£2 million for brain research in Bristol
A University of Bristol academic has been awarded over £2 million by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to look into the neural network basis of learning, memory and decision-making in health and disease.
The majority of the grant will fund Dr Matt Jones’ MRC Senior Non-clinical Research Fellowship, entitled ‘Control of neuronal networks and cognitive behaviour by deep brain, transcranial and optogenetic stimulation’.
“Your brain is constantly doing sums, weighing-up past experience and the current situation in order to decide how best to behave. Unfortunately, patients with brain diseases like schizophrenia have trouble coping with these decisions that most of us take for granted. Electrical activity in different parts of their brains becomes subtly uncoordinated, making it difficult to see the wood for the trees,” said Dr Jones, Senior Research Fellow in the University’s School of Physiology and Pharmacology.
“This project will use stimulation techniques designed to control the brain’s electrical signalling (very carefully – you wouldn’t notice if it was done to you) to see if we can re-coordinate brain activity at important times such as during decisions and therefore improve cognitive performance,” he said.
In a second MRC-funded project led by co-applicants Professors Lawrence Wilkinson, Mike Owen and Mick O’Donovan of Cardiff University, Dr Jones’ lab will contribute to a study of schizophrenia risk genes. Understanding the genetic basis of the disease is central to designing new therapies.
Dr Jones said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to unite the internationally recognised strengths of Cardiff and Bristol’s geneticists and neuroscientists. This project evolved from a pilot funded by the Severnside Alliance for Translational Research (SARTRE), and we are delighted that the MRC continues to recognise what hotbed of translational neuroscience Bristol and Cardiff represent.”
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New buyer sees rebirth of Bristol Cars at Filton
Kamkorp Autokraft, part of the Frazer-Nash group, has acquired the assets and goodwill of Bristol Cars, the luxury car manufacturer, from its administrators. This acquisition will re-establish the connection between Bristol Cars and Frazer-Nash which dates back to Frazer-Nash’s close involvement in the foundation of Bristol Cars 65 years ago.
“Bristol Cars is a British institution and an important part of our national motoring heritage,” said William Chia, the group’s Director of Operations. “Over the next few months we will start to reveal the details of our plans to combine Bristol Cars’ tradition and iconic marque with Frazer-Nash’s pioneering technology to showcase our cutting-edge electric and range-extended powertrains. British engineers are globally recognised for their inventions and the quality of their innovation – and these attributes are inherent in all our systems and products. Mindful of Bristol Cars’ rich heritage and our responsibility as custodians of the brand, we are certain that our technology will blend seamlessly and successfully with the Bristol Cars tradition of engineering integrity.”
Bristol Cars, which has its factory at Filton, is the only luxury car manufacturer that remains in private British hands, which the company says gives absolute independence of thought and action that is essential. Despite the small production volume it offers four distinct models covering a wide range of styles and functions. The Fighter and Blenheim remain the primary offerings, while the Speedster and its new cousin the Roadster, which offers a folding top and two plus two seating, continue – in very small numbers and to special order.
The Series 6 range is not strictly new as it is based on an older classic donor car but combines a restoration with extensive modifications that incorporate modern electrics and powertrain. Interestingly, although the Series 6 option (using the same technology and running gear as the Blenheim 3) was originally offered only for the 411, the company is producing both 410 and 603 Series 6 variants and expects to build a 412 Series 6.
In order to serve the demand for ‘as new’ versions of classic cars it is currently starting the build of a 405 drop-head with an uprated 6 cylinder engine and with a steel body frame instead of the original wood. This will not only ensure its longevity but ensure that it cannot be confused with a 1950s production version.
The company’s roots are from the end of World War II when the Bristol Aeroplane Company was faced with the problem of how to use its excess capacity and keep its many employees busy.
In 1960 it was persuaded to join with others to form the British Aircraft Corporation (later British Aerospace). At that time the car division (Bristol Cars Ltd) passed into private hands but the staff are still deliberately drawn from an aviation background at Filton.
