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Brainy UK scientists create robust optic fiber that may unlock our quantum future

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Optical fibers have become the foundation of modern data transmission, used for everything from telecoms and internet services to governmental and space applications. This is because they’re capable of transmitting larger amounts of data at faster speeds and over longer distances, compared to other technologies.

The structure of optical fibers, however, can occasionally lead to network failures, as any twisted or bent cables can hinder the information transfer. To address this issue, scientists at the University of Bath in the UK have designed a new type of fiber, aiming to enhance the robustness of these networks.

A regular optical fiber consists of three elements: the core, the cladding, and the coating.

The core is at the center and provides a pathway for light (the medium through which data is transmitted) to travel. The cladding holds the light inside the core and controls the direction in which it travels, bouncing along as though reflecting off a mirror. Finally, the coating works as the primary buffer and a jacket encases the entire structure.

optical fiber structure
The typical structure of an optical fiber. Credit: Bob Mellish/Wikimedia

“Whenever you fabricate a fiber-optic cable, small variations in the physical structure of the fiber are inevitably present. When deployed in a network, the fiber can also get twisted and bent,” Physics PhD student Nathan Roberts — who led the research — said.

These distortions can hinder the light’s optimum pathway and lead to information degradation as it moves between the sender and receiver.

“One way to counter these variations and defects is to ensure the fiber design process includes a real focus on robustness. This is where we found the ideas of topology useful,” Roberts added.

Topology is the mathematical study of the properties of geometrical objects that remain unchanged despite deformations, twistings, and stretchings. It has already been applied to physics and light research, but the Bath scientists are the first to use it in optical fibers.

The physicists have created a fiber that employs topological principles by adding several light-guiding cores in the fiber, linked together in a spiral. Light can still travel between these cores, but, thanks to the topological design, it remains trapped within the edge. These so-called “edge states” are shielded from disorder in the overall structure.

“By adopting optical fibers with topological design, researchers will have the tools to pre-empt and forestall signal-degrading effects by building inherently robust photonic systems,” Dr Anton Souslov, co-author of the study, explained.

Currently, the researchers are looking for industry partners to further develop their concept, which could benefit not only existing communications, but also future quantum networks.

“We have shown that you can make kilometers of topological fiber wound around a spool. We envision a quantum internet where information will be transmitted robustly across continents using topological principles,” Roberts noted.

Compared to conventional computers, quantum technology is expected to be vastly more powerful when it comes to storing and processing information, while promising an unparalleled (so far) level of data security — a potential game changer for information networks.

However, the quantum states of light with transfer information can be easily affected by the environment, presenting a significant challenge. This study may pave the way towards using topological design to preserve quantum information in optical fibers.

You can find the research here.

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Quantum computing startup eyes mainstream adoption after £30m investment

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Quantum computing has immense potential but incredible complexities. While zealots claim it will cure cancer and save the planet, critics warn their promises are far from being fulfilled.

One of their key challenges lies at the very heart of the field: ​​quantum bits, or “qubits.” These information units are the quantum analog of binary bits in classical computers. To make quantum computers useful, the qubits have to be reliably controlled and manufactured at scale.

It’s a requirement that still confounds the world’s leading computer scientists. The likes of IBM and Google made impressive strides by building qubits into their quantum chips, which have to obey the laws of quantum physics at temperatures near absolute zero.

One issue with this approach is t it requires million-dollar refrigerators. Another is that just a single atom in the wrong place on the chip can cause computing mistakes.

Oxford Ionics, a startup based in the UK, applies a different technique. The company uses a proprietary technology called Electronic Qubit Control (EQC) to control the qubits. This system applies different voltages and currents on a traditional microchip, which create magnetic fields in the surrounding space. 

The quantum bits in this system are comprised of individual atoms. In their natural state, these atoms don’t tend to stay still long enough to perform a computation. To stabilize them, one of their electrons is removed to make an ion. These ions have an electrical charge, which enables the electromagnetic field to “trap” them less than a hair’s width above a chip.

“We have perfect qubits.

Dr Chris Balance, who co-founded Oxford Ionics in 2019, compares the effect to toys that use magnets to suspend objects in the air.

