing nonlinear conversion of coherent propagating magnons at nanoscale, which is a prerequisite for any practical magnon-based data processing, has been sought for by many groups worldwide for more than a decade. Therefore, our experiment is a landmark for spin wave studies, which holds the potential to open an entire new research direction on ultrafast coherent magnonics with an eye on the development of dissipation free quantum information technologies."

The researchers have used the fact that the highest possible frequencies of the spin rotations can be found in materials, in which adjacent spins are canted with respect to each other.

To excite such fast spin dynamics, they used a very short pulse of light, the duration of which is shorter than the period of the spin wave, i.e. less than a trillionth of a second. The trick for generating the ultrafast spin wave at the nanoscale is in the photon energy of the light pulse.

The material of study exhibits extremely strong absorption at ultraviolet (UV) photon energies, which localizes the excitation in a very thin region of only a few tens of nanometers from the interface, which allows spin waves with terahertz (a trillion of Hertz) frequencies and sub-micrometer wavelengths to emerge.

The dynamics of such spin waves is intrinsically nonlinear, meaning that the waves with different frequencies and wavelengths can be converted into each other.

The researchers have now for the first time realized this possibility in practice. They achieved this by exciting the system not with only one, but with two intense laser pulses, separated by a short time delay.

First author Ruben Leenders, former Ph.D. student at Lancaster University, said, "In a typical single pulse excitation experiment, we would simply expect the two spin waves to interfere with each other as any waves do. However, by varying the time delay between the two pulses, we found that this superposition of the two waves does not hold."

The team explained the observations by considering the coupling of the already excited spin wave with the second light pulse. The result of this coupling is that when the spins are already rotating, the second light pulse gives an additional kick to the spins.

The strength and the direction of this kick depends on the state of the deflection of the spins at the time that this second light pulse arrives. This mechanism allows for control over the properties of the spin waves such as their amplitude and phase, simply by choosing the appropriate time delay between the excitations.

Journal information: Nature

Provided by Lancaster University

Explore further

Feedback to editors

'Open gates' in warming Arctic are expanding salmon range

37 minutes ago

'Painting with light' illuminates photo evidence of air pollution

47 minutes ago

Blood sausages and yak milk: Bronze Age cuisine of Mongolian nomads unveiled

Most collapsed stars fully rotate in seconds: This one takes nearly an hour

New study finds Earth warming at record rate, but no evidence of climate change accelerating

Diversity in farm landscapes helps wildlife, global study finds

2 hours ago

Tiny tropical puddle frogs show that protecting genetic variation is essential for animals to survive the climate crisis

5 hours ago

Rate of global warming caused by humans is at an all-time high, say scientists

10 hours ago

Giant viruses discovered on Greenland ice sheet could reduce ice melt

12 hours ago

New study confirms presence of benzene in natural gas and potential for undetectable indoor leaks

Relevant physicsforums posts, how do you solve harper's equation in quantum mechanics.

Jun 3, 2024

Latest explanation for "stability of high multiplicity states"

May 28, 2024

How to do Convergent-Close Coupling (CCC)

May 24, 2024

Anyone knows the slow light in EIT？

May 22, 2024

Transition frequency -> Rydberg oxygen atoms

May 14, 2024

Is Chern number exactly an integer of half-integer?

May 11, 2024

More from Atomic and Condensed Matter

Related Stories

Researchers discover new ways to excite spin waves with extreme infrared light

Jan 31, 2024

'Shear sound waves' provide the magic for linking ultrasound and magnetic waves

Mar 29, 2024

Scientists couple terahertz radiation with spin waves

Jan 31, 2023

Hexagonal copper disk lattice unleashes spin wave control

Feb 1, 2024

Terahertz light-driven spin-lattice control: A new potential path to faster and more efficient data storage

Jan 6, 2022

Small magnets reveal big secrets

Oct 25, 2019

Recommended for you

New model suggests partner anti-universe could explain accelerated expansion without the need for dark energy

20 hours ago

Study uncovers a quantum acoustical Drude peak shift in strange metals

A framework to construct quantum spherical codes

Physicists take molecules to a new ultracold limit, creating a state of matter where quantum mechanics reigns

Scientists bring crystal clarity to diamond's quantum signals

Reinterpreting the Higgs mechanism: Decay and fission of 'magnetic quivers' could clarify quantum structures

Let us know if there is a problem with our content.

Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form . For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines ).

Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request

Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.

Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.

E-mail the story

Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form.

Newsletter sign up

Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties.

More information Privacy policy

Donate and enjoy an ad-free experience

We keep our content available to everyone. Consider supporting Science X's mission by getting a premium account.

E-mail newsletter

• June 5, 2024 | Exploring the Unknown: A Unique Quantum State of Matter Emerges at Columbia
• June 5, 2024 | Liftoff for PREFIRE and Ice! Rocket Lab Launches Second Polar Heat CubeSat
• June 4, 2024 | Secret “Persimmon” Ingredient Could Boost Ethanol Production
• June 4, 2024 | Revolutionary Night Vision: Ultra-Thin Filters Transform Everyday Eyewear
• June 4, 2024 | Scientists Uncover Unexpected Impact of Ocean Floor Geometry on Climate

Physics News

Read interesting physics news and the latest physics research discoveries on SciTechDaily. Your premier source for the latest revelations, innovations, and research in the captivating world of physics includes recent breakthroughs from sources like Harvard , MIT , Los Alamos , Rice University , Princeton , and Lawrence Berkeley .

We bring you up-to-the-minute information on a wide array of topics, spanning from fundamental physics and quantum mechanics to fluid dynamics, particle physics, and beyond. Our expertly curated content explores the diverse aspects of the universe, unveiling the underlying principles that govern its behavior and uncovering the mysteries that continue to intrigue scientists and enthusiasts alike. Stay informed about groundbreaking discoveries, technological advancements, and theoretical breakthroughs that deepen our understanding of the cosmos and reshape our perspective on reality.

Popular physics news topics include Particle , Nuclear , and Quantum Physics , as well as Astrophysics , Biophysics , Heliophysics , Geophysics , and Quantum Computing .

Physics June 5, 2024

Exploring the Unknown: A Unique Quantum State of Matter Emerges at Columbia

Physicists at Columbia University have taken molecules to a new ultracold limit and created a state of matter where quantum mechanics reigns. There’s a hot…

Google’s Quantum AI Challenges Long-Standing Physics Theories

Nanoscale Discovery Offers a New, Energy-Efficient Approach to Quantum Computing

20-Year-Old Puzzle Solved: Physicists Reveal the “Three-Dimensional Vortex” of Zero-Dimensional Ferroelectrics

Inside the Proton Halo: Precision Measurements Unravel Nuclear Puzzles

“Counterintuitive” Findings: MIT Scientists Uncover Surprising Metal Behavior Under Extreme Conditions

Powering Next-Gen Electronics: Scientists Find High-Performance Alternative to Conventional Ferroelectrics

Exploring Uncharted Territory: Physicists Unveil Infinite Possibilities of Quantum States

Quantum Leap in Stabilizing Qubits Unlocks New Possibilities

Physics May 28, 2024

Challenging Classical Physics: Surprising Properties of Elastic Turbulence Discovered

Revealing elastic turbulence shows more similarities to classical Newtonian turbulence than previously expected. Blood, lymph fluid, and other biological fluids often exhibit unexpected and sometimes…

GaN-VCSELs Hit New Milestones: Japanese Researchers Achieve Unprecedented Resonance Control

Researchers have created a new technique for precise control of cavity length in GaN-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. Gallium nitride (GaN) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are…

Physics May 27, 2024

The Quantum Twist: Unveiling the Proton’s Hidden Spin

New research combining experimental and computational approaches provides deeper insights into proton spin contributions from gluons. Nuclear physicists have been tirelessly exploring the origins of…

Physics May 26, 2024

Cambridge Scientists Achieve Long-Sought Quantum State Stability in New 2D Material

Scientists at the Cavendish Laboratory have discovered spin coherence in Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) under normal conditions, offering new prospects for quantum technology applications. Cavendish…

Physics May 25, 2024

Magnetic Fingerprints: STAR Detects Currents in Deconfined Nuclear Matter

Data from heavy ion collisions provide new insights into the electromagnetic properties of quark-gluon plasma “deconfined” from protons and neutrons. Scientists have uncovered the first…

Quantum Leap: Atom Interference and a Breakthrough in Boson Sampling

Researchers demonstrated a new method of boson sampling using ultracold atoms, marking a significant advancement over previous techniques. Utilizing optical tweezers and advanced cooling, the…

Physics May 24, 2024

Molecular Magic: How Supercritical Fluids Blur the Lines of Matter

New research reveals the dual nature of supercritical fluids, transitioning from gas-like to liquid-like behavior, providing insights into fluid dynamics under extreme conditions. A study…

Physics May 23, 2024

Ultra-Thin Crystals Unlock New Possibilities in Electronics and Quantum Computing

Researchers at UC Irvine have developed an ultra-thin bismuth material designed for use in flexible technologies. In a study published in Nature Materials, scientists from…

A Quantum Leap in Alloy Research: Machine Learning Speeds Up Diffusion Studies by 100x

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have redefined diffusion in multicomponent alloys by breaking it down into separate elements they term “kinosons.” Employing machine…

Physical Review Physics Education Research

Collections.

• Editorial Team
• Open Access

Teaching research skills for experimental physics in an undergraduate electronics lab

Soumya narayanan, pradeep sarin, nitin pawar, and sahana murthy, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 020103 – published 6 july 2023, an article within the collection: focused collection on instructional labs: improving traditions and new directions.

• Citing Articles (2)

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] We present the pedagogical design and implementation of “ESSENCe”: Experimental problem solving using Staging, Scaffolding, Embedded information sources, iNstruments, and Collaboration. Research in experimental physics requires problem-solving skills that include designing investigations, developing instrumentation techniques, troubleshooting, planning data analysis, and evaluating experimental outcomes. Most of these skills can be taught at the undergraduate level but are unfortunately skipped in traditional cookbook-recipe style labs. Since many physics experiments require electronics, the ESSENCe pedagogy presented here has been developed in the context of undergraduate electronics laboratory courses. The goals of ESSENCe labs are to help students apply their theoretical knowledge of electronics to hands-on open-ended experiments, understand properties of physical systems and limitations of measurements, and to learn how to work with sophisticated instruments used in experimental research. ESSENCe emphasizes collaboration with peers and teaching assistants. This paper presents the results of ESSENCe implementation in a sophomore undergraduate analog electronics lab of 45–60 students over multiple years in a top-ranked technological university in India. A mixed methods study was conducted to analyze students’ development of experimental problem-solving skills through repeated measures of performance on experimental tests and video analysis of students working on the experiments. We found statistically significant improvement in students’ experimental problem-solving skills over the course of a semester. The study also analyzed students’ perceptions about the benefits and challenges of the open-ended collaborative lab.