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Bristol wins £2m centre for 3D printing
R&D collaboration for aircraft and cars
Aircraft maker EADS and GKN Aerospace are launching a £2m research centre to examine industrialising the next generation of manufacturing process known as Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM), which is essentially ‘printing’ objects in 3D. The collaboration will be supported by a £1.96m investment provided through a Government Regional Growth Fund grant for the use of ALM in aerospace but also for making parts and accessories for cars. The project will be based in a new shared facility at Filton in Bristol and is expected to create up to 30 new sustainable engineering jobs and develop a new supply chain of companies in the region. “Promoting innovation is vital if we are to drive growth in our local communities,” said Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk. “We have received a large number of ambitious and highly competitive bids to the first round of the Regional Growth Fund, which will help a number of businesses across the country, and I am delighted to announce funding for this collaboration between EADS and GKN Aerospace. Aerospace is one of Britain’s international successes and one that we should be proud of. We are number one in Europe and number two in the world with a 17 per cent global market share. I look forward to seeing the collaboration build further on this success, creating more jobs here in Bristol and providing an invaluable boost to the local economy.” The ALM process grows solid 3D shapes from powdered raw material. The shape is created as a digital model which is split into horizontal slices. A laser or electron beam then traces the shape slice by slice onto a bed of powdered material, heating the material, melting it and bonding it to the layer below. It then quickly cools to form a solid. The process is repeated slice by slice by sweeping a fresh layer of powder over the top each time. This technology has the potential to advance the design and manufacture of parts in ways that cannot be achieved today, delivering lighter, purpose made parts which use less material, generate less waste and produce lower emissions. Early results indicate that manufacturing waste could be reduced by up to 90% – particularly significant in industries where high-cost materials are used, such as the aerospace sector. “This collaboration takes a significant step towards bringing this unique technology into industrial reality. As a more efficient, sustainable process, ALM has the potential to revolutionise industrial manufacturing and secure the UK’s position at the forefront of high tech innovation,” said Ian Risk, Head of EADS Innovation Works UK. |
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Paignton company leads asbestos detection consortium
A Paignton company is leading a €1.8m consortium to develop a system for detecting asbestos in the air.
The Alert Rapid Asbestos Detection Tool is being developed by a consortium of 16 partners across Europe as part of the Framework 7 funding scheme. Select Group, based in Paignton, is the project’s lead for global exploitation, production and distribution.
No real method of detecting air borne fibres of asbestos currently exists, and air borne particles are analysed in a laboratory, a process that can take days and wastes valuable time. The Alert project seeks to provide a solution to this problem by providing the first real-time monitor for air borne asbestos.
“Currently in the USA and Europe asbestos exposure is blamed for over 200,000 deaths and future asbestos related insurance claims in the UK alone are estimated to be €12billion and for Europe €100billion,” said Alan Archer, managing director at Select Group. “Through the development of this instrument we aim to achieve a major step-change in the way the world addresses the dangers of asbestos, with the ultimate goal of saving lives.”
The design and development of the Alert system is currently being undertaken by the University of Hertfordshire, with input from other consortium members. “The funding we have received through FP7 has been an integral part of this development programme, and we would urge other firms to apply,” said Archer. “It is a fantastic platform for SMEs to gain access to cutting edge R&D and world leading experts and build business networks. However, it is a complicated process and it is vital to seek the help of experts such as those at Enterprise Europe Network who can help guide you through the process.”
The Alert Consortium members include The Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering (project co-ordinator), UK- ISRIA, part of the Pera Innovation Network (microelectronics experts), the University of Hertfordshire (who carried out the underpinning research for the Alert technology) and the University of Valencia in Spain (experts in occupation safety).
For more information about Asbestos Alert visit http://www.asbestos-alert.com/
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German acquisition brings together SW groups
Assystem Aerospace Germany has merged with Atena Engineering, bringing together two aerospace design groups in the SouthWest. Assystem has a group in Emerson’s Green while the Silver Atena group is based in Malmesbury.
Assystem employs around 1,400 people (including subcontractor resources) in the United Kingdom, where it delivers key capabilities in a wide array of industries, from Aerospace and Energy (including nuclear power) to Defence and Transport. The engineering partner of such global industry leaders as Airbus, EDF, Rolls Royce and Spirit Aerosystems, Assystem also supports UK authorities in their nuclear infrastructure maintenance and dismantling projects. Silver Atena offers design and implementation services for critical systems and on-board electronics.
New robotics centre in Bristol to tackle problems of autonomous refuelling
Robots will be used to help solve the problem of autonomous engagement for in-flight refuelling through new research at the University of Bristol that could pave the way for civil or military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights to last days or even weeks.
