MITs

This artist’s rendition shows a new integration platform developed by MIT researchers. By engineering surface forces, they can directly integrate 2D materials into devices in a single contact-and-release step. Credit: Courtesy of Sampson Wilcox/Research Laboratory of ElectronicsMIT’s breakthrough in integrating 2D materials into devices paves the way for next-generation devices with unique optical and electronic properties.Two-dimensional materials, which are only a few atoms thick, can exhibit some incredible properties,…

A cryptographic tag developed at MIT uses terahertz waves to authenticate items by recognizing the unique pattern of microscopic metal particles that are mixed into the glue that sticks the tag to the item’s surface. Credit: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT. Chip courtesy of the researchersMIT engineers developed a tag that can reveal with near-perfect accuracy whether an item is real or fake. The key is in the glue on the back of the tag.A few years ago, MIT researchers invented a cryptographic ID tag that is several times…

MIT’s inhalable nanosensors could revolutionize lung cancer screening, providing a simple urine test as a viable alternative to CT scans, enhancing global access to early detection. Credit: SciTechDaily.comThe diagnostic, which requires only a simple urine test to read the results, could make lung cancer screening more accessible worldwide.Using a new technology developed at MIT, diagnosing lung cancer could become as easy as inhaling nanoparticle sensors and then taking a urine test that reveals whether a tumor is…

As our alumni and friends know better than anyone, the intellectual excellence and bold ingenuity of the people of MIT are the Institute’s greatest strength. While IAP supplied its welcome respite, the first part of the year also offered inspiring reminders of MIT’s ability to make a powerful, positive difference in the world. Here are just two examples. The MIT Shaping the Future of Work Initiative In January, we engaged the MIT community with a day of fascinating panel discussions to launch the MIT Shaping…

“We used advanced fabrication techniques to cut small transducers from high-quality piezoelectric materials that allowed us to design miniaturized ultrasound stickers,” Xuanhe Zhao, professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, says. Credit: Courtesy of the researchersMIT’s ultrasound sticker enables continuous monitoring of organ stiffness, revolutionizing the early detection of diseases such as liver and kidney failure.MIT engineers have developed a small ultrasound sticker that can monitor the stiffness of organs deep…

Metamaterials with specific microstructures outperform solid materials in resisting supersonic impacts, offering potential for advanced protective solutions. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.comHigh-speed experiments can help identify lightweight, protective “metamaterials” for spacecraft, vehicles, helmets, or other objects.An intricate, honeycomb-like structure of struts and beams could withstand a supersonic impact better than a solid slab of the same material. What’s more, the specific structure matters, with…

The fractional quantum Hall effect has generally been seen under very high magnetic fields, but MIT physicists have now observed it in simple graphene. In a five-layer graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) moire superlattice, electrons (blue ball) interact with each other strongly and behave as if they are broken into fractional charges. Credit: Sampson Wilcox, RLEAn exotic electronic state observed by MIT physicists could enable more robust forms of quantum computing.The electron is the basic unit of electricity, as it…

A new MIT battery material could offer a more sustainable way to power electric cars. Instead of cobalt or nickel, the new lithium-ion battery includes a cathode based on organic materials. In this image, lithium molecules are shown in glowing pink. Credit: MITChemists at MIT have created a battery cathode from organic materials, which could reduce the electric vehicle industry’s dependence on rare metals.Many electric vehicles are powered by batteries that contain cobalt — a metal that carries high financial,…

Lithium-ion batteries have come a long way, but in many ways they haven’t come far enough. They charge faster than ever before, but there’s still room for improvement. The materials they’re made of, particularly cobalt and nickel, are pricey and problematic. Researchers have been scrambling to find alternative materials, from manganese to sodium. Now they might have another: TAQ. Unlike nearly every other lithium-ion battery chemistry, TAQ is an organic compound — not the free-range hippie type,…

MIT's Electric Vehicle Team has taken to the racetrack with a Ducati 900SS that's been gutted and converted into a hydrogen fuel cell motorcycle, hoping to start collecting a few fossil-fuelled scalps. It's also open-sourcing the design for others.The dozen-strong team decided to build this battery-buffered fuel cell hybrid to get their heads around this higher-density, lesser-used clean fuel source, and hopefully to inspire others to give it a shot in the name of advancing "small hydrogen" vehicle technology.It's been…