• Received 28 February 2023
• Accepted 13 June 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.19.020103

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

• Research Areas

This article appears in the following collection:

Focused Collection on Instructional Labs: Improving Traditions and New Directions

Authors & Affiliations

• 1 Interdisciplinary Program on Educational Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
• 2 Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
• * [email protected]

Article Text

Vol. 19, Iss. 2 — July - December 2023

Authorization Required

Other options.

• Buy Article »
• Find an Institution with the Article »

Download & Share

Lab course goals.

Elements of ESSENCe pedagogical strategy.

Circuit diagrams for exercise 1 given to students for analysis, before building the circuit. Current limit I max = 10     mA on D1 and D2 and V t = 0.7     V are specified, but the value of R and the amplitude of V in are not given.

Sketch of predicted V out drawn by a typical student (upper row) for the two circuits of exercise 1 shown in Fig.  3 . Corresponding waveforms observed in the circuit with V in = 1 V (lower row).

Expected solution of exercise 3—design and test of a bridge rectifier circuit.

Observations made by students for the circuit assembled as per Fig.  5 . (a)  V in measured alone on Channel 1 of DSO (b) V out measured alone on Channel 2 of DSO (c)  V in and V out measured together on Channels 1 and 2 of DSO.

Average class performance in circuit analysis.

Average class performance in circuit design.

Student perception of different lab activities.

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Physics Education Research

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

• Forgot your username/password?
• Create an account

Article Lookup

Paste a citation or doi, enter a citation.

• Follow us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Watch us on Youtube
• Audio and video Explore the sights and sounds of the scientific world
• Podcasts Our regular conversations with inspiring figures from the scientific community
• Video Watch our specially filmed videos to get a different slant on the latest science
• Webinars Tune into online presentations that allow expert speakers to explain novel tools and applications
• Latest Explore all the latest news and information on Physics World
• Research updates Keep track of the most exciting research breakthroughs and technology innovations
• News Stay informed about the latest developments that affect scientists in all parts of the world
• Features Take a deeper look at the emerging trends and key issues within the global scientific community
• Opinion and reviews Find out whether you agree with our expert commentators
• Interviews Discover the views of leading figures in the scientific community
• Analysis Discover the stories behind the headlines
• Blog Enjoy a more personal take on the key events in and around science
• Physics World Live
• Impact Explore the value of scientific research for industry, the economy and society
• Events Plan the meetings and conferences you want to attend with our comprehensive events calendar
• Innovation showcases A round-up of the latest innovation from our corporate partners
• Collections Explore special collections that bring together our best content on trending topics
• Artificial intelligence Explore the ways in which today’s world relies on AI, and ponder how this technology might shape the world of tomorrow
• #BlackInPhysics Celebrating Black physicists and revealing a more complete picture of what a physicist looks like
• Nanotechnology in action The challenges and opportunities of turning advances in nanotechnology into commercial products
• The Nobel Prize for Physics Explore the work of recent Nobel laureates, find out what happens behind the scenes, and discover some who were overlooked for the prize
• Revolutions in computing Find out how scientists are exploiting digital technologies to understand online behaviour and drive research progress
• The science and business of space Explore the latest trends and opportunities associated with designing, building, launching and exploiting space-based technologies
• Supercool physics Experiments that probe the exotic behaviour of matter at ultralow temperatures depend on the latest cryogenics technology
• Women in physics Celebrating women in physics and their contributions to the field
• IOP Publishing
• Enter e-mail address
• Show Enter password
• Remember me Forgot your password?
• Access more than 20 years of online content
• Manage which e-mail newsletters you want to receive
• Read about the big breakthroughs and innovations across 13 scientific topics
• Explore the key issues and trends within the global scientific community
• Choose which e-mail newsletters you want to receive

Reset your password

Please enter the e-mail address you used to register to reset your password

Note: The verification e-mail to change your password should arrive immediately. However, in some cases it takes longer. Don't forget to check your spam folder.

If you haven't received the e-mail in 24 hours, please contact [email protected]

Registration complete

Thank you for registering with Physics World If you'd like to change your details at any time, please visit My account

• Optics and photonics
• Research update

Optical tweezers think big

Optical tweezers – already a mainstay of biological research for their ability to hold and move nano-sized objects – can now trap larger items such as cell clusters, bacteria, plankton and microplastics thanks to a new technique developed at the University of Tokyo in Japan. Known as contour-tracking optical tweezers (CTOTs), the new method produces stable traps for irregularly-shaped particles bigger than 0.1 mm – something that was challenging to do using conventional optical tweezers. According to team leader Satoru Takahashi , the technique could expand the technology’s applications to include environmental research as well as biology.

“This new capability enables the observation and analysis of these different types of samples with precise manipulation, contributing to a deeper understanding of their behaviours in various settings, crucial for advances in biology and environmental science,” Takahashi says.

Powerful tools for biological research but limited

Optical tweezers were invented by the American physicist Arthur Ashkin, who received a share of the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work. These devices use a highly focused laser beam to generate forces that hold and move micron-or nano-sized objects near the beam’s focus, and they have become powerful tools for biological research.

Standard optical tweezers come up short, however, for particles bigger than 10 μm. This is because the optical forces available cannot create a big enough gradient to trap and manipulate such large objects in three dimensions. Another weakness is that tweezers work best for symmetrical shapes like spheres and rods. In this case, the reason is that the forces light exerts on irregularly-shaped objects are unbalanced due to complex interactions between the light and the particle, Takahashi explains. This imbalance tends to make the object rotate uncontrollably or move out of the laser focus spot altogether.

Determining the contour of the target particle

In CTOT, the incident light hits the edge of the particle. Even if the particle has, overall, an irregular shape, its shape in the illuminated region can be locally approximated as a curved surface. “Our system determines the contour of the target particle from microscope images and then scans the laser focal point along this contour in real time, balancing the optical forces around its irregular shape,” Takahashi tells Physics World . “It also automatically adjusts the size of the scanning light patterns to fit the target’s size, allowing it to be applied to particles bigger than 0.1 mm.”

The researchers tested their technique on irregularly shaped polystyrene microparticles, which they collected by polishing a polystyrene spoon with a rasp. CTOTs do not require any prior information about the particles’ shape. They do not have to be illuminated by laser light from two sides either, as is the case for conventional methods for larger particles, making the method easier to implement.

Individual polyatomic molecules are trapped in optical-tweezer arrays

The new optical tweezers could be used with living organisms such as plankton and cultured biological cells as well as environmental samples, adds Ryohel Omine , who did the bulk of the work on the study. For example, Omine suggests that analyzing the behaviour of microplastics could inform more effective measures to mitigate pollution, thereby improving human health and aiding environmental conservation.

The CTOTs technique is detailed in Optics Letters .

Want to read more?

Note: The verification e-mail to complete your account registration should arrive immediately. However, in some cases it takes longer. Don't forget to check your spam folder.

If you haven't received the e-mail in 24 hours, please contact [email protected] .

• E-mail Address

Optics newsletter

Sign up today for our new bimonthly newsletter

• Nuclear physics

Nuclear physicists tame radius calculation problem

Discover more from physics world.

Celebrating attosecond science, physics tournament focuses on fun

• Accelerators and detectors

Laser-driven accelerator benefits from clever use of light pulses

• Optical components

Blurred tomography fabricates custom microlenses with optically smooth surfaces

Related jobs, international faculty position, uestc, senior & junior scientist experimental hed physics (52), linux systems engineer (196), related events.

• Quantum | Symposium 3rd annual Commercialising Quantum Global 2024 5—6 June 2024 | London, UK
• Optics and photonics | Symposium SPIE Optics + Photonics 2024 18—24 August 2024 | San Diego, US
• Optics and photonics | Conference SPIE Photonics West 2025 25—30 January 2025 | San Francisco, US

Understanding the atomic density fluctuations in silica glass

Researchers employ a novel technique to obtain the direct experimental observation of the atomic density fluctuations of silica glass.

In materials science, particularly in the study of glasses, the intermediate range order (IRO) is one of the most intriguing research areas owing to its significant influence over the physical properties of glasses. The IRO refers to the structural arrangement of atoms beyond the short-range order (atomic arrangement within a few atomic distances) but shorter than the long-range order (arrangement patterns over macroscopic distances). Notably, for covalent glasses, the IRO is marked by atomic density fluctuations.

Scattering experiments provide a distinct signature of IRO. In these experiments, high-energy beams like X-rays and neutron beams are scattered by the atoms of a sample. The scattered waves then interfere constructively or destructively, resulting in bright or dark spots respectively. The bright spots are called diffraction peaks. For IRO in covalent glasses, a distinct diffraction peak called the first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) has been observed. Various interpretations for the origin of FSDP have been proposed, including quasilattice planes, which are atomic planes that have some repeating patterns, or the presence of interstitial voids, which are gaps in the atomic arrangement. However, the direct experimental observation of these atomic density fluctuations has remained elusive.

In a new study, a team of researchers from Japan, led by Professor Akihiko Hirata from the Department of Materials Science at Waseda University and including Professor Motoki Shiga from Tohoku University and Dr. Shinji Kohara from the National Institute of Materials Science, has employed an innovative technique to directly observe the origin of FSDP and the atomic density fluctuations in silica (SiO 2 ) glass. "We combined our angstrom-beam electron diffraction (ABED) technique, which we previously employed for observing atomic-scale structures in various glass materials, with an energy filter device to successfully observe the diffraction peaks related to FSDP and the related atomic arrangements of SiO 2 glass," explains Prof. Hirata. Their study was published in the journal NPG Asia Materials on 10 May 2024.