A multi-million pound relative motion robotics centre of excellence will open at the University in the autumn to research and develop an autonomous engagement solution for in-flight refuelling. Cobham Mission Equipment has commissioned the centre, as part of the ASTRAEA Autonomy and Decision Making project. The South West RDA is providing significant support to this aspect of the programme.
A team of engineers from the University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and Cobham are working together to investigate and solve the challenges surrounding the “hook-up problem space”, where technology will have to replicate the skills of a pilot in this challenging evolution.
This will involve the installation of two industrial robots, one track mounted, linked to a synthetic environment, to imitate the positional relationship between a tanker and receiver utilising the hose, drogue and probe refuelling system.
Dr Tom Richardson, Lecturer in Flight Mechanics in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Bristol University, said: “Autonomous refuelling is a key component of future UAV operations, where flights for coastal and border surveillance might be required to last days or even weeks.”
Alongside this research, an advanced composite manufacturing capability using the same robotic facility will be established. The provision of such a robotics facility has been identified as a key factor for the University to advance its research on automating composites processing.
It is envisaged that this research will be performed in collaboration with its industrial partners and the wider industrial community in the South West in addition to the newly established National Composites Centre.
The Relative Motion Robotics will be situated within the new Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS), part of the University’s Faculty of Engineering. The centre will be fully operational by this Autumn and in due course, will be available to the wider academic and industrial community for research within sectors such as maritime or manufacturing.
The ASTRAEA programme is jointly funded by UK industry and the public sector. Its objective is to enable the routine use of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in all classes of airspace without the need for restrictive or specialised conditions of operation. The aim is the development and demonstration of key technologies and operating procedures required to open up the airspace.
Mr Richard Bourne, Programme Manager Research and Technology at Cobham Mission Equipment, said: “The development of this capability at Bristol University is crucial for addressing a significant issue within the evolving UAV market. It has already established stronger ties between the Company and the University which we hope to develop further and it will also deliver a flexible capability for further broad utilisation by industry and academia.”
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Report highlights aerospace issues for SouthWest
Over the next 10 years, the large emerging markets of China and India will drive global civil aerospace growth says a new report from UK Trade and Investment (report here). This is increasingly important for the SouthWest with many of the key players – Airbus, Rolls Royce, GKN and AgustaWestland – on the Science Park and Airbus building £70m Technology Park in Filton in North Bristol.
The opportunities in these markets for UK aerospace companies will principally focus around the formation of partnerships and technology collaboration and it is key that the UK positions itself as a long-term strategy partner with these markets, asys teh report. The principal opportunities in the next 10-year period are likely to be on new Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, COMAC and Embraer programmes due to their sheer volume and the fact that there will be options for new supplier entries.
There are also significant opportunities for UK suppliers to win international business on new rotorcraft,business aircraft and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) programmes, which will also drive the need for innovation in microelectronics and electronic system integration
The globalisation of the supply chain and current market conditions require that UK aerospace companies and UK Government co-operate even more closely than before to maintain and expand their share of this important part of the advanced engineering sector.
Successive UK Governments have recognised the importance of aerospace as a strategic sector and have been supportive in helping it to develop and grow its international civil and defence aerospace business. Advanced manufacturing sectors such as aerospace and defence also continue to be seen as important to maintaining a balanced economy in the UK.
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Bristol wins £6 million project to develop a new generation of composites
A collaboration between Bristol University and Imperial College London has been awarded a £6m grant to develop a new generation of high performance, fibre reinforced polymer composites.
The team from Bristol’s Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science and The Composites Centre at Imperial College London have been awarded the six-year programme grant by EPSRC. The aim of the project is to create a new generation of high performance, ductile fibre reinforced polymer composites capable of sustaining large deformations without breaking.
The team is led by Professor Michael Wisnom at the University of Bristol and Professor Alexander Bismarck at Imperial College London, and supported by partners including BAE Systems, dstl, Halliburton, Hexcel, Mouchel, Rolls-Royce andVestas.
Advanced composites, based on carbon, glass and aramid fibres, are a vital low weight material technology that also offer operational savings and extended service lifetimes. These materials are being implemented in rapidly increasing volumes, with the UK supply of advanced composite systems currently around £1.6 billion per year and growing rapidly.
Professor Wisnom, Director of ACCIS, said: “Conventional polymer matrix composites offer high strength and stiffness, low weight, and low susceptibility to fatigue and corrosion, and we are witnessing a rapid expansion of their use in aerospace and other applications, such as wind turbine blades, sporting goods and civil engineering.
