Tag

Cryogenics

All articles tagged with #cryogenics

science-and-technology21 days ago•5 min saved

Bruker’s GAIA Microscope Set to Ship for Ultra-Cold Quantum Imaging

Bruker is set to ship its first scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) capable of stable operation near absolute zero to three global labs by early 2027. Dubbed GAIA, the instrument uses liquid helium to cool samples to approximately 7 kelvin for over 30 hours, enabling atomic-resolution imaging of quantum materials. This breakthrough addresses decades-long challenges in cryogenic microscopy, where previous liquid helium attachments suffered from rapid evaporation and vibration-induced blurring. By integrating cooling directly into the microscope and adding aberration correction and a monochromator, GAIA allows researchers to observe material properties at ultra-low temperatures without the instability that previously limited data collection.

via Nature|

#bruker #cryogenics #electron-microscopy

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Water Turns Glassy Under Lipid Nanoconfinement

Scientists trapped ultra-thin water between lipid layers made from phytantriol and cooled the sample to suppress crystallization, revealing a liquid-to-glass transition over a wider temperature range than expected (-63 to -20°C dynamic changes; -74 to -64°C static transition). Using SAXS/WAXS at a Australian synchrotron and neutron spectroscopy at ANSTO, they mapped water’s slowed dynamics across six orders of magnitude in time, suggesting practical relevance for cryopreservation and deep-freezing in food, with findings published in Nature Communications (2026).

via ScienceAlert|

#cryogenics #glass-transition #lipid-matrix

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Microgravity Boiling Reveals Unexpected Cooling Boost Until a Safety Threshold

In near-zero gravity, boiling of cryogenic liquids like liquid nitrogen can transfer heat more effectively because bubbles linger on heated surfaces, improving cooling—up to a point. Parabolic-flight experiments show reduced gravity enhances heat removal initially, but the cooling limit is reached quickly as bubbles link and dry the surface, collapsing the system. Findings underscore the importance of surface design for space cooling and propellant storage, though tests were limited to nitrogen and short flights.

via ScienceAlert|

#boiling #cryogenics #heat-transfer

technology6 months ago•2 min saved

Quantum Computers Run Colder Than Space’s Coldest Nebula

Quantum computers must be kept at temperatures near absolute zero to protect qubits from heat; a Bluefors dilution refrigerator cools the hardware to below one kelvin—colder than the Boomerang Nebula—highlighting how cryogenic cooling is essential to unlocking quantum computing.

via CNET|

#boomerang-nebula #cryogenics #dilution-refrigerator