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New membrane technology interests fuel cell and automotive sectors
A researcher at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) discovered an inexpensive new material for potential use in hydrogen fuel cells. The material shows promise as a more cost-effective and greener alternative to the materials currently used in a fuel cell's Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM). This membrane is a crucial component in the fuel cell's power system. As a potential power source for electric motors, fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. Fuel cells are seen as a cleaner alternative to the internal combustion engine. The new technology has the advantage over existing membrane materials of being inexpensive to produce and of being able to function at a temperature range of 120 to 150 degrees Celsius, the U.S. Department of Energy's target benchmark for the next generation of fuel cells. Current membrane materials are extremely costly to manufacture and only operate efficiently at temperatures under 80 degrees Celsius.
Breakthrough in quantum optics
An international research team spearheaded by the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing and department of physics and astronomy achieved a longstanding milestone in quantum optics research - the direct generation of photon triplets. In the past, the generation of pairs of photons (particles of light) revolutionized quantum optics and made possible emerging technologies such as quantum cryptography and quantum computing with photons. Typically, these photon pairs were created from strong lasers sent through a crystal - a process known as "parametric down-conversion." In the new approach, researchers created photon triplets by producing a first pair of photons using an optical crystal, then splitting one of the photon pairs further into two additional photons inside a second crystal. Because each triplet originates from a single pump photon, the quantum correlations will extend over all three photons in a manner not achievable when using independently created photon pairs. It is expected that this photon-triplet source will allow tests of novel quantum correlations and will greatly advance photonic quantum computing. The research appeared in the journal Nature.
- Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada
- Automotive Parts Markers Association
- Canadian Advanced Technology Association
- Canadian Die Casters Association (CDCA)
- Canadian Foundry Association (CFA)
- Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
- Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA)
- Canadian Steel Producers Association
- Canadian Tooling and Machining Association
- Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association
- Research Innovation Commercialization Centre
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