Heat flow in atomically thin materials is strongly directional and now research from A*STAR indicates that this property could be employed to improve the performance of computer hard drives. Hard drives store data by using magnetic fields to change the properties of a small section of a magnetically sensitive material. Decreasing the size of this section increases the drive's capacity but also increases the size of the magnetic field required for...

To improve the efficiency of waveguides, a complex balance must be struck. The need for enhanced optical signal processing properties competes with the demand for low optical losses in waveguide material. Now, A*STAR researchers have developed an alloy that fits the bill, while achieving compatibility with existing silicon computer chip fabrication technology.

The IoT describes devices and applications that gather and distribute data for everyday life. Sensor devices and processes that will underpin the IoT need to be small, versatile and energy efficient. Now A*STAR researchers have developed a sensor processor node that is capable of intelligent sensing while using ultra-low levels of power. IoT applications range from biomedical signal processing to uses in vehicle-status monitoring and environmenta...

Researchers at A*STAR are developing compact silicon photonic sensors that can provide accurate readings without being damaged by the toxic, corrosive or even explosive conditions within the machines. The expanding field of silicon photonics uses structures called waveguides to confine electromagnetic waves to one or two dimensions, so that the wave will change in response to external factors.

By rapidly heating silicon wafers covered with thin iron silicide and aluminum films, A*STAR researchers have developed a way to eliminate many of the complicated, time-consuming steps needed to fabricate light harvesting solar cells. Silicon photovoltaic devices typically sandwich two semiconductor layers containing positively or negatively charged impurity atoms, or dopants, into a so-called p-n junction.

Researchers in Singapore are using 'nanoantennae' to manipulate light beams. This may open the door to the development of new light-based technologies, such as display screens, and in energy harvesting and data transmission. It would allow, for example, the miniaturisation of traditional optical components, such as lenses, polarizers or beam-splitters, to nanoscale sizes.

A compact optical device that can rapidly and sensitively detect biomarkers in urine has been developed by A*STAR researchers. It has promise for developing simple point-of-care diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. MicroRNAs are a newly discovered class of short (about 19 to 24 nuclides in length) fragments of noncoding RNAs that are useful biomarkers for diagnosing various diseases, including cardiac disease and some cancers.

A study by A*STAR researchers suggests the surface properties of the glass vessels in which pharmaceutical ingredients are prepared has an effect on how they crystallise. When deciding how to control crystallization of an active ingredient during large scale production, drug companies consider many parameters such as solvent type, solute concentration and temperature to ensure the right crystal form.

Agilent Technologies and the Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), a research institute of Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), has announced that they will collaborate on new analytical approaches to analysing specific protein-linked sugar compounds.