In the study, the researchers first conducted ABED experiments with an energy filter device on a thin SiO 2 glass sample, obtaining clear diffraction patterns associated with FSDP. Next, to understand its origin, they conducted virtual ABED experiments using a structural model of SiO 2 , developed through molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. This model could reproduce the high-energy X-ray and neutron scattering experiments, including FSDPs of real samples, verifying the validity of the model. The virtual ABED experiments conducted on the model produced similar diffraction patterns as real experiments. The researchers then extracted the atomic arrangements that generated these patterns from the structural model.

Analysis revealed that the periodic atomic density fluctuations corresponding to FSDP originated from alternating arrangements of chain-like columnar atomic configurations and interstitial tube-like voids. Notably, the tube-like voids were limited to a length of two nanometers. The columnar arrangements formed pseudo-two-dimensional atomic planes, providing a more specific description of the quasilattice planes. Furthermore, while these local structures did not precisely correspond to crystals which exhibit consistently ordered atomic structures throughout the material, they displayed partially similar features. These findings provide important insights into the IRO of glasses.

Prof. Hirata emphasizes the potential applications of glass materials, particularly in batteries as anode materials or solid-state electrolytes: "The fundamental insights into atomic density fluctuations gained from this study can contribute to accelerating the development of these materials, leading to improvements in battery performance."

Overall, this research advances our understanding of the atomic structure of glasses, providing new directions for material control and development.

• Materials Science
• Engineering
• Engineering and Construction
• Weapons Technology
• Civil Engineering
• Electronics
• Nanotechnology
• Electron configuration
• Atomic orbital
• Scientific method
• Traffic engineering (transportation)
• Resonance (chemistry)

Story Source:

Materials provided by Waseda University . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Akihiko Hirata, Shuya Sato, Motoki Shiga, Yohei Onodera, Koji Kimoto, Shinji Kohara. Direct observation of the atomic density fluctuation originating from the first sharp diffraction peak in SiO2 glass . NPG Asia Materials , 2024; 16 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41427-024-00544-w

Cite This Page :

Explore More

• Giant Viruses Found On Greenland Ice Sheet
• Using AI to Decode Dog Vocalizations
• Humans and Woolly Rhinoceros' Extinction
• More Summer Droughts for Northern Hemisphere
• All Electrical Needs from Floating Solar Panels?
• Over 60% of US People Likely to Have CVD by 2050
• Gigantic Jurassic Pterosaur Fossil Unearthed
• Bringing Back an Ancient Bird
• How Quantum Field Theories Decay and Fission
• River Nile's Evolution During Ancient Egypt

Trending Topics

Strange & offbeat.

• Diversity & Inclusion
• Community Values
• Visiting MIT Physics
• People Directory
• Faculty Awards
• History of MIT Physics
• Policies and Procedures
• Departmental Committees
• Academic Programs Team
• Finance Team
• Meet the Academic Programs Team
• Prospective Students
• Requirements
• Employment Opportunities
• Research Opportunities
• Graduate Admissions
• Doctoral Guidelines
• Financial Support
• Graduate Student Resources
• PhD in Physics, Statistics, and Data Science
• MIT LEAPS Program
• for Undergraduate Students
• for Graduate Students
• Mentoring Programs Info for Faculty
• Non-degree Programs
• Student Awards & Honors
• Astrophysics Observation, Instrumentation, and Experiment
• Astrophysics Theory
• Atomic Physics
• Condensed Matter Experiment
• Condensed Matter Theory
• High Energy and Particle Theory
• Nuclear Physics Experiment
• Particle Physics Experiment
• Quantum Gravity and Field Theory
• Quantum Information Science
• Strong Interactions and Nuclear Theory
• Center for Theoretical Physics
• Affiliated Labs & Centers
• Program Founder
• Competition
• Donor Profiles
• Patrons of Physics Fellows Society
• Giving Opportunties
• physics@mit Journal: Fall 2023 Edition
• Events Calendar
• Physics Colloquia
• Search for: Search

Research Areas

• Privacy Policy

Home » 500+ Physics Research Topics

500+ Physics Research Topics

Table of Contents

Physics is the study of matter, energy, and the fundamental forces that govern the universe. It is a broad and fascinating field that has given us many of the greatest scientific discoveries in history , from the theory of relativity to the discovery of the Higgs boson. As a result, physics research is always at the forefront of scientific advancement, and there are countless exciting topics to explore. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the most fascinating and cutting-edge physics research topics that are being explored by scientists today. Whether you are a student, researcher, or simply someone with a passion for science, there is sure to be something in this list that will pique your interest.

Physics Research Topics

Physics Research Topics are as follows:

Physics Research Topics for Grade 9

• Investigating the properties of waves: amplitude, frequency, wavelength, and speed.
• The effect of temperature on the expansion and contraction of materials.
• The relationship between mass, velocity, and momentum.
• The behavior of light in different mediums and the concept of refraction.
• The effect of gravity on objects and the concept of weight.
• The principles of electricity and magnetism and their applications.
• The concept of work, energy, and power and their relationship.
• The study of simple machines and their efficiency.
• The behavior of sound waves and the concept of resonance.
• The properties of gases and the concept of pressure.
• The principles of heat transfer and thermal energy.
• The study of motion, including speed, velocity, and acceleration.
• The behavior of fluids and the concept of viscosity.
• The concept of density and its applications.
• The study of electric circuits and their components.
• The principles of nuclear physics and their applications.
• The behavior of electromagnetic waves and the concept of radiation.
• The properties of solids and the concept of elasticity.
• The study of light and the electromagnetic spectrum.
• The concept of force and its relationship to motion.
• The behavior of waves in different mediums and the concept of interference.
• The principles of thermodynamics and their applications.
• The study of optics and the concept of lenses.
• The concept of waves and their characteristics.
• The study of atomic structure and the behavior of subatomic particles.
• The principles of quantum mechanics and their applications.
• The behavior of light and the concept of polarization.
• The study of the properties of matter and the concept of phase transitions.
• The concept of work done by a force and its relationship to energy.
• The study of motion in two dimensions, including projectile motion and circular motion.

Physics Research Topics for Grade 10

• Investigating the motion of objects on inclined planes
• Analyzing the effect of different variables on pendulum oscillations
• Understanding the properties of waves through the study of sound
• Investigating the behavior of light through refraction and reflection experiments
• Examining the laws of thermodynamics and their applications in real-life situations
• Analyzing the relationship between electric fields and electric charges
• Understanding the principles of magnetism and electromagnetism
• Investigating the properties of different materials and their conductivity
• Analyzing the concept of work, power, and energy in relation to mechanical systems
• Investigating the laws of motion and their application in real-life situations
• Understanding the principles of nuclear physics and radioactivity
• Analyzing the properties of gases and the behavior of ideal gases
• Investigating the concept of elasticity and Hooke’s law
• Understanding the properties of liquids and the concept of buoyancy
• Analyzing the behavior of simple harmonic motion and its applications
• Investigating the properties of electromagnetic waves and their applications
• Understanding the principles of wave-particle duality and quantum mechanics
• Analyzing the properties of electric circuits and their applications
• Investigating the concept of capacitance and its application in circuits
• Understanding the properties of waves in different media and their applications
• Analyzing the principles of optics and the behavior of lenses
• Investigating the properties of forces and their application in real-life situations
• Understanding the principles of energy conservation and its applications
• Analyzing the concept of momentum and its conservation in collisions
• Investigating the properties of sound waves and their applications
• Understanding the behavior of electric and magnetic fields in charged particles
• Analyzing the principles of thermodynamics and the behavior of gases
• Investigating the properties of electric generators and motors
• Understanding the principles of electromagnetism and electromagnetic induction
• Analyzing the behavior of waves and their interference patterns.

Physics Research Topics for Grade 11

• Investigating the effect of temperature on the resistance of a wire
• Determining the velocity of sound in different mediums
• Measuring the force required to move a mass on an inclined plane
• Examining the relationship between wavelength and frequency of electromagnetic waves
• Analyzing the reflection and refraction of light through various media
• Investigating the properties of simple harmonic motion
• Examining the efficiency of different types of motors
• Measuring the acceleration due to gravity using a pendulum
• Determining the index of refraction of a material using Snell’s law
• Investigating the behavior of waves in different mediums
• Analyzing the effect of temperature on the volume of a gas
• Examining the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance in a circuit
• Investigating the principles of Coulomb’s law and electric fields
• Analyzing the properties of electromagnetic radiation
• Investigating the properties of magnetic fields
• Examining the behavior of light in different types of lenses
• Measuring the speed of light using different methods
• Investigating the properties of capacitors and inductors in circuits
• Analyzing the principles of simple harmonic motion in springs
• Examining the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration
• Investigating the behavior of waves in different types of materials
• Determining the energy output of different types of batteries
• Analyzing the properties of electric circuits
• Investigating the properties of electric and magnetic fields
• Examining the principles of radioactivity
• Measuring the heat capacity of different materials
• Investigating the properties of thermal conduction
• Examining the behavior of light in different types of mirrors
• Analyzing the principles of electromagnetic induction
• Investigating the properties of waves in different types of strings.

Physics Research Topics for Grade 12

• Investigating the efficiency of solar panels in converting light energy to electrical energy.
• Studying the behavior of waves in different mediums.
• Analyzing the relationship between temperature and pressure in ideal gases.
• Investigating the properties of electromagnetic waves and their applications.
• Analyzing the behavior of light and its interaction with matter.
• Examining the principles of quantum mechanics and their applications.
• Investigating the properties of superconductors and their potential uses.
• Studying the properties of semiconductors and their applications in electronics.
• Analyzing the properties of magnetism and its applications.
• Investigating the properties of nuclear energy and its applications.
• Studying the principles of thermodynamics and their applications.
• Analyzing the properties of fluids and their behavior in different conditions.
• Investigating the principles of optics and their applications.
• Studying the properties of sound waves and their behavior in different mediums.
• Analyzing the properties of electricity and its applications in different devices.
• Investigating the principles of relativity and their applications.
• Studying the properties of black holes and their effect on the universe.
• Analyzing the properties of dark matter and its impact on the universe.
• Investigating the principles of particle physics and their applications.
• Studying the properties of antimatter and its potential uses.
• Analyzing the principles of astrophysics and their applications.
• Investigating the properties of gravity and its impact on the universe.
• Studying the properties of dark energy and its effect on the universe.
• Analyzing the principles of cosmology and their applications.
• Investigating the properties of time and its effect on the universe.
• Studying the properties of space and its relationship with time.
• Analyzing the principles of the Big Bang Theory and its implications.
• Investigating the properties of the Higgs boson and its impact on particle physics.
• Studying the properties of string theory and its implications.
• Analyzing the principles of chaos theory and its applications in physics.

Physics Research Topics for UnderGraduate

• Investigating the effects of temperature on the conductivity of different materials.
• Studying the behavior of light in different mediums.
• Analyzing the properties of superconductors and their potential applications.
• Examining the principles of thermodynamics and their practical applications.
• Investigating the behavior of sound waves in different environments.
• Studying the characteristics of magnetic fields and their applications.
• Analyzing the principles of optics and their role in modern technology.
• Examining the principles of quantum mechanics and their implications.
• Investigating the properties of semiconductors and their use in electronics.
• Studying the properties of gases and their behavior under different conditions.
• Analyzing the principles of nuclear physics and their practical applications.
• Examining the properties of waves and their applications in communication.
• Investigating the principles of relativity and their implications for the nature of space and time.
• Studying the behavior of particles in different environments, including accelerators and colliders.
• Analyzing the principles of chaos theory and their implications for complex systems.
• Examining the principles of fluid mechanics and their applications in engineering and science.
• Investigating the principles of solid-state physics and their applications in materials science.
• Studying the properties of electromagnetic waves and their use in modern technology.
• Analyzing the principles of gravitation and their role in the structure of the universe.
• Examining the principles of quantum field theory and their implications for the nature of particles and fields.
• Investigating the properties of black holes and their role in astrophysics.
• Studying the principles of string theory and their implications for the nature of matter and energy.
• Analyzing the properties of dark matter and its role in cosmology.
• Examining the principles of condensed matter physics and their applications in materials science.
• Investigating the principles of statistical mechanics and their implications for the behavior of large systems.
• Studying the properties of plasma and its applications in fusion energy research.
• Analyzing the principles of general relativity and their implications for the nature of space-time.
• Examining the principles of quantum computing and its potential applications.
• Investigating the principles of high energy physics and their role in understanding the fundamental laws of nature.
• Studying the principles of astrobiology and their implications for the search for life beyond Earth.

Physics Research Topics for Masters

• Investigating the principles and applications of quantum cryptography.
• Analyzing the behavior of Bose-Einstein condensates and their potential applications.
• Studying the principles of photonics and their role in modern technology.
• Examining the properties of topological materials and their potential applications.
• Investigating the principles and applications of graphene and other 2D materials.
• Studying the principles of quantum entanglement and their implications for information processing.
• Analyzing the principles of quantum field theory and their implications for particle physics.
• Examining the properties of quantum dots and their use in nanotechnology.
• Investigating the principles of quantum sensing and their potential applications.
• Studying the behavior of quantum many-body systems and their potential applications.
• Analyzing the principles of cosmology and their implications for the early universe.
• Examining the principles of dark energy and dark matter and their role in cosmology.
• Investigating the properties of gravitational waves and their detection.
• Studying the principles of quantum computing and their potential applications in solving complex problems.
• Analyzing the properties of topological insulators and their potential applications in quantum computing and electronics.
• Examining the principles of quantum simulations and their potential applications in studying complex systems.
• Investigating the principles of quantum error correction and their implications for quantum computing.
• Studying the behavior of quarks and gluons in high energy collisions.
• Analyzing the principles of quantum phase transitions and their implications for condensed matter physics.
• Examining the principles of quantum annealing and their potential applications in optimization problems.
• Investigating the properties of spintronics and their potential applications in electronics.
• Studying the behavior of non-linear systems and their applications in physics and engineering.
• Analyzing the principles of quantum metrology and their potential applications in precision measurement.
• Examining the principles of quantum teleportation and their implications for information processing.
• Investigating the properties of topological superconductors and their potential applications.
• Studying the principles of quantum chaos and their implications for complex systems.
• Analyzing the properties of magnetars and their role in astrophysics.
• Examining the principles of quantum thermodynamics and their implications for the behavior of small systems.
• Investigating the principles of quantum gravity and their implications for the structure of the universe.
• Studying the behavior of strongly correlated systems and their applications in condensed matter physics.

Physics Research Topics for PhD

• Quantum computing: theory and applications.
• Topological phases of matter and their applications in quantum information science.
• Quantum field theory and its applications to high-energy physics.
• Experimental investigations of the Higgs boson and other particles in the Standard Model.
• Theoretical and experimental study of dark matter and dark energy.
• Applications of quantum optics in quantum information science and quantum computing.
• Nanophotonics and nanomaterials for quantum technologies.
• Development of advanced laser sources for fundamental physics and engineering applications.
• Study of exotic states of matter and their properties using high energy physics techniques.
• Quantum information processing and communication using optical fibers and integrated waveguides.
• Advanced computational methods for modeling complex systems in physics.
• Development of novel materials with unique properties for energy applications.
• Magnetic and spintronic materials and their applications in computing and data storage.
• Quantum simulations and quantum annealing for solving complex optimization problems.
• Gravitational waves and their detection using interferometry techniques.
• Study of quantum coherence and entanglement in complex quantum systems.
• Development of novel imaging techniques for medical and biological applications.
• Nanoelectronics and quantum electronics for computing and communication.
• High-temperature superconductivity and its applications in power generation and storage.
• Quantum mechanics and its applications in condensed matter physics.
• Development of new methods for detecting and analyzing subatomic particles.
• Atomic, molecular, and optical physics for precision measurements and quantum technologies.
• Neutrino physics and its role in astrophysics and cosmology.
• Quantum information theory and its applications in cryptography and secure communication.
• Study of topological defects and their role in phase transitions and cosmology.
• Experimental study of strong and weak interactions in nuclear physics.
• Study of the properties of ultra-cold atomic gases and Bose-Einstein condensates.
• Theoretical and experimental study of non-equilibrium quantum systems and their dynamics.
• Development of new methods for ultrafast spectroscopy and imaging.
• Study of the properties of materials under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature.

Random Physics Research Topics

• Quantum entanglement and its applications
• Gravitational waves and their detection
• Dark matter and dark energy
• High-energy particle collisions and their outcomes
• Atomic and molecular physics
• Theoretical and experimental study of superconductivity
• Plasma physics and its applications
• Neutrino oscillations and their detection
• Quantum computing and information
• The physics of black holes and their properties
• Study of subatomic particles like quarks and gluons
• Investigation of the nature of time and space
• Topological phases in condensed matter systems
• Magnetic fields and their applications
• Nanotechnology and its impact on physics research
• Theory and observation of cosmic microwave background radiation
• Investigation of the origin and evolution of the universe
• Study of high-temperature superconductivity
• Quantum field theory and its applications
• Study of the properties of superfluids
• The physics of plasmonics and its applications
• Experimental and theoretical study of semiconductor materials
• Investigation of the quantum Hall effect
• The physics of superstring theory and its applications
• Theoretical study of the nature of dark matter
• Study of quantum chaos and its applications
• Investigation of the Casimir effect
• The physics of spintronics and its applications
• Study of the properties of topological insulators
• Investigation of the nature of the Higgs boson
• The physics of quantum dots and its applications
• Study of quantum many-body systems
• Investigation of the nature of the strong force
• Theoretical and experimental study of photonics
• Study of topological defects in condensed matter systems
• Investigation of the nature of the weak force
• The physics of plasmas in space
• Study of the properties of graphene
• Investigation of the nature of antimatter
• The physics of optical trapping and manipulation
• Study of the properties of Bose-Einstein condensates
• Investigation of the nature of the neutrino
• The physics of quantum thermodynamics
• Study of the properties of quantum dots
• Investigation of the nature of dark energy
• The physics of magnetic confinement fusion
• Study of the properties of topological quantum field theories
• Investigation of the nature of gravitational lensing
• The physics of laser cooling and trapping
• Study of the properties of quantum Hall states.
• The effects of dark energy on the expansion of the universe
• Quantum entanglement and its applications in cryptography
• The study of black holes and their event horizons
• The potential existence of parallel universes
• The relationship between dark matter and the formation of galaxies
• The impact of solar flares on the Earth’s magnetic field
• The effects of cosmic rays on human biology
• The development of quantum computing technology
• The properties of superconductors at high temperatures
• The search for a theory of everything
• The study of gravitational waves and their detection
• The behavior of particles in extreme environments such as neutron stars
• The relationship between relativity and quantum mechanics
• The development of new materials for solar cells
• The study of the early universe and cosmic microwave background radiation
• The physics of the human voice and speech production
• The behavior of matter in extreme conditions such as high pressure and temperature
• The properties of dark matter and its interactions with ordinary matter
• The potential for harnessing nuclear fusion as a clean energy source
• The study of high-energy particle collisions and the discovery of new particles
• The physics of biological systems such as the brain and DNA
• The behavior of fluids in microgravity environments
• The properties of graphene and its potential applications in electronics
• The physics of natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis
• The development of new technologies for space exploration and travel
• The study of atmospheric physics and climate change
• The physics of sound and musical instruments
• The behavior of electrons in quantum dots
• The properties of superfluids and Bose-Einstein condensates
• The physics of animal locomotion and movement
• The development of new imaging techniques for medical applications
• The physics of renewable energy sources such as wind and hydroelectric power
• The properties of quantum materials and their potential for quantum computing
• The physics of sports and athletic performance
• The study of magnetism and magnetic materials
• The physics of earthquakes and the prediction of seismic activity
• The behavior of plasma in fusion reactors
• The properties of exotic states of matter such as quark-gluon plasma
• The development of new technologies for energy storage
• The physics of fluids in porous media
• The properties of quantum dots and their potential for new technologies
• The study of materials under extreme conditions such as extreme temperatures and pressures
• The physics of the human body and medical imaging
• The development of new materials for energy conversion and storage
• The study of cosmic rays and their effects on the atmosphere and human health
• The physics of friction and wear in materials
• The properties of topological materials and their potential for new technologies
• The physics of ocean waves and tides
• The behavior of particles in magnetic fields
• The properties of complex networks and their application in various fields

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

500+ History Research Paper Topics

200+ Funny Research Topics

300+ Science Research Topics

1000+ Sociology Research Topics

500+ Qualitative Research Titles and Topics

500+ Computer Science Research Topics

Electronics Research Paper Topics

This list of electronics research paper topics provides the list of 30 potential topics for research papers and an overview article on the history of electronics.

1. Applications of Superconductivity

The 1986 Applied Superconductivity Conference proclaimed, ‘‘Applied superconductivity has come of age.’’ The claim reflected only 25 years of development, but was justifiable due to significant worldwide interest and investment. For example, the 1976 annual budget for superconducting systems exceeded $30 million in the U.S., with similar efforts in Europe and Japan. By 1986 the technology had matured impressively into applications for the energy industry, the military, transportation, high-energy physics, electronics, and medicine. The announcement of high-temperature superconductivity just two months later brought about a new round of dramatic developments.

Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services

Get 10% off with 24start discount code, 2. discovery of superconductivity.

As the twenty-first century began, an array of superconducting applications in high-speed electronics, medical imaging, levitated transportation, and electric power systems are either having, or will soon have, an impact on the daily life of millions. Surprisingly, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the discovery of superconductivity was completely unanticipated and unimagined.

In 1911, three years after liquefying helium, H. Kammerlingh Onnes of the University of Leiden discovered superconductivity while investigating the temperature-dependent resistance of metals below 4.2Kelvin. Later reporting on experiments conducted in 1911, he described the disappearance of the resistance of mercury, stating, ‘‘Within some hundredths of a degree came a sudden fall, not foreseen [by existing theories of resistance]. Mercury has passed into a new state, which . . . may be called the superconductive state.’’

3. Electric Motors

The main types of electric motors that drove twentieth century technology were developed toward the end of the nineteenth century, with direct current (DC) motors being introduced before alternating current (AC) ones. Most important initially was the ‘‘series’’ DC motor, used in electric trolleys and trains from the 1880s onward. The series motor exerts maximum torque on starting and then accelerates to its full running speed, the ideal characteristic for traction work. Where speed control independent of the load is required in such applications as crane and lift drives, the ‘‘shunt’’ DC motor is more suitable.

4. Electronic Calculators

The electronic calculator is usually inexpensive and pocket-sized, using solar cells for its power and having a gray liquid crystal display (LCD) to show the numbers. Depending on the sophistication, the calculator might simply perform the basic mathematical functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) or might include scientific functions (square, log, trig). For a slightly higher cost, the calculator will probably include programmable scientific and business functions. At the end of the twentieth century, the electronic calculator was as commonplace as a screwdriver and helped people deal with all types of mathematics on an everyday basis. Its birth and growth were early steps on the road to today’s world of computing.

5. Electronic Communications

The broad use of digital electronic message communications in most societies by the end of the 20th century can be attributed to a myriad of reasons. Diffusion was incremental and evolutionary. Digital communication technology was seeded by large-scale funding for military projects that broke technological ground, however social needs and use drove systems in unexpected ways and made it popular because these needs were embraced. Key technological developments happened long before diffusion into society, and it was only after popularity of the personal computer that global and widespread use became commonplace. The Internet was an important medium in this regard, however the popular uses of it were well established long before its success. Collaborative developments with open, mutually agreed standards were key factors in broader diffusion of the low-level transmission of digital data, and provided resistance to technological lock-in by any commercial player. By the twenty-first century, the concept of interpersonal electronic messaging was accepted as normal and taken for granted by millions around the world, where infrastructural and political freedoms permitted. As a result, traditional lines of information control and mass broadcasting were challenged, although it remains to be seen what, if any, long-term impact this will have on society.

6. Electronic Control Technology

The advancement of electrical engineering in the twentieth century made a fundamental change in control technology. New electronic devices including vacuum tubes (valves) and transistors were used to replace electromechanical elements in conventional controllers and to develop new types of controllers. In these practices, engineers discovered basic principles of control theory that could be further applied to design electronic control systems.

7. Fax Machine

Fax technology was especially useful for international commercial communication, which was traditionally the realm of the Telex machine, which only relayed Western alpha-numeric content. A fax machine could transmit a page of information regardless of what information it contained, and this led to rapid and widespread adoption in developing Asian countries during the 1980s. With the proliferation of the Internet and electronic e-mail in the last decade of the twentieth century, fax technology became less used for correspondence. At the close of the 20th century, the fax machine was still widely used internationally for the transmission of documents of all forms, with the ‘‘hard copy’’ aspect giving many a sense of permanence that other electronic communication lacked.

8. Hall Effect Devices

The ‘‘Hall effect,’’ discovered in 1879 by American physicist Edwin H. Hall, is the electrical potential produced when a magnetic field is perpendicular to a conductor or semiconductor that is carrying current. This potential is a product of the buildup of charges in that conductor. The magnetic field makes a transverse force on the charge carriers, resulting in the charge being moved to one of the sides of the conductor. Between the sides of the conductor, measurable voltage is yielded from the interaction and balancing of the polarized charge and the magnetic influence.

Hall effect devices are commonly used as magnetic field sensors, or alternatively if a known magnetic field is applied, the sensor can be used to measure the current in a conductor, without actually plugging into it (‘‘contactless potentiometers’’). Hall sensors can also be used as magnetically controlled switches, and as a contactless method of detecting rotation and position, sensing ferrous objects.

9. Infrared Detectors

Infrared detectors rely on the change of a physical characteristic to sense illumination by infrared radiation (i.e., radiation having a wavelength longer than that of visible light). The origins of such detectors lie in the nineteenth century, although their development, variety and applications exploded during the twentieth century. William Herschel (c. 1800) employed a thermometer to detect this ‘‘radiant heat’’; Macedonio Melloni, (c. 1850) invented the ‘‘thermochrose’’ to display spatial differences of irradiation as color patterns on a temperature-sensitive surface; and in 1882 William Abney found that photographic film could be sensitized to respond to wavelengths beyond the red end of the spectrum. Most infrared detectors, however, convert infrared radiation into an electrical signal via a variety of physical effects. Here, too, 19th century innovations continued in use well into the 21st century.

10. Integrated Circuits Design and Use

Integrated circuits (ICs) are electronic devices designed to integrate a large number of microscopic electronic components, normally connected by wires in circuits, within the same substrate material. According to the American engineer Jack S. Kilby, they are the realization of the so-called ‘‘monolithic idea’’: building an entire circuit out of silicon or germanium. ICs are made out of these materials because of their properties as semiconductors— materials that have a degree of electrical conductivity between that of a conductor such as metal and that of an insulator (having almost no conductivity at low temperatures). A piece of silicon containing one circuit is called a die or chip. Thus, ICs are known also as microchips. Advances in semiconductor technology in the 1960s (the miniaturization revolution) meant that the number of transistors on a single chip doubled every two years, and led to lowered microprocessor costs and the introduction of consumer products such as handheld calculators.

11. Integrated Circuits Fabrication

The fabrication of integrated circuits (ICs) is a complicated process that consists primarily of the transfer of a circuit design onto a piece of silicon (the silicon wafer). Using a photolithographic technique, the areas of the silicon wafer to be imprinted with electric circuitry are covered with glass plates (photomasks), irradiated with ultraviolet light, and treated with chemicals in order to shape a circuit’s pattern. On the whole, IC manufacture consists of four main stages:

• Preparation of a design
• Preparation of photomasks and silicon wafers
• Testing and packaging

Preparing an IC design consists of drafting the circuit’s electronic functions within the silicon board. This process has radically changed over the years due to the increasing complexity of design and the number of electronic components contained within the same IC. For example, in 1971, the Intel 4004 microprocessor was designed by just three engineers, while in the 1990s the Intel Pentium was designed by a team of 100 engineers. Moreover, the early designs were produced with traditional drafting techniques, while from the late 1970s onward the introduction of computer-aided design (CAD) techniques completely changed the design stage. Computers are used to check the design and simulate the operations of perspective ICs in order to optimize their performance. Thus, the IC drafted design can be modified up to 400 times before going into production.

12. Josephson Junction Devices

One of the most important implications of quantum physics is the existence of so-called tunneling phenomena in which elementary particles are able to cross an energy barrier on subatomic scales that it would not be possible for them to traverse were they subject to the laws of classical mechanics. In 1973 the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Brian Josephson, Ivan Giaever and Leo Esaki for their work in this field. Josephson’s contribution consisted of a number of important theoretical predictions made while a doctoral student at Cambridge University. His work was confirmed experimentally within a year of its publication in 1961, and practical applications were commercialized within ten years.

13. Laser Applications

Lasers are employed in virtually every sector of the modern world including industry, commerce, transportation, medicine, education, science, and in many consumer devices such as CD players and laser printers. The intensity of lasers makes them ideal cutting tools since their highly focused beam cuts more accurately than machined instruments and leaves surrounding materials unaffected. Surgeons, for example, have employed carbon dioxide or argon lasers in soft tissue surgery since the early 1970s. These lasers produce infrared wavelengths of energy that are absorbed by water. Water in tissues is rapidly heated and vaporized, resulting in disintegration of the tissue. Visible wavelengths (argon ion laser) coagulate tissue. Far-ultraviolet wavelengths (higher photon energy, as produced by excimer lasers) break down molecular bonds in target tissue and ‘‘ablate’’ tissue without heating. Excimer lasers have been used in corneal surgery since 1984. Short pulses only affect the surface area of interest and not deeper tissues. The extremely small size of the beam, coupled with optical fibers, enables today’s surgeons to conduct surgery deep inside the human body often without a single cut on the exterior. Blue lasers, developed in 1994 by Shuji Nakamura of Nichia Chemical Industries of Japan, promise even more precision than the dominant red lasers currently used and will further revolutionize surgical cutting techniques.

14. Laser Theory and Operation

Lasers (an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) provide intense, focused beams of light whose unique properties enable them to be employed in a wide range of applications in the modern world. The key idea underlying lasers originated with Albert Einstein who published a paper in 1916 on Planck’s distribution law, within which he described what happens when additional energy is introduced into an atom. Atoms have a heavy and positively charged nucleus surrounded by groups of extremely light and negatively charged electrons. Electrons orbit the atom in a series of ‘‘fixed’’ levels based upon the degree of electromagnetic attraction between each single electron and the nucleus. Various orbital levels also represent different energy levels. Normally electrons remain as close to the nucleus as their energy level permits, with the consequence that an atom’s overall energy level is minimized. Einstein realized that when energy is introduced to an atom; for example, through an atomic collision or through electrical stimulation, one or more electrons become excited and move to a higher energy level. This condition exists temporarily before the electron returns to its former energy level. When this decay phenomenon occurs, a photon of light is emitted. Einstein understood that since the energy transitions within the atom are always identical, the energy and the wavelength of the stimulated photon of light are also predictable; that is, a specific type of transition within an atom will yield a photon of light of a specific wavelength. Hendrick Kramers and Werner Heisenberg obtained a series of more extensive calculations of the effects of these stimulated emissions over the next decade. The first empirical evidence supporting these theoretical calculations occurred between 1926 and 1930 in a series of experiments involving electrical discharges in neon.

15. Lasers in Optoelectronics

Optoelectronics, the field combining optics and electronics, is dependent on semiconductor (diode) lasers for its existence. Mass use of semiconductor lasers has emerged with the advent of CD and DVD technologies, but it is the telecommunications sector that has primarily driven the development of lasers for optoelectronic systems. Lasers are used to transmit voice, data, or video signals down fiber-optic cables.

While the success of lasers within telecommunication systems seems unquestioned thanks to their utility in long-distance large-capacity, point-to-point links, these lasers also find use in many other applications and are ubiquitous in the developed world. Their small physical size, low power operation, ease of modulation (via simple input current variation) and small beam size mean that these lasers are now part of our everyday world, from CDs and DVDs, to supermarket checkouts and cosmetic medicine.

16. Light Emitting Diodes

Light emitting diodes, or LEDs, are semiconductor devices that emit monochromatic light once an electric current passes through it. The color of light emitted from LEDs depends not on the color of the bulb, but on the emission’s wavelength. Typically made of inorganic materials like gallium or silicon, LEDs have found frequent use as ‘‘pilot,’’ or indicator, lights for electronic devices. Unlike incandescent light bulbs, which generate light from ‘‘heat glow,’’ LEDs create light more efficiently and are generally more durable than traditional light sources.

17. Lighting Techniques

In 1900 electric lighting in the home was a rarity. Carbon filament incandescent lamps had been around for 20 years, but few households had electricity. Arc lamps were used in streets and large buildings such as railway stations. Domestic lighting was by candle, oil and gas.

The stages of the lightning techniques evolution are the following:

• Non-Electric Lighting
• Electric Lighting: Filament Lamps
• Electric Lighting: Discharge Lamps
• Electric Lighting: Fluorescent Lamps
• Electric Lighting: LED Lamps

18. Mechanical and Electromechanical Calculators

The widespread use of calculating devices in the twentieth century is intimately linked to the rise of large corporations and to the increasing role of mathematical calculation in science and engineering. In the business setting, calculators were used to efficiently process financial information. In science and engineering, calculators speeded up routine calculations. The manufacture and sale of calculators was a widespread industry, with major firms in most industrialized nations. However, the manufacture of mechanical calculators declined very rapidly in the 1970s with the introduction of electronic calculators, and firms either diversified into other product lines or went out of business. By the end of the twentieth century, slide rules, adding machines, and other mechanical calculators were no longer being manufactured.

19. Mobile (Cell) Telephones

In the last two decades of the twentieth century, mobile or cell phones developed from a minority communication tool, characterized by its prevalence in the 1980s among young professionals, to a pervasive cultural object. In many developed countries, more than three quarters of the population owned a cell phone by the end of the 20th century.

Cell phone technology is a highly evolved form of the personal radio systems used by truck drivers (citizens band, or CB, radio) and police forces in which receiver/transmitter units communicate with one another or a base antenna. Such systems work adequately over short distances with a low volume of traffic but cannot be expanded to cope with mass communication due to the limited space (bandwidth) available in the electromagnetic spectrum. Transmitting and receiving on one frequency, they allow for talking or listening but not both simultaneously.

For mobile radio systems to make the step up to effective telephony, a large number of two-way conversations needed to be accommodated, requiring a duplex channel (two separate frequencies, taking up double the bandwidth). In order to establish national mobile phone networks without limiting capacity or the range of travel of handsets, a number of technological improvements had to occur.

20. Photocopiers

The photocopier, copier, or copying machine, as it is variously known, is a staple of modern life. Copies by the billions are produced not only in the office but also on machines available to the public in libraries, copy shops, stationery stores, supermarkets, and a wide variety of other commercial facilities. Modern xerographic copiers, produced by a number of manufacturers, are available as desktop models suitable for the home as well as the small office. Many modern copiers reproduce in color as well as black and white, and office models can rival printing presses in speed of operation.

21. Photosensitive Detectors

Sensing radiation from ultraviolet to optical wavelengths and beyond is an important part of many devices. Whether analyzing the emission of radiation, chemical solutions, detecting lidar signals, fiber-optic communication systems, or imaging of medical ionizing radiation, detectors are the final link in any optoelectronic experiment or process.

Detectors fall into two groups: thermal detectors (where radiation is absorbed and the resulting temperature change is used to generate an electrical output) and photon (quantum) detectors. The operation of photon detectors is based on the photoelectric effect, in which the radiation is absorbed within a metal or semiconductor by direct interaction with electrons, which are excited to a higher energy level. Under the effect of an electric field these carriers move and produce a measurable electric current. The photon detectors show a selective wavelength-dependent response per unit incident radiation power.

22. Public and Private Lighting

At the turn of the 20th century, lighting was in a state of flux. In technical terms, a number of emerging lighting technologies jostled for economic dominance. In social terms, changing standards of illumination began to transform cities, the workplace, and the home. In design terms, the study of illumination as a science, as an engineering profession, and as an applied art was becoming firmly established. In the last decades of the 20th century, the technological and social choices in lighting attained considerable stability both technically and socially. Newer forms of compact fluorescent lighting, despite their greater efficiency, have not significantly replaced incandescent bulbs in homes owing to higher initial cost. Low-pressure sodium lamps, on the other hand, have been adopted increasingly for street and architectural lighting owing to lower replacement and maintenance costs. As with fluorescent lighting in the 1950s, recent lighting technologies have found niche markets rather than displacing incandescents, which have now been the dominant lighting system for well over a century.

23. Quantum Electronic Devices

Quantum theory, developed during the 1920s to explain the behavior of atoms and the absorption and emission of light, is thought to apply to every kind of physical system, from individual elementary particles to macroscopic systems such as lasers. In lasers, stimulated transitions between discrete or quantized energy levels is a quantum electronic phenomena (discussed in the entry Lasers, Theory and Operation). Stimulated transitions are also the central phenomena in atomic clocks. Semiconductor devices such as the transistor also rely on the arrangement of quantum energy levels into a valence band and a conduction band separated by an energy gap, but advanced quantum semiconductor devices were not possible until advances in fabrication techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) developed in the 1960s made it possible to grow extremely pure single crystal semiconductor structures one atomic layer at a time.

In most electronic devices and integrated circuits, quantum phenomena such as quantum tunneling and electron diffraction—where electrons behave not as particles but as waves—are of no significance, since the device is much larger than the wavelength of the electron (around 100 nanometers, where one nanometer is 109 meters or about 4 atoms wide). Since the early 1980s however, researchers have been aware that as the overall device size of field effect transistors decreased, small-scale quantum mechanical effects between components, plus the limitations of materials and fabrication techniques, would sooner or later inhibit further reduction in the size of conventional semiconductor transistors. Thus to produce devices on ever-smaller integrated circuits (down to 25 nanometers in length), conventional microelectronic devices would have to be replaced with new device concepts that take advantage of the quantum mechanical effects that dominate on the nanometer scale, rather than function in despite of them. Such solid state ‘‘nanoelectronics’’ offers the potential for increased speed and density of information processing, but mass fabrication on this small scale presented formidable challenges at the end of the 20th century.

24. Quartz Clocks and Watches

The wristwatch and the domestic clock were completely reinvented with all-new electronic components beginning about 1960. In the new electronic timepieces, a tiny sliver of vibrating quartz in an electrical circuit provides the time base and replaces the traditional mechanical oscillator, the swinging pendulum in the clock or the balance wheel in the watch. Instead of an unwinding spring or a falling weight, batteries power these quartz clocks and watches, and integrated circuits substitute for intricate mechanical gear trains.

25. Radio-Frequency Electronics

Radio was originally conceived as a means for interpersonal communications, either person-toperson, or person-to-people, using analog waveforms containing either Morse code or actual sound. The use of radio frequencies (RF) designed to carry digital data in the form of binary code rather than voice and to replace physical wired connections between devices began in the 1970s, but the technology was not commercialized until the 1990s through digital cellular phone networks known as personal communications services (PCS) and an emerging group of wireless data network technologies just reaching commercial viability. The first of these is a so-called wireless personal area network (WPAN) technology known as Bluetooth. There are also two wireless local area networks (WLANs), generally grouped under the name Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity): (1) Wi-Fi, also known by its Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) designation 802.11b, and (2) Wi-Fi5 (802.11a).

26. Rectifiers

Rectifiers are electronic devices that are used to control the flow of current. They do this by having conducting and nonconducting states that depend on the polarity of the applied voltage. A major function in electronics is the conversion from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) where the output is only one-half (either positive or negative) of the input. Rectifiers that are currently, or have been, in use include: point-contact diodes, plate rectifiers, thermionic diodes, and semiconductor diodes. There are various ways in which rectifiers may be classified in terms of the signals they encounter; this contribution will consider two extremes—high frequency and heavy current—that make significantly different demands on device design.

27. Strobe Flashes

Scarcely a dozen years after photography was announced to the world in 1839, William Henry Fox Talbot produced the first known flash photograph. Talbot, the new art’s co-inventor, fastened a printed paper onto a disk, set it spinning as fast as possible, and then discharged a spark to expose a glass plate negative. The words on the paper could be read on the photograph. Talbot believed that the potential for combining electric sparks and photography was unlimited. In 1852, he pronounced, ‘‘It is in our power to obtain the pictures of all moving objects, no matter in how rapid motion they may be, provided we have the means of sufficiently illuminating them with a sudden electric flash.’’