“Despite this progress, a fundamental limitation of current composites is their inherent brittleness. Failure can be sudden and catastrophic, with little warning or residual load carrying capacity.”
Professor Bismarck added: “High performance ductile composites will enable robust panels, which dent without significant loss in performance, and super-light, complex structures which indicate an overload by significant deformation but continue to support load without catastrophic failure.
“Such materials will provide greater reliability and safety, together with reduced design and maintenance requirements, and longer service life”.
Ensuring materials are ductile will overcome reticence for their use in safety critical or damage vulnerable applications, thereby significantly increasing their attractiveness for mass-market applications. Also, the widespread use of high performance ductile composites could achieve a very significant reduction of up to 15 per cent in the overall greenhouse gas contribution of transport.
To achieve such an ambitious outcome will require a concerted effort by the team to develop new constituents and exploit novel architectures, in order to obtain fracture toughness and ductility comparable to that of metals, and with considerably superior strength, stiffness and density. This programme grant will scope, prioritise, develop, and combine these approaches, to achieve High Performance Ductile Composite Technology (HiPerDuCT).
The research programme team are the University of Bristol: Professor Michael Wisnom, Professor Ian Bond, Professor Kevin Potter and Professor Paul Weaver and Imperial College London: Professor Alexander Bismarck, Professor Milo Shaffer, Dr Paul Robinson and Dr Joachim Steinke.
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Bristol frees up its IP for innovators
In a dramatic move, Bristol University is to open up its research and give away the rights to patented technology for free. The University has world leading research in many areas, including microelectronics, materials science and biotech, and is looking to use its intellectual property to build collaboration with industry, says Dr Neil Bradshaw, Director of Enterprise and the man responsible for commercialising the university’s innovation
The Western Way signed to drive science and technology innovation in the region
The leaders of the councils for Bristol, Swindon and Cardiff met yesterday to sign an agreement to support and promote the ‘Western Way’, the western end of the M4 corridor, particularly with a focus on silicon and digital technologies. The memorandum mirrors the strengths of the region as highlighted in SW Innovation News, as well as the importance of working across the Severn in Wales.
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University of Bath researchers convert PC network to DC power
Moving PC networks to DC power
Researchers at the University of Bath have converted a network of PCs to DC power, taking them off the power grid to cut noise and save money and power. The move, the first time this has been done in the UK, also allows the network to be powered directly by micro-power systems such as wind turbines
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Bristol’s first Health Innovation Showcase
A unique exhibition, the first of its kind to be held in Bristol, will showcase the outstanding health innovation achievements in the city and offer a glimpse into the future at what new developments might bring.
The Bristol Health Innovation Showcase is the first exhibition from BRIG-H (Bristol Research and Innovation Group for Health), a partnership of universities and NHS Trusts committed to improving the health of people in Bristol and beyond through research, innovation and closer collaboration.
The Showcase will take place at UWE’s Exhibition and Conference Centre on Wednesday 30 March from 5.30 to 8.30 pm.
The event will provide an opportunity for professionals and members of the public to see first hand 30 exciting innovations on display which have been developed by members of the partnership. Clinicians, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs behind the latest developments and innovations will be on hand to answer questions and explain their inventions, new procedures and advances in health services.
The BRIG-H partners are: the University of Bristol, University of the West of England, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, North Bristol NHS Trust, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust, in association with Bristol City Council, NHS North Somerset, and NHS South Gloucestershire.
Scientists, clinicians, and health executives from these organisations have worked together to create new innovations and processes that have benefited health in Bristol.
Deborah Evans, Chief Executive NHS Bristol and Chair of the Bristol Health Leadership Executive, said: “We know that Bristol is regarded as a beacon of innovation. Innovation in health is changing the lives of patients and the city: inventions, research, new companies, treatments, devices and tools are transforming the care and quality of the lives of patients. This event is an ideal opportunity to be inspired by examples of Bristol innovations that have changed people’s lives and talk to the people who have made it happen.”
Professor Richard Luxton, Director Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology, UWE, said: “This event demonstrates how the partners working together can make huge gains. We want to encourage other researchers and clinicians to get involved in innovation and applications for their research. There are many projects which would not have happened without the expertise and innovation of both universities, and the support of the NHS Trusts. We hope this event will show just how much we have achieved together, and the enormous potential there is in the city for further innovation and health improvement in the city in the future.”
The innovations on display range from medical innovations, through to novel improvements to service delivery and community health initiatives. Innovations on display include:
The TOBY trial: – A new treatment pioneered by Professor Marianne Thoresen (University of Bristol) with partners North Bristol Trust and funded by the Medical Research Council, Olympic Medical and SPARKS aims to prevent brain damage caused by lack of oxygen (Asphyxia) at birth by giving cooling treatment within the first six hours of life. The novel treatment lowers the affected babies’ body temperature to 33.5°C and induces hypothermia for 72 hours before gradually rewarming the baby in intensive care. After clinical trials the treatment was introduced in Bristol’s two neonatal intensive care units in 2006 and 60 per cent of babies now survive without significant injury compared to 30 per cent previously in Bristol. In May 2010 the treatment was recommended by NICE for asphyxiated babies. Professor Thoresen is now working with Professor John Dingley (Swansea University) and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust to improve the prognosis for these babies even further by adding inhaled Xenon gas to the cooling regime.
Adults with Asperger Syndrome: plugging the service gap – The Bristol Autism Spectrum Service (BASS) was established to fill the service vacuum for adults with Asperger Syndrome who are unable to access support from mainstream services. It has received national recognition as an example of best practice and contributed to the government’s strategy for adults with autism. The service model is being replicated in other UK regions. BASS facilitates assessment and diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome for adults, provides a programme of post-diagnostic support and provides training for mainstream providers. By plugging the service gap for adults with Asperger Syndrome the new service helps to improve mental wellbeing and life outcomes for individuals. Training has been delivered to 500 health and social care professionals, employment agencies and JobCentre Plus staff. The project leaders from Bristol Autism Spectrum Service, AWP are: Dr Ian Ensum, Matt Trerise, Annie Alexander, Amy Baddeley, Dr Rona Aldridge, Dr Peter Carpenter, Simon Allen and Gemma Allen.
OdoReader – Diagnosing bacterial infections at the bedside – OdoReader is a prototype device which accurately and rapidly identifies disease causing bacteria in diarrhoea such as the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which is highly infectious and causes a severe form of diarrhoea. OdoReader captures and analyses the chemicals in the smell of the diarrhoea and is able to give an accurate diagnosis within 20 minutes. This new prototype device is robust and reliable and can help prevent the spread of infection. There are plans to develop similar devices for other infections and this device is ideal for use in the developing world. The project leaders are Professor Chris Probert, (University of Bristol) and Professor Norman Ratcliffe (UWE) collaborating with North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust. OdoReader is being developed with the support of the Wellcome Trust and will be ready for launch in 2013.
The BRIG-H consortium will also be hosting a Health Innovation Challenge during the afternoon before the exhibition, bringing together scientists, researchers, clinicians, patient representatives and others from Bristol, to generate new ideas and facilitate collaborations and initiatives to improve health in the city.
Researchers look at using virtual antennas
Virtual antennas – using several antennas of equipment nearby – can improve the performance of wireless devices in some cases, say researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Communications Research (CCR)
CCR has also launched a £10m Doctoral Centre opening next week
The Big M review – Future innovations in mobile technology
Over 200 mobile professionals and developers gathered in Bath for the Big M conference on Monday, looking at a range of key issues for the mobile industry.
David Simpson has written a great review here: http://davidsimpson.me/2011/03/23/the-big-m-conference-bath/ and highlights Paul Golding’s presentation on future innovations.
Paul, the lead Innovation Architect and CEO of Wireless Wanders in Swindon, is a great example of the strength of the region – he has been on the leading edge of the mobile industry for 20 years, defining, designing and implementing many new products and services. He is the inventor of the first ever mobile internet portal (Zingo), designed for Lucent Technologies in 1997 and developed further for NTT DoCoMo in 1998. He was recently consulting as Motorola‘s Chief Applcations Architect and now resides at O2 as a founder member of “The Lab,” which is an “intrapreneurial” venture to exploit new business opportunities using Web start-up methodologies. He also founded the O2 Incubator. He is also a mentor in the Springboard Incubator program.
His presentation from the Big M is here and well worth a read: http://www.slideshare.net/pgolding/big-m-conference-future-mobile-innovations
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Martin McCourt, CEO of Dyson, interviewed at UWE
Martin McCourt, CEO of Dyson, on the challenges posed by the recession, Dyson’s model of investing in innovation and the need for great people coming through a great education system to drive business forward.
