The D-Wave quantum annealer isn’t a general-purpose computer, in that it can only solve a set of problems that can be structured as energy minimizations. And even on those problems, D-Wave employees ...

The major factors affecting the performance of crystalline thin films are the presence of grain boundaries and inherent crystal structure. Post-deposition annealing is frequently employed to improve ...

As structures made of metal get smaller - as their dimensions approach the micrometer scale (millionths of a meter) or less - they get stronger. Scientists discovered this phenomenon 50 years ago ...

A simple heat treatment has been shown to significantly improve the pressure sensitivity of semiconductor materials used in devices such as cell phones, sensors and energy harvesters. In a new study ...

Researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Center Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM) in Switzerland developed a novel single-step thermal annealing process for ...

We use metals in construction, domestic appliances, vehicles, and many other everyday products. It really can be said that metals have built the modern world. To fine-tune the desired properties of ...