The 2019 surface acoustic waves roadmap

Today, surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and bulk acoustic waves are already two of the very few phononic technologies of industrial relevance and can been found in a myriad of devices employing these nanoscale earthquakes on a chip. Acoustic radio frequency filters, for instance, are integral parts of wireless devices. SAWs in particular find applications in life sciences and microfluidics for sensing and mixing of tiny amounts of liquids. In addition to this continuously growing number of applications, SAWs are ideally suited to probe and control elementary excitations in condensed matter at the limit of single quantum excitations. Even collective excitations, classical or quantum are nowadays coherently interfaced by SAWs. This wide, highly diverse, interdisciplinary and continuously expanding spectrum literally unites advanced sensing and manipulation applications. Remarkably, SAW technology is inherently multiscale and spans from single atomic or nanoscopic units up even to the millimeter scale. The aim of this Roadmap is to present a snapshot of the present state of surface acoustic wave science and technology in 2019 and provide an opinion on the challenges and opportunities that the future holds from a group of renown experts, covering the interdisciplinary key areas, ranging from fundamental quantum effects to practical applications of acoustic devices in life science

The 2019 surface acoustic waves roadmap

Abstract Today, surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and bulk acoustic waves are already two of the very few phononic technologies of industrial relevance and can been found in a myriad of devices employing these nanoscale earthquakes on a chip. Acoustic radio frequency filters, for instance, are integral parts of wireless devices. SAWs in particular find applications in life sciences and microfluidics for sensing and mixing of tiny amounts of liquids. In addition to this continuously growing number of applications, SAWs are ideally suited to probe and control elementary excitations in condensed matter at the limit of single quantum excitations. Even collective excitations, classical or quantum are nowadays coherently interfaced by SAWs. This wide, highly diverse, interdisciplinary and continuously expanding spectrum literally unites advanced sensing and manipulation applications. Remarkably, SAW technology is inherently multiscale and spans from single atomic or nanoscopic units up even to the millimeter scale. The aim of this Roadmap is to present a snapshot of the present state of surface acoustic wave science and technology in 2019 and provide an opinion on the challenges and opportunities that the future holds from a group of renown experts, covering the interdisciplinary key areas, ranging from fundamental quantum effects to practical applications of acoustic devices in life science.EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 642688 (SAWtrain)

CryoSense: Redesign using advanced technology

This Technical Note contains a study of advanced sensor technologies for a cryogenic benchmark experiment. The benchmark experiment is a redesign of baseline experiment 2 presented in Technical Note 4 of the activity, with state-of-the-art ‘conventional’ sensor technologies now replaced by alternative measurement methods. In a comprehensive study different technologies are first described, then evaluated in terms of application potential and specifically adapted TRL scale. This includes: Particle Velocimetry, Ultrasound Tomography, specialised ultrasound methods (Lamb-Waves, Quasi-Scholten-Waves), Electrical Capacitance Tomography, Optical Tomography, Time of Flight Cameras, Wire-Mesh Sensors and Microwave/RF-methods. The intended application in this Note is the detection of free surface topologies of cryogenic liquids (fill level, dynamics due to external acceleration, boiling at the free surface). Recommendations regarding required experimental test to increase technology readiness level conclude the sensor study and lead to the presentation of possible sensor layouts of the redesigned experiment. The need for basic (breadboard) cryogenic tests in the domain of ultrasound transducers and electrical capacitance tomography is demonstrated, since feasibility/performance data are required for furnishing dependable sensor and measurement chain setups

State regulation of retail energy prices: an anachronism in the liberalized EU energy market

The internal market for electricity and gas, which European Union (EU) Member States were to have completed by 2014, is intended to deliver real choice for all consumers and achieve competitive prices. Today’s reality is often the opposite: despite the advanced liberalization of the energy sector, and formal market opening in line with the EU energy acquis, several Member States continue to regulate retail energy prices. In the short term, price regulation is not necessarily bad for customers. Retail prices are regulated below ‘real’ costs so that customers benefit from artificially low prices. However, in the long term, price regulation dissuades customers from seeking better deals, and acts as a barrier preventing energy suppliers from entering the market. From a legal point of view, regulated energy prices also give rise to concerns. This article will show that State interference runs counter to the liberalization objective of the EU rules on the internal energy market and may, in particular cases, also involve State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU. It will be shown that these EU rules proceed from price-setting on a free market and competitive basis, while State intervention is allowed only in exceptional and specifically justified circumstances. Other EU legal provisions address competition in the sector too, such as collusion, abuse of dominance and merger control: our focus here is to show that other instruments under the broad umbrella of competition law are also crucial in developing and protecting the competitive process. The European Commission is therefore right in insisting on phase-out timetables for regulated energy prices and continuing to promote market-based price formation

RF Characteristics of Vacuum Chambers with Arbitrary Cross Section and Material Distribution

For accelerator vacuum chambers especially in cooling rings the rf characteristic is of high importance. Within a certain rf frequency range for example a certain wave attenuation is required to decouple cooling antennas and kickers from each other. A general purpose 2d-wave analysis program is presented which can calculate wave propagation characteristics in arbitrary shaped chambers. The inside of the chamber may have an arbitrary distribution of permittive and/or permeable material. Losses are treated by solving Maxwell's equations with truly complex vectors

CryoSense: Redesign using alternative measurement methods

This Technical Note contains the design of a cryogenic benchmark experiment, introducing alternate measurement methods such as ultrasound tomography or electric capacitance tomography. The benchmark experiment is a redesign of baseline experiment 1 presented in Technical Note 1 of the activity, with state-of-the-art "conventional" sensor technologies now replaced by alternative measurement methods. In a comprehensive study different technologies are first described, then evaluated in terms of application potential and specifically adapted TRL scale. This includes: Ultrasound Tomography, Electrical Resistance Tomography, Electrical Capacitance Tomography, Optical Tomography, Time of Flight Cameras, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Tomography, Wire-Mesh Sensors, Computed X-Ray Tomography and Neutron Absorption. The intended application in this Note is the detection of gas bubbles within cryogenic liquids. After assessment of parasitic heating, microgravity compatibility and cryogenic compatibility, trade-offs are performed between sensors of the same type. Recommendations regarding and increase in technology readiness level conclude the sensor study and lead to the presentation of the sensor layouts of the redesigned experiment. Finally, the sensor study recommendations are translated into an overview test matrix as a suggestion for a step-wise sensor validation