The main characteristic of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) is that the pulsed or unpulsed DC or AC current directly passes through the graphite die as well as the powder compact, in case of conductive samples.

Biosensors integrated into smartphones, smart watches, and other gadgets are about to become a reality. In a paper featured on the cover of the January issue of Sensors (“Vertically Coupled Plasmonic Racetrack Ring Resonator for Biosensor Applications”), researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology describe a way to increase the sensitivity of biological detectors to the point where they can be used in mobile and wearable devices. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation.