In the news

The deadline for faculty proposal submissions in support of the Discovery Park Undergraduate Research Internship (DURI) program is March 11. Interested faculty can submit abstracts for individual projects at the DURI website. Accepted proposals will be announced on March 18.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Qubits, the units used to encode information in quantum computing, are not all created equal. Some researchers believe that topological qubits, which are tougher and less susceptible to environmental noise than other kinds, may be the best medium for pushing quantum computing forward. Quantum physics deals with how fundamental particles interact and sometimes come together to form new particles called quasiparticles. Quasiparticles appear in fancy theoretical models, but observing and measuring them experimentally has been a challenge. With the creation of a new device that allows researchers to probe interference of quasiparticles, we may be one giant leap closer. The findings were published Monday in Nature Physics.

Quantum computers will process significantly more information at once compared to today's computers. But the building blocks that contain this information – quantum bits, or "qubits" – are way too sensitive to their surroundings to work well enough right now to build a practical quantum computer.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The “tsunami” of digital manufacturing is here – and Purdue University has a major new resource to handle it. Purdue officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Wednesday (Jan. 30) for the Manufacturing Design Laboratory, a research space dedicated to the technology-driven future of manufacturing in Indiana and across the globe. The Manufacturing Design Laboratory is housed in Purdue’s Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center (CMSC), a part of the Indiana Manufacturing Institute (IMI), located at Purdue Research Foundation’s Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette. Established in 2015, IMI is a partnership between Purdue and the state of Indiana.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Researchers have created a new testing ground for quantum systems in which they can literally turn certain particle interactions on and off, potentially paving the way for advances in spintronics. Spin transport electronics have the potential to revolutionize electronic devices as we know them, especially when it comes to computing. While standard electronics use an electron’s charge to encode information, spintronic devices rely on another intrinsic property of the electron: its spin.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The National Quantum Initiative Act was signed into law by Congress last year to advance coordinated research efforts in quantum information science – the study of the smallest particles and how they can be manipulated - to secure the nation’s preeminence in the tech economy and national security. Why? Quantum computing has the potential to be a game-changer in everyday life. With research in quantum information science strong and accelerating at Purdue University, a new Quantum Science and Engineering Institute was formed to coordinate and incentivize university-wide activities and establish a new resource for faculty and students working on and interested in the pivotal field, which may lead to an array of advanced technologies and products.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The more objects we make "smart," from watches to entire buildings, the greater the need for these devices to store and retrieve massive amounts of data quickly without consuming too much power. Millions of new memory cells could be part of a computer chip and provide that speed and energy savings, thanks to the discovery of a previously unobserved functionality in a material called molybdenum ditelluride.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — From iPhones on Earth to rovers on Mars, most electronics only function within a certain temperature range. By blending two organic materials together, researchers at Purdue University could create electronics that withstand extreme heat. This new plastic material could reliably conduct electricity in up to 220 degrees Celsius (428 F), according to a paper published Thursday in the journal Science. “Commercial electronics operate between minus 40 and 85 degrees Celsius. Beyond this range, they’re going to malfunction,” said Jianguo Mei, an assistant professor of organic chemistry at Purdue University. “We created a material that can operate at high temperatures by blending two polymers together.”

The Aristotle Award was authorized by the SRC Board of Directors in 1995 to recognize professors who best contribute to the development of the industry’s most valuable resource, its human resource. This award recognizes SRC-supported faculty whose deep commitment to the educational experience of SRC students has had a profound and continuing impact on their professional performance and, consequently, a significant impact for members over a long period of time. The list of winners of the Aristotle speaks volumes about the quality of SRC researchers and the high standard set for SRC students. The awards have been made to some of the most exemplary university faculty in this country, and this year’s award continues that tradition. Professor Joerg Appenzeller from Purdue University is eminently qualified to receive the 2018 Aristotle Award.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Diabetes can lead to ulcers that patients don’t even feel or notice until the sight of blood. And because ulcers can’t heal on their own, 14 to 24 percent of diabetics in the U.S. who experience them end up losing their toes, foot or leg. Purdue University researchers have developed a shoe insole that could help make the healing process more portable for the 15 percent of Americans who develop ulcers as a result of diabetes. "One of the ways to heal these wounds is by giving them oxygen," said Babak Ziaie, Purdue professor of electrical and computer engineering. "We've created a system that gradually releases oxygen throughout the day so that a patient can have more mobility."