Martin McCourt, CEO of Dyson, interview at UWE
The film is part of the Distinguished Executive Address series of talks organised by the Bristol Business School at UWE Bristol.
SELEX opens technology Centre of Excellence in Bristol
Italian multinational SELEX Systems Integration has opened a technology Centre of Excellence alongside the Ministry of Defence at Abbey Wood in Bristol.
University of Bath develops weather satellite
A micro-satellite project from the University of Bath has won a position to be sent into space as part of the UK’s first CubeSat mission.
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Medical electronics spotlight in Bath
i-Med: How medical electronics will deliver patient power
Thursday, 24 March 2011 and Friday, 25 March 2011, Bath Ventures Innovation Centre, Broad Quay, Bath, BA1 1UD
Experts in medical electronic systems are gathering in Bath next week for the SiliconSouthWest iMed seminar. This looks at the increasingly important area of medical electronics and applications, particularly with the use of wireless networks. Speakers from the NHS, silicon and embedded systems companies and applications developers will explore the opportunities for developing the next generation of medical systems and their place in the healthcare ecosystem.
Confirmed Speakers:
- Noel Hurley, Chief Operating Officer, Toumaz Technology
- Phil Evans, Director, Ocean Blue Software
- Tim Phipps, Cambridge Consultants
Plus healthcare expert panel led by Dr Nigel Harris, Director, Bath Institute of Medical Engineering
- Stephen Hope, Docobo
- Angus Donald, NHS Innovations South West
- David Rogers, Ex President and Chief Executive, Lucent EMEA
Bristol physicists move closer to efficient single-photon sources
A team from Bristol has taken a big step toward efficient single-photon sources that could be used for completely secure optical communications.
Fluorescent “defect centres” in diamond act like atomic-scale light sources at toom temperature but need to be etched to generate the best source, and this is a huge challenge. them strong contenders for use as sources of single photons (the quantum light particle) in secure quantum cryptography schemes, says J. P. Hadden, a Ph.D. candidate in the Centre for Quantum Photonics at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Bristol.
“Defect centres could also be used as building blocks for ‘solid-state quantum computers,’ which would use quantum effects to solve problems that are not efficiently solvable with current computer technology,” Hadden says.
“We managed to show an improvement in the brightness of these defect centres of up to ten times by etching hemispherical ‘solid immersion lenses’ into the diamond,” he said. “This is an important result, showing how nanofabrication techniques can complement and enhance quantum technologies, and opens the door to diamond-defect-center-based implementations of quantum cryptography and quantum computation.”
More recently, Hadden and colleagues developed a technique that allows them to reliably etch these structures over previously characterized defect centres to a precision of about 100 nanometers — another significant step toward a practical and repeatable combination of nanotechnology and quantum optics.
The team presented its findings in Applied Physics Letters, a journal published by the American Institute of Physics.
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Bristol to be part of high-value manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC)
The National Composites Centre (NCC) at the University of Bristol has been named as a partner in the first of a UK-wide network of elite technology and innovation centres
Bristol’s NCC is one of seven highly capable and internationally recognised research centres around the country which will make up the new Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) for high-value manufacturing which is distributed right across the UK.
The centre will be one of a network of about six in which the Government will invest a total of more than £200 million over the next four years with the aim of enabling British businesses to commercialise the results of world-class research in the UK and access major new high-tech markets.
“I am delighted for the NCC to be working with the five other centres – the Centre for Process Innovation in Wilton & Sedgefield, the Advanced Forming Research Centre at the University of Strathclyde, the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Rotherham and the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick – in the formation of the high-value manufacturing TIC,” said Peter Chiver, Executive Director of the National Composites Centre (NCC),
“This is fantastic news for Bristol. Today’s announcement recognises the world-class expertise in advanced manufacturing in the South West and the fantastic potential of this industry to secure jobs and prosperity for decades to come. On a more practical level, it will enable Bristol to solidify its position at the forefront of composites, an industry that is growing at eight per cent per year. This is a huge opportunity for the National Composites Centre.”
Guy Orpen, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at the University of Bristol, said: “There is no doubt that composites will form a vital part of the UK’s manufacturing renaissance. This key part of the UK economy will be driven by closer collaboration between industry and the very best of academia and we are proud that the University of Bristol and the NCC’s initiating partners are playing such a significant role in this important part of the UK’s economy going forward. This is very good news for Bristol, the region and the UK.”
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