The electronic stroboscope fulfills Talbot’s prediction. It is a repeating, short-duration light source used primarily for visual observation and photography of high-speed phenomena. The intensity of the light emitted from strobes also makes them useful as signal lights on communication towers, airport runways, emergency vehicles, and more. Though ‘‘stroboscope’’ actually refers to a repeating flash and ‘‘electronic flash’’ denotes a single burst, both types are commonly called ‘‘strobes.’’

28. Transistors

Early experiments in transistor technology were based on the analogy between the semiconductor and the vacuum tube: the ability to both amplify and effectively switch an electrical signal on or off (rectification). By 1940, Russell Ohl at Bell Telephone Laboratories, among others, had found that impure silicon had both positive (ptype material with holes) and negative (n-type) regions. When a junction is created between n-type material and p-type material, electrons on the ntype side are attracted across the junction to fill holes in the other layer. In this way, the n-type semiconductor becomes positively charged and the p-type becomes negatively charged. Holes move in the opposite direction, thus reinforcing the voltage built up at the junction. The key point is that current flows from one side to the other when a positive voltage is applied to the layers (‘‘forward biased’’).

29. Travelling Wave Tubes

One of the most important devices for the amplification of radio-frequency (RF) signals— which range in frequency from 3 kilohertz to 300 gigahertz—is the traveling wave tube (TWT). When matched with its power supply unit, or electronic power conditioner (EPC), the combination is known as a traveling wave tube amplifier (TWTA). The amplification of RF signals is important in many aspects of science and technology, since the ability to increase the strength of a very low-power input signal is fundamental to all types of long-range communications, radar and electronic warfare.

30. Vacuum Tubes/Valves

The vacuum tube has its roots in the late nineteenth century when Thomas A. Edison conducted experiments with electric bulbs in 1883. Edison’s light bulbs consisted of a conducting filament mounted in a glass bulb. Passing electricity through the filament caused it to heat up and radiate light. A vacuum in the tube prevented the filament from burning up. Edison noted that electric current would flow from the bulb filament to a positively charged metal plate inside the tube. This phenomenon, the one-way flow of current, was called the Edison Effect. Edison himself could not explain the filament’s behavior. He felt this effect was interesting but unimportant and patented it as a matter of course. It was only fifteen years later that Joseph John Thomson, a physics professor at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., discovered the electron and understood the significance of what was occurring in the tube. He identified the filament rays as a stream of particles, now called electrons. In a range of papers from 1901 to 1916, O.W. Richardson explained the electron behavior. Today the Edison Effect is known as thermionic emission.

History of Electronics

Few of the basic tasks that electronic technologies perform, such as communication, computation, amplification, or automatic control, are unique to electronics. Most were anticipated by the designers of mechanical or electromechanical technologies in earlier years. What distinguishes electronic communication, computation, and control is often linked to the instantaneous action of the devices, the delicacy of their actions compared to mechanical systems, their high reliability, or their tiny size.

The electronics systems introduced between the late nineteenth century and the end of the twentieth century can be roughly divided into the applications related to communications (including telegraphy, telephony, broadcasting, and remote detection) and the more recently developed fields involving digital information and computation. In recent years these two fields have tended to converge, but it is still useful to consider them separately for a discussion of their history.

The origins of electronics as distinguished from other electrical technologies can be traced to 1880 and the work of Thomas Edison. While investigating the phenomenon of the blackening of the inside surface of electric light bulbs, Edison built an experimental bulb that included a third, unused wire in addition to the two wires supporting the filament. When the lamp was operating, Edison detected a flow of electricity from the filament to the third wire, through the evacuated space in the bulb. He was unable to explain the phenomenon, and although he thought it would be useful in telegraphy, he failed to commercialize it. It went unexplained for about 20 years, until the advent of wireless telegraphic transmission by radio waves. John Ambrose Fleming, an experimenter in radio, not only explained the Edison effect but used it to detect radio waves. Fleming’s ‘‘valve’’ as he called it, acted like a one-way valve for electric waves, and could be used in a circuit to convert radio waves to electric pulses so that that incoming Morse code signals could be heard through a sounder or earphone.

As in the case of the Fleming valve, many early electronic devices were used first in the field of communications, mainly to enhance existing forms of technology. Initially, for example, telephony (1870s) and radio (1890s) were accomplished using ordinary electrical and electromechanical circuits, but eventually both were transformed through the use of electronic devices. Many inventors in the late nineteenth century sought a functional telephone ‘‘relay’’; that is, something to refresh a degraded telephone signal to allow long distance telephony. Several people simultaneously recognized the possibility of developing a relay based on the Fleming valve. The American inventor Lee de Forest was one of the first to announce an electronic amplifier using a modified Fleming valve, which he called the Audion. While he initially saw it as a detector and amplifier of radio waves, its successful commercialization occurred first in the telephone industry. The sound quality and long-distance capability of telephony was enhanced and extended after the introduction of the first electronic amplifier circuits in 1907. In the U.S., where vast geographic distances separated the population, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) introduced improved vacuum tube amplifiers in 1913, which were later used to establish the first coast-to-coast telephone service in 1915 (an overland distance of nearly 5000 kilometers).

These vacuum tubes soon saw many other uses, such as a public-address systems constructed as early as 1920, and radio transmitters and receivers. The convergence of telephony and radio in the form of voice broadcasting was technically possible before the advent of electronics, but its application was greatly enhanced through the use of electronics both in the radio transmitter and in the receiver.

World War I saw the applications of electronics diversify somewhat to include military applications. Mostly, these were modifications of existing telegraph, telephone, and radio systems, but applications such as ground-to-air radio telephony were novel. The pressing need for large numbers of electronic components, especially vacuum tubes suitable for military use, stimulated changes in their design and manufacture and contributed to improving quality and falling prices. After the war, the expanded capacity of the vacuum tube industry contributed to a boom in low-cost consumer radio receivers. Yet because of the withdrawal of the military stimulus and the onset of the Great Depression, the pace of change slowed in the 1930s. One notable exception was in the field of television. Radio broadcasting became such a phenomenal commercial success that engineers and businessmen were envisioning how ‘‘pictures with sound’’ would replace ordinary broadcasting, even in the early 1930s. Germany, Great Britain, and the U.S. all had rudimentary television systems in place by 1939, although World War II would bring nearly a complete halt to these early TV broadcasts.

World War II saw another period of rapid change, this one much more dramatic than that of World War I. Not only were radio communications systems again greatly improved, but for the first time the field of electronics engineering came to encompass much more than communication. While it was the atomic bomb that is most commonly cited as the major technological outcome of World War II, radar should probably be called the weapon that won the war. To describe radar as a weapon is somewhat inaccurate, but there is no doubt that it had profound effects upon the way that naval, aerial, and ground combat was conducted. Using radio waves as a sort of searchlight, radar could act as an artificial eye capable of seeing through clouds or fog, over the horizon, or in the dark. Furthermore, it substituted for existing methods of calculating the distance and speed of targets. Radar’s success hinged on the development of new electronic components, particularly new kinds of vacuum tubes such as the klystron and magnetron, which were oriented toward the generation of microwaves. Subsidized by military agencies on both sides of the Atlantic (as well as Japan) during World War II, radar sets were eventually installed in aircraft and ships, used in ground stations, and even built into artillery shells. The remarkable engineering effort that was launched to make radar systems smaller, more energy efficient, and more reliable would mark the beginning of an international research program in electronics miniaturization that continues today. Radar technology also had many unexpected applications elsewhere, such as the use of microwave beams as a substitute for long-distance telephone cables. Microwave communication is also used extensively today for satellite-to-earth communication.

The second major outcome of electronics research during World War II was the effort to build an electronic computer. Mechanical adders and calculators were widely used in science, business, and government by the early twentieth century, and had reached an advanced state of design. Yet the problems peculiar to wartime, especially the rapid calculation of mountains of ballistics data, drove engineers to look for ways to speed up the machines. At the same time, some sought a calculator that could be reprogrammed as computational needs changed. While computers played a role in the war, it was not until the postwar period that they came into their own. In addition, computer research during World War II contributed little to the development of vacuum tubes, although in later years computer research would drive certain areas of semiconductor electron device research.

While the forces of the free market are not to be discounted, the role of the military in electronics development during World War II was of paramount importance. More-or-less continuous military support for research in electronic devices and systems persisted during the second half of the twentieth century too, and many more new technologies emerged from this effort. The sustained effort to develop more compact, rugged devices such as those demanded by military systems would converge with computer development during the 1950s, especially after the invention of the transistor in late 1947.

The transistor was not a product of the war, and in fact its development started in the 1930s and was delayed by the war effort. A transistor is simply a very small substitute for a vacuum tube, but beyond that it is an almost entirely new sort of device. At the time of its invention, its energy efficiency, reliability, and diminutive size suggested new possibilities for electronic systems. The most famous of these possibilities was related to computers and systems derived from or related to computers, such as robotics or industrial automation. The impetus for the transistor was a desire within the telephone industry to create an energy-efficient, reliable substitute for the vacuum tube. Once introduced, the military pressed hard to accelerate its development, as the need emerged for improved electronic navigational devices for aircraft and missiles.

There were many unanticipated results of the substitution of transistors for vacuum tubes. Because they were so energy efficient, transistors made it much more practical to design battery powered systems. The small transistor radio (known in some countries simply as ‘‘the transistor’’), introduced in the 1950s, is credited with helping to popularize rock and roll music. It is also worth noting that many developing countries could not easily provide broadcasting services until the diffusion of battery operated transistor receivers because of the lack of central station electric power. The use of the transistor also allowed designers to enhance existing automotive radios and tape players, contributing eventually to a greatly expanded culture of in-car listening. There were other important outcomes as well; transistor manufacture provided access to the global electronics market for Asian radio manufacturers, who improved manufacturing methods to undercut their U.S. competitors during the 1950s and 1960s. Further, the transistor’s high reliability nearly eliminated the profession of television and radio repair, which had supported tens of thousands of technicians in the U.S. alone before about 1980.

However, for all its remarkable features, the transistor also had its limitations; while it was an essential part of nearly every cutting-edge technology of the postwar period, it was easily outperformed by the older technology of vacuum tubes in some areas. The high-power microwave transmitting devices in communications satellites and spacecraft, for example, nearly all relied on special vacuum tubes through the end of the twentieth century, because of the physical limitations of semiconductor devices. For the most part, however, the transistor made the vacuum tube obsolete by about 1960.