“This gives us the best of both worlds: we have a chip that can be made just like a normal computer processor and which can run at room temperature, and we have perfect qubits made from single ions hovering above the chip,” Balance tells TNW. “Not building the qubits means we can’t build them wrong. Nature guarantees each individual atom is perfectly identical to any other.”

Dr Tom Harty and Dr Chris Ballance founded Oxford Ionics
Ballance (right) and Tom Hardy founded Oxford Ionics aftedr earning PhDs in Quantum Computing from Oxford University: Oxford Ionics

Unlike other “trapped-ion” exponents, Oxford Ionics doesn’t rely on lasers to control qubits. According to Balance, laser-controlled devices are effective for small systems, but extremely difficult to fabricate and integrate at chip scale. They also become error-prone as the size of the processor and the number of qubits grows.

In tests, the Oxford Ionics system has shown seemingly superior results. The ​​technology currently holds a range of records for quantum computing performance, speed, and error rates, Ballance’s research was also cited in the scientific release that accompanied this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics. 

These achievements have caught the eyes of investors. Last week, Oxford Ionics announced that it had raised £30 million in Series A funding, which will be used to grow the team and bring the tech to market.

“We are entering the discovery phase.

Balance is now looking forward to solving real-world problems.

“Over the next few years, we are entering the discovery phase of quantum computing: up to now we have not had quantum computers that solve problems we can’t solve any other way — now we do!”

Balance doesn’t expect to integrate Quantum Ionics’ tech into general-purpose chips. Instead, he envisions the company’s quantum chips running in parallel with classical semiconductors.

“Think GPUs alongside CPUs,” he says.

It may likely still take years for killer apps to emerge, but Oxford Ionics could push quantum computing closer to the mainstream.

Quantum computing startup eyes mainstream adoption after £30m investment Read More »

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Sweden discovers rare earth metals — and that could redefine Europe’s relationship with China

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Swedish company LKAB has discovered what’s claimed to be Europe’s biggest deposit of rare earth metals, promising a critical boost in the continent’s trade security and green transition.

“Rare earths” are a group of 17 chemical elements composed of scandium, yttrium, and lanthanides. Contrary to their name, rare earths are actually abundant; their rarity stems from the complexity of their extraction, separation, and refining, which can generate toxic and radioactive waste, negatively impacting the environment.

But despite their environmental hazards, they are crucial for the manufacture of numerous high-tech products. This ranges from household goods (TVs, computers, and smartphones) to medical equipment (X-Ray and MRI scanning) and defense systems (jets and night vision tech, among others).

Most notably, they’re also key for the clean energy transition, as they are components of the magnets used in EVs and wind turbines.

With no mining of its own, the EU imports 98% of its rare earth metals supply from China, which houses the majority of the world’s reserve and is the biggest global supplier.

LKAB’s discovery, however, could be a game changer. The state-owned company said that it has found a deposit — named Per Geijer — of over one million tons in the Kiruna area, located in Lapland within the Arctic Circle.

Sweden's LKAB finds the biggest rare earth metals deposit in Europe
The Per Geijer deposit is in close proximity to existing mining operations in Kiruna. Credit: LKAB

“Electrification, the EU’s self-suffiency and independence from Russia and China will begin in the mine,” Sweden’s Minister for Energy, Business, and Industry, Ebba Busch, said in a statement.

“We need to strengthen industrial value chains in Europe and create real opportunities for the electrification of our societies. Politics must give the industry the conditions to switch to green and fossil-free production,” she noted.

Reducing reliance on foreign supply chains and ensuring access to critical raw materials is an integral focus of the EU agenda as well as Europe’s aim to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

“Lithium and rare earths will soon be more important than oil and gas,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed during a speech in September. “Our demand for rare earths alone will increase fivefold by 2030,” she added, highlighting the imperative to avoid becoming dependent as on oil and gas.

In the same line of thought, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton underlined the need for action. “Take China, with its quasi-monopoly on rare earths and permanent magnets and prices rising by 50-90% in the past year alone,” he wrote. “Supply of raw materials has become a real geopolitical tool.”

