'Quantum material' has shark-like ability to detect small electrical signals
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A "quantum material" that mimics a shark's ability to detect the minute electric fields of
small prey has been shown to perform well in ocean-like conditions, with potential
applications from defense to marine biology.
The material maintains its functional stability and does not corrode after being immersed
in saltwater, a prerequisite for ocean sensing.
Surprisingly, it also functions well in the cold,
ambient temperatures typical of seawater, said Shriram Ramanathan, a Purdue professor
of materials engineering.
Such a technology might be used to study ocean organisms and ecosystems and to
monitor the movement of ships for military and commercial maritime applications.
"So, it has potentially very broad interest in many disciplines," said Ramanathan, who led
research to develop the sensor, working with a team that included Purdue postdoctoral
research associate Zhen Zhang and graduate student Derek Schwanz.
Findings are detailed in a research paper appearing online Dec.
18 in the journal Nature.
The paper's lead authors were Zhang and Schwanz, working with colleagues at Argonne
National Laboratory, Rutgers University, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Canadian Light
Source at the University of Saskatchewan, Columbia University, and the University of
Massachusetts.
A complete list of co-authors is included in the abstract.
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