The attention paid to the transistor in the 1950s and 1960s made the phrase ‘‘solid-state’’ familiar to the general public, and the new device spawned many new companies. However, its overall impact pales in comparison to its successor—the integrated circuit. Integrated circuits emerged in the late 1950s, were immediately adopted by the military for small computer and communications systems, and were then used in civilian computers and related applications from the 1960s. Integrated circuits consist of multiple transistors fabricated simultaneously from layers of semiconductor and other materials. The transistors, interconnecting ‘‘wires,’’ and many of the necessary circuit elements such as capacitors and resistors are fabricated on the ‘‘chip.’’ Such a circuit eliminates much of the laborious process of assembling an electronic system such as a computer by hand, and results in a much smaller product. The ability to miniaturize components through integrated circuit fabrication techniques would lead to circuits so vanishingly small that it became difficult to connect them to the systems of which they were a part. The plastic housings or ‘‘packages’’ containing today’s microprocessor chips measure just a few centimeters on a side, and yet the actual circuits inside are much smaller. Some of the most complex chips made today contain many millions of transistors, plus millions more solid-state resistors and other passive components.

While used extensively in military and aerospace applications, the integrated circuit became famous as a component in computer systems. The logic and memory circuits of digital computers, which have been the focus of much research, consist mainly of switching devices. Computers were first constructed in the 1930s with electromechanical relays as switching devices, then with vacuum tubes, transistors, and finally integrated circuits. Most early computers used off-the-shelf tubes and transistors, but with the advent of the integrated circuit, designers began to call for components designed especially for computers. It was clear to engineers at the time that all the circuits necessary to build a computer could be placed on one chip (or a small set of chips), and in fact, the desire to create a ‘‘computer on a chip’’ led to the microprocessor, introduced around 1970. The commercial impetus underlying later generations of computer chip design was not simply miniaturization (although there are important exceptions) or energy efficiency, but also the speed of operation, reliability, and lower cost. However, the inherent energy efficiency and small size of the resulting systems did enable the construction of smaller computers, and the incorporation of programmable controllers (special purpose computers) into a wide variety of other technologies. The recent merging of the computer (or computer-like systems) with so many other technologies makes it difficult to summarize the current status of digital electronic systems. As the twentieth century drew to a close, computer chips were widely in use in communications and entertainment devices, in industrial robots, in automobiles, in household appliances, in telephone calling cards, in traffic signals, and in a myriad other places. The rapid evolution of the computer during the last 50 years of the twentieth century was reflected by the near-meaninglessness of its name, which no longer adequately described its functions.

From an engineering perspective, not only did electronics begin to inhabit, in an almost symbiotic fashion, other technological systems after about 1950, but these electronics systems were increasingly dominated by the use of semiconductor technology. After virtually supplanting the vacuum tube in the 1950s, the semiconductor-based transistor became the technology of choice for most subsequent electronics development projects. Yet semiconducting alloys and compounds proved remarkably versatile in applications at first unrelated to transistors and chips. The laser, for example, was originally operated in a large vacuum chamber and depended on ionized gas for its operation. By the 1960s, laser research was focused on the remarkable ability of certain semiconducting materials to accomplish the same task as the ion chamber version. Today semiconductor devices are used not only as the basis of amplifiers and switches, but also for sensing light, heat, and pressure, for emitting light (as in lasers or video displays), for generating electricity (as in solar cells), and even for mechanical motion (as in micromechanical systems or MEMS).

However, semiconductor devices in ‘‘discrete’’ forms such as transistors, would probably not have had the remarkable impact of the integrated circuit. By the 1970s, when the manufacturing techniques for integrated circuits allowed high volume production, low cost, tiny size, relatively small energy needs, and enormous complexity; electronics entered a new phase of its history, having a chief characteristic of allowing electronic systems to be retrofitted into existing technologies. Low-cost microprocessors, for example, which were available from the late 1970s onward, were used to sense data from their environment, measure it, and use it to control various technological systems from coffee machines to video tape recorders. Even the human body is increasingly invaded by electronics; at the end of the twentieth century, several researchers announced the first microchips for implantation directly in the body. They were to be used to store information for retrieval by external sensors or to help deliver subcutaneous drugs. The integrated circuit has thus become part of innumerable technological and biological systems.

It is this remarkable flexibility of application that enabled designers of electronic systems to make electronics the defining technology of the late twentieth century, eclipsing both the mechanical technologies associated with the industrial revolution and the electrical and information technologies of the so-called second industrial revolution. While many in the post-World War II era once referred to an ‘‘atomic age,’’ it was in fact an era in which daily life was increasingly dominated by electronics.

Browse other Technology Research Paper Topics .

ORDER HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM PAPER

• cmns.umd.edu
• eng.umd.edu
• Kevin Daniels and Cheng Gong Promoted to...

Kevin Daniels and Cheng Gong Promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure

Professors Kevin Daniels and Cheng Gong

ECE Faculty members Kevin Daniels and Cheng Gong have been promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure.  Their appointments were approved by University of Maryland President Darryll Pines.

Kevin Daniels  joined ECE in 2017 and has joint appointments with the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics (IREAP) and the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices. After receiving his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina in 2014, he served as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC.  In 2022, Daniels was honored with the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award for his proposal entitled “Real-time, selective gas sensing in complex gas compositions by molecular sieving via robust two-dimensional heterostructures.” Also in 2022, Daniels group's work was recognized as an Invention of the Year Finalist for their work on a novel biosensor capable of selectively detecting a single copy of SARS-CoV-2 in seconds.

His scientific contributions have led to over 40 publications and numerous presentations on 2D and wide bandgap semiconductor material synthesis, characterization, and applications.

Daniels' research interests include the growth and characterization of two-dimensional and thin film electronic materials and the fabrication of chemical and biological sensors, optoelectronics and spintronic devices.

Cheng Gong  joined ECE in 2019 and has joint appointments with the Quantum Technology Center (QTC), Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), and Quantum Materials Center (QMC) in the Department of Physics. Gong group’s research interests include 2D materials and devices, 2D magnetism and spintronics, energy-efficient nanoelectronics and quantum phenomena, with a total of more than $5M grant support from a number of federal and industrial funding agencies. 

Prior to his position in ECE, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, where he pioneered the discovery of "2D magnet". He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2013. 

 He has been recognized with numerous awards, including 2024 NSF CAREER Award, the 2022 "Chemist of the Year" Award from the Maryland Section of the American Chemical Society, the Governor's Citation in 2022, and 2020 International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) Young Scientist Prize in Semiconductors. In 2022, he won the UMD "Invention of the Year" Award (both in Applied Physics category and across all disciplines) for his technological innovation entitled “2D Materials-Based Nanosensors for Rapid Monitoring of Meat Freshness”.

Published June 3, 2024

Recent Stories

Stories / Jun 4, 2024

Maryland Engineering to Highlight Educational Advances at the...

Stories / Jun 3, 2024

Innovating in Engineering Education: Join Us at the 2024 ASEE...

Kevin Daniels and Cheng Gong Promoted to Associate Professor...

Stories / May 23, 2024

Betelhiem Mengesha Receives NSF Graduate Fellowship

Stories / May 20, 2024

LEGOLAS participates at U.S. Senate Robotics Showcase on...

Stories / May 15, 2024

Maryland Academy of Sciences Names Hannah Zierden Outstanding...

Stories / May 8, 2024

A Ventilation Coach for Opioid Overdose Bystanders Takes Top...

Stories / May 6, 2024

ECE Names 2023-2024 Distinguished Dissertation Fellows

Stories / May 2, 2024

Groundbreaking Plasma Innovation Shines as Invention of the Year

Stories / Apr 19, 2024

Could Eco-Friendly Elastocaloric Cooling Be the Future of...

Radiophysics and Quantum Electronics

• Reports on areas such as radio astronomy, plasma astrophysics, radiowave propagation, and quantum radiophysics.
• Translated version of the peer-reviewed Russian journal Izvestiya VUZ. Radiofizika.
• Associated with the Radiophysical Research Institute and N.I. Lobachevsky State University.
• Positive author experience, with 100% of surveyed authors stating they would likely publish here again.
• Vladimir V. Kocharovsky

Latest issue

Volume 66, Issue 5-6

Latest articles

Comparison of millimeter radio interferometry methods for fast processes with and without frequency conversion.

• V. V. Balandin
• Vl. Vl. Balandin
• R. M. Rozental

Pulsed Micro-Undulator for Terahertz and X-Ray Free-Electron Lasers

• I. V. Bandurkin
• P. V. Loginov
• A. E. Fedotov

Application of High-Resolution Terahertz Spectroscopy for Studying Biofilms Typical of ENT Pathologies

• A. A. Aizenshtadt
• D. V. Kryazhev

Pulsed Power and Spectrum Composition of the Terahertz Radiation Flux Escaping from a Plasma Column Due to Propagation Through it of a Relativistic Electron Beam with Various Current Densities (GOL–PET Facility Experiments)

• D. A. Samtsov
• A. V. Arzhannikov
• A. F. Rovenskikh

Study of the Absorption of the Pulsed Microwave Radiation of a Gyrotron in an Al/Al 2 O 3 Powder Mixture

• Z. A. Zakletsky
• S. E. Andreev
• A. S. Sokolov

Journal information

• Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
• EI Compendex
• Google Scholar
• INIS Atomindex
• Japanese Science and Technology Agency (JST)
• OCLC WorldCat Discovery Service
• Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)
• TD Net Discovery Service
• UGC-CARE List (India)

Rights and permissions

Editorial policies

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

• Frontiers in Physics
• Radiation Detectors and Imaging
• Research Topics

Electronics and Signal Processing

Total Downloads

Total Views and Downloads

About this Research Topic

With the blooming of electrical and electronic engineering technologies, information and communications, the detection and imaging data handling have become one of the hottest topics in recent years. However, most conventional electrical and electronic material, design, analysis and synthesis have ...

Keywords : electrical and electronics, signal processing, communication, imaging, detection

Important Note : All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic Editors

Topic coordinators, recent articles, submission deadlines.

Submission closed.

Participating Journals

Total views.

• Demographics

No records found

total views article views downloads topic views

Top countries

Top referring sites, about frontiers research topics.

With their unique mixes of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author.