While LKAB is already investing heavily in the project to move forward, President and Group CEO Jan Moström emphasized that there’s a long road ahead. He expects that it’ll take several years to investigate the deposit, assess its profitability, and evaluate the sustainability and environmental impact of the mining process. Following that, LKAB can proceed with an environmental review application and a permit application.

“If we look at how other permit processes have worked within our industry, it will take at least 10 to 15 years before we can actually begin mining and deliver raw materials to the market,” Moström explained.

Providing that LKAB finds a way to mitigate the environmental cost entailed in mining, the Per Geijer deposit could provide Europe with the impetus in needs to ensure domestic supply of critical raw materials and facilitate its green transition.

Sweden discovers rare earth metals — and that could redefine Europe’s relationship with China Read More »

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Finland’s wind power capacity shot up 75% in 2022, attracting billions in capital

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Finland’s wind power capacity shot up 75% in 2022, attracting billions in capital

Ioanna Lykiardopoulou

Story by

Ioanna Lykiardopoulou

Ioanna is a writer at SHIFT. She likes the transition from old to modern, and she’s all about shifting perspectives. Ioanna is a writer at SHIFT. She likes the transition from old to modern, and she’s all about shifting perspectives.

Finland clocked a 75% increase in wind power capacity last year, boosting the country’s renewable energy cred.

According to the latest statistics from the Finnish Wind Power Association (FWPA), 2022 was a record time for green power. Specifically, 437 new wind turbines were put into operation, delivering a 2,430MW power capacity. What’s more, wind power covered 14.1% of the country’s electricity consumption, rising from 9.3% in 2021, a period in which 141 turbines were installed.

As a result, Finland now has a total of 1,393 wind turbines with a combined power of 5,677MW — raised by nearly 43% in 2022 alone. Some 47% of the total wind power is domestically owned, and the majority of turbines have between 3 and 4.99MW power capacity.

Notably, the projects completed last year brought over €2.9 billion worth of investments into the country. This makes wind power one of the most funded sectors in the Nordic nation.

Finland wind power 2022

“No other industry currently brings as many annual investment euros to Finland as wind power. Wind power also brings vitality to many small municipalities, where investment targets may otherwise be few,” Anni Mikkonen, FWPA’s CEO, noted.

“In addition to investments, wind power is now increasing our country’s energy self-sufficiency at a really good pace — just when new and affordable electricity production is most needed. No other electricity generation can be built in Finland as quickly and as cost-effectively right now,” she added.

According to FWPA, the future of Finnish wind energy is looking brighter and brighter. Approximately 1,000MW of power capacity will be completed this year, over 1,200MW in 2024, and around 1,000MW in 2025 — when wind power is projected to cover at least 28% of Finland’s electricity consumption.

If this pace is kept, the country will not only strengthen its energy efficiency, but also increase its competitive advantage in the industry — in effect, attracting more capital in its wind projects and promoting local companies active in the field.

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Concrete is one of the world’s most harmful materials. Graphene could change that

Insider, Neural, Next Featured / /

Concrete has been described as the most destructive material on Earth. After water, it’s the most used substance in the world, with twice the usage of steel, wood, plastics, and aluminium combined.

To manufacture all this concrete, more than 4 billion tonnes of cement are produced every year. According to the Chatham House think tank, that creates around 8% of all CO2 emissions — more than what’s caused by all the trucks across the globe.

Cement makers urgently need to reduce this footprint. To meet the requirements of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the industry needs to cut emissions by at least 16% by 2030. At the same time, the sector faces growing demand from rapid urbanization and population growth.

It’s foreboding problem. But engineers believe that graphene offers a solution.

“Just 0.01% of the material is required.

First isolated at the University of Manchester in 2004, Graphene’s 2D nature provides a unique combination of strength, flexibility, lightness, and conductivity. These properties caught the eye of Nationwide Engineering, a British construction business. 

The firm’s memorably-acronymed R&D subsidiary, NERD (Nationwide Engineering Research and Development), was tasked with turning the “wonder material” into a new additive: Concretene. 

Amesbury pour - hi-res
The substance has already formed floor slabs in the UK. Credit: Concretene

Concretene consists of graphene that’s produced at Manchester University. Small quantities of the liquid formulation are added during the concrete mixing process. 

