A JQI photodetector beats the quantum limit by a factor of 4. [ + ]

A new design for a basic component of all computer chips boasts the highest ‘carry mobility’ yet measured. [ + ]

The smallest InGaAs transistor ever built is providing a pathway that will allow the number of transistors on microchiops to continue to double every two years. [ + ]

The demand for an extension of the operation temperature range to 200°C has been promoted by several trends. [ + ]

A recent study of the batteries commonly used in hybrid and electric-only cars has revealed an unexpected factor that could limit the performance of batteries currently on the road. [ + ]

Rose madder - a natural plant dye once prized throughout the Old World to make fiery red textiles - has found a second life as the basis for a new ‘green’ battery. [ + ]

A low-temperature, controllable and stable method has been developed to dope graphene films using self-assembled monolayers (SAM) that modify the interface of graphene and its support substrate. Using this concept, a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology has created graphene p-n junctions - which are essential to fabricating devices - without damaging the material’s lattice structure or significantly reducing electron/hole mobility. [ + ]

PCB manufacturers can take advantage of a fast, reliable and safe solution to meet the growing demand for flash/HIPOT tested (2 kV) unpopulated boards. Electrical safety testing specialist Clare has developed a bespoke system using its HAL104 instrument connected to a test enclosure, which enables the easy flash testing of PCBs during the initial production stages. [ + ]

Tin whiskers are little-known culprits of electronic destruction - tiny killers that leave no evidence the human eye can detect. No one knows how they form and grow, but Yong Sun has solved part of this mystery. [ + ]

A new method of manufacturing the smallest structures in electronics could make their manufacture thousands of times quicker, allowing for cheaper semiconductors. The findings have been published in the latest issue of Nature. [ + ]

Using a combination of the new tools of metamaterials and transformation optics, engineers at Penn State University have developed designs for miniaturised optical devices that can be used in chip-based optical integrated circuits, the equivalent of the integrated electronic circuits that make possible computers and mobile phones. [ + ]

What is it with traffic lights? They often make me see red and seem to be stuck on that colour. They just don’t seem to have kept up with today’s traffic flow and demands on road space. [ + ]

With the combination of flexibility, relatively simple fabrication processes and low power requirements, CdSe nanocrystal circuits could pave the way for new kinds of devices and pervasive sensors. [ + ]

The award-winning Tesla Model S car is built by a company whose aim is to accelerate the world’s transition to affordable electric mobility. However, the man behind the company name was basically a mad scientist. Interesting, prolific, but pretty nuts. [ + ]

By fabricating graphene structures atop nanometre-scale ‘steps’ etched into silicon carbide, researchers have for the first time created a substantial electronic bandgap in the material suitable for room-temperature electronics. Use of nanoscale topography to control the properties of graphene could facilitate fabrication of transistors and other devices, potentially opening the door for developing all-carbon integrated circuits. [ + ]