When plants draw water from their roots to nourish their stems and leaves, they generate an electric potential that could be harnessed as a renewable energy source. This phenomenon, stemming from the movement of ions within the plant, has the potential to revolutionize sustainable energy solutions. However, plants are governed by a circadian rhythm, a … Read more
What if a common element, rather than scarce and expensive ones, became a key component in electric car batteries? A groundbreaking collaboration, co-led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher, is aiming to ignite a green battery revolution by demonstrating that iron can replace cobalt and nickel as a cathode material in lithium-ion batteries. The … Read more
Researchers at the University of Michigan have made significant strides in the efficiency of devices that convert heat into electricity, pushing these technologies closer to practical use on the electrical grid. These developments, which include reaching near-theoretical maximum efficiencies, could revolutionize how we store and utilize renewable energy. Harnessing Heat for Energy Storage The innovation … Read more
Both literally and figuratively, light pervades the world. It banishes darkness, conveys telecommunications signals between continents and makes visible the invisible, from faraway galaxies to the smallest bacterium. Light can also help heat the plasma within ring-shaped devices known as tokamaks as scientists worldwide strive to harness the fusion process to generate green electricity. Now, … Read more
Named after an Italian theoretical physicist, Majoranas are complex quasiparticles that could be the key to building next-generation quantum computing systems. Most materials contain many electrons, each of which has a negative charge and a type of intrinsic quantum momentum known as spin. Interactions between electrons in some materials can produce emergent particles, or particles … Read more
What do infants see? What do they look at? The answers to these questions are very different for the youngest babies than they are for older infants, children and adults. Characterized by a few high-contrast edges in simple patterns, these early scenes also contain the very materials needed to build a strong foundation for human … Read more
In the realm of condensed matter physics, few phenomena captivate physicists’ curiosity as much as Mott insulators. According to traditional theory, this odd class of materials should be capable of conducting electricity, yet they behave mostly as insulators. What’s even more bizarre is that when electrons are added, the material can actually become a superconductor, … Read more
Creating heat from fusion reactions requires carefully manipulating the properties of plasma, the electrically charged fourth state of matter that makes up 99% of the visible universe. Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have finished building a new plasma measurement instrument, or diagnostic, that could aid that … Read more
An Australian-led study has found unusual insulating behavior in a new atomically-thin material—and the ability to switch it on and off. Materials that feature strong interactions between electrons can display unusual properties such as the ability to act as insulators even when they are expected to conduct electricity. These insulators, known as Mott insulators, occur … Read more
In a significant development in the field of superconductivity, researchers at The University of Manchester have successfully achieved robust superconductivity in high magnetic fields using a newly created one-dimensional (1D) system. This breakthrough offers a promising pathway to achieving superconductivity in the quantum Hall regime, a longstanding challenge in condensed matter physics. Superconductivity, the ability … Read more
Researchers from Skoltech and their colleagues have improved the properties of a carbon-based electrode material by exposing it to air plasma. Such treatment turned out to enhance electrode performance, which is the limiting factor for high-tech energy sources—particularly fuel cells. These are a promising technology for cleaner and more efficient electrical power generation. Published in the Journal of … Read more
Quantum physics requires high-precision sensing techniques to delve deeper into the microscopic properties of materials. From the analog quantum processors that have emerged recently, quantum-gas microscopes have proven to be powerful tools for understanding quantum systems at the atomic level. These devices produce images of quantum gases with very high resolution: They allow individual atoms … Read more
Autism spectrum disorder has yet to be linked to a single cause, due to the wide range of its symptoms and severity. However, a study by University of Virginia researchers suggests a promising new approach to finding answers, one that could lead to advances in the study of other neurological diseases and disorders. The work … Read more
Physicists have observed a novel quantum effect termed “hybrid topology” in a crystalline material. This finding opens up a new range of possibilities for the development of efficient materials and technologies for next-generation quantum science and engineering. The finding, published in Nature, came when Princeton scientists discovered that an elemental solid crystal made of arsenic … Read more
DGIST Professor In Su-il’s research team has developed a high-efficiency photocatalyst that utilizes sunlight to convert carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary cause of global warming, into methane (CH4) fuel. The research team expects that this environmentally friendly technology can be applied to Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technology. According to a US university research team, … Read more
Experimental and theoretical physicists from the Würzburg Institute for Topological Insulators have observed a re-entrant quantum Hall effect in a mercury telluride device and have identified it as a signature of parity anomaly. Topological insulators are materials that can conduct electricity, but only on their surface or edges. No current flows inside them. They are … Read more
In a remarkable collaboration between the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), a groundbreaking microelectronic device has emerged, heralding a new era in computing efficiency and sustainability. This innovative device, poised to revolutionize computing technologies, harnesses the power of tiny yet potent magnetic whirls known as skyrmions, … Read more
Research often unfolds as a multistage process. The solution to one question can spark several more, inspiring scientists to reach further and look at the larger problem from several different perspectives. Such projects can often be the catalyst for collaborations that leverage the expertise and capabilities of different teams and institutions as they grow. For … Read more
A research team has successfully enhanced the performance and durability of all-solid-state batteries. This breakthrough was made possible through the implementation of a novel approach known as bottom electrodeposition. Their research has been published in Small. Secondary batteries generally rely on liquid electrolytes when used in various applications, such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems. However, the … Read more
Using plasma—the stuff of outer space—University of Alberta researchers have found an effective way to decontaminate grain tainted by mold and also boost seed germination. Their study is published in the Journal of Food Engineering. By treating wheat and barley grains with atmospheric cold plasma—a relatively low-temperature version of the typically superheated matter—they were able to lower the … Read more