A method and apparatus for resistive heating usable in composite-based additive manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes providing a prepared stack of substrate sheets, placing the stack between electrode assemblies of a compression device, applying a current to thereby heat the stack to a final temperature to liquefy applied powder, compressing the stack to a final height, cooling the stack, and removing the cooled, compressed stack from the compression device. The apparatus comprises at least two plates, a power supply for providing current, a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly.

Material and power techniques for producing solid three-dimensional materials. In one aspect, a composite material is based on a quasicrystal powder of an AlCuFe system with a nickel binder, the composite material containing a reinforcing nickel lattice. In a second aspect, the composite material is obtained by applying a nickel coating to quasicrystal powder particles of an AlCuFe system. The quasicrystal powder can be treated in plasma to form a thin (10-20 nm) nickel coating on the surface of the powder particles. The treated powder, which is a dispersed composite material, can then be pressed at room temperature under quasi-hydrostatic conditions at a pressure of more than 1.5 GPa. In some aspects, the improved characteristics of the three-dimensional materials include providing three-dimensional fully dense composite quasicrystal materials with improved mechanical properties, a decreased coefficient of friction and increased resistance to mechanical wear, and creating additional possibilities for new technological applications.

A quasicrystalline material and a semiconductor device to which the quasicrystalline material is applied are disclosed. A quasicrystalline material is based on a quasicrystalline element having one or more axis of symmetry (e.g., a 2-fold axis, a 3-fold axis, a 5-fold axis, or a higher fold axes of symmetry). The quasicrystalline material is capable of phase changes between a quasicrystalline phase and an approximant crystalline phase having a further regular atom arrangement than the quasicrystalline phase. The quasicrystalline material that may be used as a phase change material and may be applied to a phase change layer of a semiconductor device.

The present invention provides a coated steel product including: a steel product; a coating layer that is coated on the surface of the steel product and that includes from 8 to 50% by mass of Mg, from 2.5 to 70.0% by mass of Al, and from 0.30 to 5.00% by mass of Ca, with the balance consisting of Zn and impurities; and an intermediate layer interposed between the steel product and the coating layer, in which the intermediate layer has a sea-island structure constituted by a sea portion composed of an AlFe alloy phase, and island portions including a ZnMgAl alloy phase having a Mg content of 8% by mass or more, and in which the sea portion composed of the AlFe alloy phase has an area fraction of from 55 to 90%.

A method and apparatus for resistive heating usable in composite-based additive manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes providing a prepared stack of substrate sheets, placing the stack between electrode assemblies of a compression device, applying a current to thereby heat the stack to a final temperature to liquefy applied powder, compressing the stack to a final height, cooling the stack, and removing the cooled, compressed stack from the compression device. The apparatus comprises at least two plates, a power supply for providing current, a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly.

A quantum computer, quantum logic circuit, material for forming qubits, and method of operating a quantum computer is described. The material is formed from a quasicrystal or quasicrystalline approximant. In some examples, topological quantum computing is performed based on the quasicrystal or quasicrystalline approximant materials. Quasicrystals and quasicrystalline approximate materials have materials properties that can be adapted to perform quantum computing. In one example, the material is a Tsai-type quasicrystalline approximant with a material structure selected to permit qubits to be generated.

A quantum computer, quantum logic circuit, material for forming qubits, and method of operating a quantum computer is described. The material is formed from a quasicrystal or quasicrystalline approximant. In some examples, topological quantum computing is performed based on the quasicrystal or quasicrystalline approximant materials. Quasicrystals and quasicrystalline approximate materials have materials properties that can be adapted to perform quantum computing. In one example, the material is a Tsai-type quasicrystalline approximant with a material structure selected to permit qubits to be generated.

A method and apparatus for resistive heating usable in composite-based additive manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes providing a prepared stack of substrate sheets, placing the stack between electrode assemblies of a compression device, applying a current to thereby heat the stack to a final temperature to liquefy applied powder, compressing the stack to a final height, cooling the stack, and removing the cooled, compressed stack from the compression device. The apparatus comprises at least two plates, a power supply for providing current, a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly.

A thermal insulation material containing an AlCuFe-based alloy, wherein at least part of the AlCuFe-based alloy comprises a quasicrystalline phase, wherein the AlCuFe-based alloy contains one or more transition elements selected from the group of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Os, Jr, Pt, and Au, and wherein the total of the transition elements is from 0.25 to 0.75 atom % when the whole of the AlCuFe-based alloy is 100 atom %.

A thermal insulation material containing an AlCuFe-based alloy, wherein at least part of the AlCuFe-based alloy comprises a quasicrystalline phase, wherein the AlCuFe-based alloy contains one or more transition elements selected from the group of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Os, Jr, Pt, and Au, and wherein the total of the transition elements is from 0.25 to 0.75 atom % when the whole of the AlCuFe-based alloy is 100 atom %.