Stable catalysts for new energy Looking for the perfect catalyst is not only about finding the right material, but also about its orientation. Depending on the direction in which a crystal is cut and which of its atoms it thus prese …
Shining a light on nanoscale dynamics Watching metamaterials at work in real time using ultrafast electron diffraction: a research team succeeds in using ultrashort electron pulses to measure light-matter interactions in nanophotonic mate …
Sound waves power new advances in drug delivery and smart materials Sound waves have been part of science and medicine for decades, but the technologies have always relied on low frequencies. Now researchers have revealed how high frequency sound waves could revolutio …
World's smallest atom-memory unit created Faster, smaller, smarter and more energy-efficient chips for everything from consumer electronics to big data to brain-inspired computing could soon be on the way after engineers created the smallest …
Critical point for improving superconductors Developing a practical 'room temperature' superconductor is a feat science has yet to achieve. However researchers are working to move this goal closer to realization by taking a closer look …
Laser technology: New trick for infrared laser pulses For a long time, scientists have been looking for simple methods to produce infrared laser pulses. Now a new method has been presented that does not require large experimental setups; it can be easily …
Controlling fully integrated nanodiamonds Physicists have succeeded in fully integrating nanodiamonds into nanophotonic circuits and at the same time addressing several of these nanodiamonds optically. The study creates the basis for future a …
Light-controlled nanomachine controls catalysis The vision of the future of miniaturization has produced a series of synthetic molecular motors that are driven by a range of energy sources and can carry out various movements. A research group has n …
Predicting forces between oddly shaped nanoparticles Materials scientists have devised a simplified method for calculating the forces that cause nanoparticles to self-assemble. With this new model and graphical user interface, researchers will be able t …
Breaking the power and speed limit of lasers Researchers have developed a new design of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) that demonstrates record-fast temporal bandwidth.
Mystery solved: 'New Kind of Electrons' Why do certain materials emit electrons with a very specific energy? This has been a mystery for decades – scientists have now found an answer.
Machine learning innovation to develop chemical library Innovators are using machine learning models to create new options for drug discovery pipelines. Innovators have introduced chemical reactivity flowcharts to help chemists interpret reaction outcomes …
Sensor experts invent supercool mini thermometer Researchers have invented a miniature thermometer with big potential applications such as monitoring the temperature of processor chips in superconductor-based quantum computers, which must stay cold …
Quantifying quantumness: A mathematical project 'of immense beauty' Large objects behave in accordance with the classical laws of mechanics formulated by Sir Isaac Newton and small ones are governed by quantum mechanics, where an object can behave as both a wave and a …
Understanding astrophysics with laser-accelerated protons Bringing huge amounts of protons up to speed in the shortest distance in fractions of a second — that's what laser acceleration technology, greatly improved in recent years, can do. An internati …
Quantum algorithm breakthrough Physicists report the development of a quantum algorithm with the potential to study a class of many-electron quantums system using quantum computers
Looking inside the glass Scientists used electron spectroscopy to probe the coordination structures formed by the silicon atoms in aluminosilicate glass. This work may lead to innovations in the touchscreen and solar panel se …
Chemistry: How nitrogen is transferred by a catalyst Catalysts with a metal-nitrogen bond can transfer nitrogen to organic molecules. In this process short-lived molecular species are formed, whose properties critically determine the course of the react …
New family of quasiparticles in graphene-based materials After years of dedicated research a group of pioneering scientists have again revealed a phenomenon that is 'radically different from textbook physics' and this work has led to the discovery …
Advanced atomic clock makes a better dark matter detector Researchers have used a state-of-the-art atomic clock to narrow the search for elusive dark matter, an example of how continual improvements in clocks have value beyond timekeeping.
Attosecond boost for electron microscopy A team of physicists have achieved attosecond time resolution in a transmission electron microscope by combining it with a continuous-wave laser — new insights into light-matter interactions.
Thermodynamics of off-equilibrium systems Arguably, almost all truly intriguing systems are ones that are far away from equilibrium — such as stars, planetary atmospheres, and even digital circuits. But, until now, systems far from thermal e …
Connecting two classes of unconventional superconductors The understanding of unconventional superconductivity is one of the most challenging and fascinating tasks of solid-state physics. Different classes of unconventional superconductors share that superc …
Tips for making nanographene Nanographene is a material that is anticipated to radically improve solar cells, fuel cells, LEDs and more. Typically the synthesis of this material has been imprecise and difficult to control. For th …
Plasma treatments quickly kill coronavirus on surfaces Plasma could yield a significant breakthrough in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. In a new study, modeling conducted showed strains of the coronavirus on surfaces like metal, leather, and pla …
Making 3D nanosuperconductors with DNA A platform for making 3D superconducting nano-architectures with a prescribed organization could find application in quantum computing and sensing.
Electrified magnets: Researchers uncover a new way to handle data The properties of synthesized magnets can be changed and controlled by charge currents as suggested by a study and simulations conducted by physicists. The team reports on how magnets and magnetic sig …
Optimizing the design of new materials A new approach combines statistical inference, optimization theory, and computational materials physics to design new materials without large amounts of existing data.
Germanium telluride's hidden properties at the nanoscale revealed Germanium Telluride is an interesting candidate material for spintronic devices. In a comprehensive study at BESSY II, a research group has now revealed how the spin texture switches by ferroelectric …
A new candidate material for quantum spin liquids Using a unique material, scientists have been able to design and study an unusual state of matter, the Quantum Spin Liquid. The work has significant implications for future technologies, from quantum …
Building a quantum network one node at a time Researchers create 'optically active spin arrays' within a device that could serve as a node for exchanging photons with distant locations.
New technique extends next-generation lithium metal batteries Engineering researchers have found that alkali metal additives, such as potassium ions, can prevent lithium microstructure proliferation during battery use. They used a combination of microscopy, nucl …
Luminescent wood could light up homes of the future The right indoor lighting can help set the mood, from a soft romantic glow to bright, stimulating colors. But some materials used for lighting, such as plastics, are not eco-friendly. Now, researchers …
The importance of good neighbors in catalysis Are you affected by your neighbors? So are nanoparticles in catalysts. New research reveals how the nearest neighbors determine how well nanoparticles work in a catalyst.
Rotation of a molecule as an 'internal clock' Using a new method, physicists have investigated the ultrafast fragmentation of hydrogen molecules in intense laser fields in detail. They used the rotation of the molecule triggered by a laser pulse …
A world record in detecting extremely low levels of gas impurities Photoacoustic spectroscopy applied to background-free analyses was used to measure unprecedentedly small trace gas concentrations. Researchers developed detection methods that make it possible to meas …
Neutrons make structural changes in molecular brushes visible They look like microscopic bottle brushes: Polymers with a backbone and tufts of side arms. This molecular design gives them unusual abilities: For example, they can bind active agents and release the …