The graphene provides both mechanical support and an active surface for the chemical reactions that occur during the cement hydration and hardening.

“Very low dosages of the material, in some cases less than 0.01%, are required to deliver substantial performance gains,” Alex McDermott, the co-founder of Concretene, tells TNW.

“This means that Concretene is commercially viable with wholesale costs to be in-line with existing additives already used in the concrete industry.”

At the center of the mission is a modified Boeing 747 aircraft, the Cosmic Girl, which is fitted with Virgin Orbit’s Launcher One rocket carrying nine civil and defense satellites.

Cosmic Girl will take off from Spaceport Cornwall and will ascend to an altitude of 35,000 feet (10.6 kilometers) above the Atlantic Ocean. Following about an hour of flying, it will release the rocket. Launcher One will then perform one orbital burn with each of its two stages before releasing the satellites.

If the mission succeeds (providing favorable weather and no technical shortcomings), it will be a major milestone for the UK’s space sector, marking the beginning of a domestic-based launch industry.

“The development of new orbital launch capabilities is already generating growth, catalyzing investment, and creating jobs in Cornwall and other communities across the United Kingdom,” Ian Annett, Deputy CEO at the UK Space Agency, said in a statement.

“I look forward to seeing more launches from other UK spaceports over the next year, putting us firmly on the map as Europe’s leading destination for commercial small satellite launch,” he added.

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French startup uses Hi-Fi speakers to develop eco-friendly heat pumps

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Amidst the climate and energy crisis, heat pumps have emerged on the housing heating market as a technology that can replace gas and oil, while lowering the energy bills. Yet, their air compression systems require refrigerants to work. These refrigerants, also known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are amongst the most potent greenhouse gasses.

Founded in 2017 and having raised €5 million, French deeptech startup Equium is seeking to provide a more ecological alternative. With this aim, it has developed a novel, acoustic heat pump core that harnesses the energy of sound.

The so-called Acoustic Heat Pump (AHP) can cover a household’s heating needs without the use of refrigerants. Instead, its operation is based on the phenomenon of thermoacoustics — the convergence of thermics, acoustics, and fluid mechanics.

The core works with a high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) speaker powered by electricity, which generates an acoustic wave in tubes filled with helium — a neutral and non-toxic gas that accelerates the propagation of sound. The acoustic wave causes the gas to compress or expand, producing heat or cold, respectively. It remains confined within the system, which allows the machine to be silent.

acoustic heat pump
Equium’s acoustic heat pump. Credit: Equium

According to Equium, the heat pump isn’t just greenhouse gas-free, but also made from 100% recyclable materials, boasting overall a very low carbon footprint. At the same time, the machine’s ecological mode of operation is claimed to provide the same efficiency of a conventional heat pump, while increasing energy savings and overall cost.

A big part of that is the pump’s modulation, which allows users to increase or decrease the speaker’s volume to achieve the desired power output. Apart from that, the system is easy to install, doesn’t require maintenance and has a lifespan of around 30 years — about twice as long as a conventional heat pump.

As per the startup’s founder, Cédric François, for an equivalent cost and size, the AHP’s advantage translates to a 50% lower CO2 impact and a 20% lower energy consumption.

Equium’s aim is to sell its acoustic cores to heat pump manufacturers, seeking to develop a French acoustic HP industry. The first integration will be processed by the startup’s strategic partner Arkteos, a regional manufacturer. The company is currently conducting field tests and expects to market its product in 2024.

To date, the young French startup has only one competitor in this brand new market: Netherlands-based BlueHeart Energy. But hopefully, more companies will start tapping into the capabilities of thermoacoustics to revolutionize heat pump technology.

French startup uses Hi-Fi speakers to develop eco-friendly heat pumps Read More »

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Evernote has been acquired — here’s how its new owner can fix it

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For a while, Evernote was on top of the world. The Californian note-taking app surfed the 2000s tech productivity boom to become the leader in its field. But then it fell from grace, becoming sluggish, buggy, and expensive. Users abandoned the platform, heading in droves to other note-taking apps.

And it looks like more change is afoot. On January 3, the sale of Evernote to the Italian company Bending Spoons was finally confirmed.

