All articles tagged with #eth zurich
ETH Zurich researchers built a “perfect die” by entangling two qubits across a 30-meter link and refining the output with a two-source extractor to produce randomness whose unpredictability is certified by quantum physics, with potential applications in cryptography, gaming, and secure computing, showcasing quantum advantage over classical generators.
A team of ETH Zurich students from the ARIS Pegasus project tested a rotating detonation rocket engine powered by propane and liquid oxygen, achieving stable detonation waves at up to 20,000 per second in a nighttime test at Dübendorf Air Base. The milestone underscores growing international interest in rotating detonation propulsion, which could improve fuel efficiency and payload capacity for future space missions, though it demands advanced materials and ultra-fast fuel injection. The project highlights collaborative, iterative student research and places Switzerland among a small group pursuing RDRE demonstrations.
ETH Zurich researchers have demonstrated a geometry-based swap gate for neutral-atom qubits in an optical lattice, yielding far greater resilience to laser noise and timing fluctuations. The gate achieved over 99.9% fidelity in under a millisecond across 17,000 qubit pairs and enables half-swap gates, marking a significant step toward scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers, though practical machines still face scale and fidelity challenges ahead.
Researchers at ETH Zurich developed a whey-protein sponge that uses amyloid fibrils to selectively capture gold ions from dissolved discarded computer motherboards. After exposure, heating releases solid gold, yielding about 450 milligrams of 22-carat gold from 20 boards—without high-temperature furnaces or toxic solvents—thanks to whey, a dairy byproduct, making the process potentially scalable and cost-effective for recovering gold from electronic waste.
An ETH Zurich team tested Bitwarden, LastPass, and Dashlane under a malicious-server threat model and demonstrated 12, 7, and 6 attacks respectively, showing that passwords could be accessed or altered and that end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption promises may not hold. They found the attacks often only required routine user actions like logging in or syncing. The researchers propose updating cryptographic standards for new customers, providing migration paths for existing users, and increasing transparency via external audits, noting that many providers still rely on outdated crypto. Consumers should favor password managers that disclose vulnerabilities, are audited, and enable end-to-end encryption by default.
ETH Zurich researchers identify the protein HIF1 as an active driver of tendinopathy, showing in mice and human tendon cells that high HIF1 remodels tendon tissue with more collagen crosslinks, brittleness, and ingrowth of blood vessels and nerves—causing pain in common overuse injuries like Achilles tendinopathy and tennis elbow. Activating HIF1 caused disease even without extra strain, while silencing it protected tendons under heavy loading, underscoring the need for early treatment and raising the possibility of tendon-specific therapies that target the HIF1 pathway rather than the whole body.
Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed MetaGraph, a groundbreaking search engine that allows researchers to quickly search through vast DNA and RNA databases, functioning like a 'Google for DNA,' which could accelerate genetic research and pathogen analysis.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have trained the four-legged robot dog ANYmal to play badminton using AI-driven prediction models and advanced control systems, demonstrating significant progress in robotic agility and real-time physical skills with potential applications in disaster response and industrial assistance.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have successfully levitated nano-glass spheres in a pure quantum state at room temperature using laser beams and optical tweezers, eliminating the need for cooling to near absolute zero, and achieving a high level of quantum purity suitable for future quantum technology applications.
A team from ETH Zurich has developed an eco-friendly method to extract gold from electronic waste using whey protein, turning discarded gadgets into valuable gold nuggets and potentially revolutionizing e-waste recycling by reducing environmental harm and promoting a circular economy.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed the first-ever mechanical qubit, a significant advancement in quantum computing. This mechanical qubit, created using a mechanical oscillator and a superconducting qubit, boasts a coherence time of 200 microseconds, double that of traditional superconducting qubits. Unlike virtual qubits, mechanical qubits are physical systems that do not require complex error-correcting codes, making them simpler and more durable. This innovation could help overcome major challenges in quantum computing and sensing applications.
Physicists at ETH Zürich have developed the first fully mechanical qubit, using a piezoelectric disk on a sapphire base as a mechanical resonator, coupled with a superconducting qubit. This innovation addresses the short-lived nature of virtual qubits by providing longer coherence times, potentially improving quantum computing capabilities. The team plans to enhance these times further and test the qubits with quantum gates.
Climate change is causing the melting of Greenland and Antarctic ice, redistributing Earth's mass and slowing its rotation, which lengthens days by a few milliseconds. Supported by NASA, ETH Zurich researchers found that this impact could surpass the moon's influence on Earth's rotational speed and is also shifting the Earth's axis of rotation. This highlights a greater human influence on Earth's rotational dynamics than previously recognized.
Researchers at ETH Zurich's Robotic Systems Lab have developed a wheeled-legged robot that uses advanced reinforcement learning techniques to autonomously navigate various terrains. This hybrid robot can switch between driving and walking modes, optimizing efficiency and adaptability. The system, which builds on previous research, features a neural network-based controller that processes sensory data to create real-time navigation plans, making it suitable for applications like autonomous delivery across diverse environments.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have detected topological effects in an artificial solid using cold atoms, demonstrating a surprising reversal in quantum systems. By creating an artificial solid with controllable interactions, the team observed topological pumping, where particles were transported in a specific direction, and a reversal occurred when encountering an obstacle. The researchers also found that repulsive interactions between atoms created an invisible barrier, leading to further unexpected behavior. These findings could contribute to a better understanding of interacting topological systems and potentially be applied in quantum technologies, such as creating a qubit highway for quantum computers.