On one hand, this could be concerning for remaining users. Evernote will no longer be an independent company, meaning there could be huge changes to its current direction. But on the other hand… good?

I was an Evernote user for close to a decade before I switched last year. Things had simply gotten too bad with the bloated, slow, and cumbersome software, so I turned to Bear, a streamlined and beautiful bit of app.

With a new owner, Evernote now has an opportunity for a clean start. Bending Spoons already has a suite of consumer apps that are modern, powerful, and intuitive, and we have to believe the Italian company will use its expertise to shape a new Evernote.

The question is what should it do? How can Bending Spoons bring Evernote to its former glory? Well, we have some ideas.

Speed up Evernote apps

This was one of the main reasons why I moved away from Evernote. While I used and loved some of the app’s features (such as web clipping and document scanning), the main reason I used Evernote was for, well, notes.

While the speed of writing and searching on desktop was acceptable, the same wasn’t true on mobile devices — especially if they were a few years old.

If Bending Spoons wants to bring the shine back to Evernote, making its range of apps as lightning fast as possible would be a good start.

Evernote Meetup Paris
This is a photo of the old Evernote app from a meetup in Paris. Credit: Heisenberg Media

Remove the bloat…

In the mid-2010s, as Evernote was in the midst of accepting huge amounts of VC funds, the company diversified its offerings in order to open up more revenue streams. What that buzzwordy sentence means in human speak is Evernote jammed a whole load of features into the app and tried to be active on as many stores as possible.

Much of this was poorly planned and tested, leading to the software being infamously described as a “bug-ridden elephant” by Jason Kincaid.

While there have been upgrades to Evernote since that have improved overall performance, it still feels that the app is trying to do too much. Of course, having multimedia capabilities and integration into multiple apps is great for some people, but Evernote’s core mission should be note-taking. Instead, it feels focused on things like chat, calendar, and tasks, despite these areas of its software performing far worse than competitors.

Bending Spoons should either look at shearing back Evernote’s features, or allowing people to easily deselect certain features so the app can act as seamlessly as possible.

…but combine app functionality

Evernote has an array of different apps outside of its core bit of software — and some of these should be folded back into the main product.

a list of the evernote apps currently available
Aside from Web Clipper. That’s still an excellent extension and app.

On one hand, combining these apps into Evernote is antithetical to the above point of reducing bloat, but hear me out.

The software has tried to do many of the things you don’t want a note-taking app to do. Why, for example, would I ever want to chat on the same thing I’m writing on?

But look at those apps above again. They include a sketcher, a document scanner, and a handwriting app — all things that are useful to taking notes. Instead of being walled off from Evernote and largely forgotten about, these should be key features to make the process of taking notes as powerful as possible.

Reduce Evernote’s price

Cost was a huge element of me abandoning Evernote. At the time, I was paying €70 a year to take notes. That’s a silly amount of money — especially with how I used it.

I never got anywhere near the allocated 10GB a month of storage, had no need of calendar integration or task management, and never found a reason to connect to Google Drive. So what was I paying €70 a year for?

Bear — my current app — costs me around €14 ($15) for the same period, and I can’t say I’ve missed any of Evernote’s features since my transition.

I understand there will be some power users who want to use a full suite of features, but I guarantee there are scores more who just want to clip sites and store notes. So why not introduce a tier that’s closer to €20 a year? Something that offers all the basic features that people need?

Finally, Evernote must respect users

If Bending Spoons wants to save Evernote and for it to reclaim some its former glory, the first thing it should do is respect users. Stop pushing upgrades on people at every single possible opportunity. Stop being so overly restrictive on the number of devices individuals can use the free version with. Stop ignoring users’ complaints.

Instead, there needs to be a culture of respect and dialogue, treating those who use Evernote like people, rather than walking dollar signs.

Yes, Evernote has taken a fall, but it still has a strong enough brand and enough fans to become special again. The days of the unbridled tech boom are done, but there’s still a place for excellent apps doing simple things well. Let’s see if Bending Spoons can make that happen.

Evernote has been acquired — here’s how its new owner can fix it Read More »

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Here’s how we can make gadgets more sustainable in 2023

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Did you know that the world is predicted to produce more than 50 million metric tons of e-waste this year? And, according to the latest statistics, less than 20% of this is recycled properly, meaning that huge amounts end up in landfills.

Gadgets play a big part in this. Just consider that 5.3 billion smartphones are expected to be thrown away in 2022.

But here’s the good news: gadgets will get more sustainable in 2023, and that’s all thanks to the emerging trend of circularity.

“In major markets such as Europe, consumers are looking for more durable, long-lasting products,” Stanton Thomas, Senior Vice President, Sustainability Solutions at o9 Solutions, told TNW.

More durable products will likely result in fewer sales over time due to “lower replacement rates.” This is something that manufacturers will need to accommodate in their business models, as these types of economic trade-offs — Stanton explained — are expected to mark “the transition to a sustainable, circular economy.”

how to make our gadgets more sustainable in 2023

According to Matthew Cockerill — an innovation consultant — manufacturers are already starting to focus on making their tech products last longer. And that’s because of three reasons: pressure from advocacy groups, changes in customer behavior, and recent legislation regarding the right to repair in Europe.

As Cockerill noted, this explains Samsung’s and Google’s partnership with iFixit to supply spare parts, and Apple’s rollout of the Self Service Repair Store for its products.

“Moving forward, these forces will start to shape the very architecture of our technology products and how they are sold, maintained, and regenerated, whilst also changing our attitudes to some of our established technology products,” he told TNW.

This, he believes, will turn some of “our established tech products” into “product classics,” which will maintain their “validity” and “desirability” for up to ten years — instead of being disposed of, or prematurely recycled.

The further we get into next year, the more we’ll see these sort of schemes picking up, with companies trying to design their devices to last as long as possible.

But beyond durability and repair, there’s another big trend that will make gadgets more sustainable in 2023.

The opportunity in refurbishing

“Reselling gadgets to refurbishers elongates the life of technology, as they can then be professionally repaired and re-sold,” Thibaud Hug de Larauze, CEO and co-founder of Back Market — a Paris-based marketplace for refurbished devices — told TNW. This is because “recycling isn’t advanced enough yet” to save every part of a device.

In fact, consumer interest in refurbished devices is growing. A recent survey by Keany found that 28% of more than 5,000 consumers across Europe and North America would opt for a high-quality refurbished product over a lower-quality brand-new product. And the global refurbished electronics market is forecasted to advance at an annual 12.1% rate of compound growth between 2022 and 2031.

back market refurbished
The French Revolution’s motto from a “refurbished” perspective. Credit: Back Market

But while startups such Back Market and Swappie are among those that are currently leading the transition, big tech manufacturers are expected to follow suit.

So far a mindset focused on constant updates, new launches, and profit-making has kept such companies back, de Larauze explained. But this is changing.

“As the climate crisis continues, we are starting to see major players investing more in refurbishment, as sustainability starts to become a lynchpin for success,” he noted.

Making gadgets more sustainable in 2023 with remanufacturing

Beyond refurbishing, Peter Bragg — Canon’s EMEA Sustainability & Government Affairs Director — believes that remanufacturing is the “missing link” in circular economy practices.

While there’s a rising trend in refurbished tech products, consumers are still hesitant due to optimal performance expectations and the simple feeling of wanting something “new and shiny,” he told TNW. And this is where remanufacturing comes in.

Remanufacturing maintains as much of the old device as possible and it rebuilds it so as to perform as a new product, Bragg explained. It’s an improvement on refurbishing “through its focus on performance and extensive testing which ensures that consumers are receiving what is essentially a new product, as opposed to simply extending the life of an existing one.”

That way, it can also address consumer demand for new, high-quality products, while reducing their environmental impact.

Nevertheless, the responsibility for more sustainable gadgets falls on users as well. And the ways to contribute to limiting the amount of e-waste are simple: consider second-hand products, invest in those that are durable, and take care of your device so you can hold to it for longer.

Just imagine that by extending the life of our smartphones by a single year, we would save Europe as much CO2 emissions as taking two million cars off the road annually.

And, hopefully, with companies making more durable devices, the rise of refurbishing, and a renewed focus on remanufacturing, we can make our gadgets more sustainable in 2023.

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