Blog
- New evidence for electron's dual nature found in a quantum spin liquid 01/06/2021 New experiments provide evidence for a decades-old theory that, in the quantum regime, an electron behaves as if it is made of two particles: one particle that carries its negative charge and the other that gives it a magnet-like property called spin. The team detected evidence for this theory in materials called quantum spin liquids.
- Hanging by a thread: Imaging and probing chains of single atoms 27/05/2021 Low-dimensional materials, such as 1D monoatomic chains, exhibit exotic properties that could find interesting applications. However, single-atom bonds and their mechanical characteristics are difficult to study. In a recent study, scientists from JAIST, Japan, showcase a novel method to simultaneously image monoatomic platinum chains with a transmission electron microscope while measuring their bond strength and conductance during mechanical stretching. This technique will help answer many questions in the fields of nanomechanics and surface science.
- Researchers see atoms at record resolution 25/05/2021 In 2018, Cornell researchers built a high-powered detector that, in combination with an algorithm-driven process called ptychography, set a world record by tripling the resolution of a state-of-the-art electron microscope.
- Can room-temperature superconductors work without extreme pressure? 20/05/2021 Physicists aim to make practical materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance
- Electromagnetic levitation whips nanomaterials into shape 18/05/2021 To deliver reliable mechanical and electric properties, nanomaterials must have consistent, predictable shapes and surfaces, as well as scalable production techniques. Engineers are solving this problem by vaporizing metals within a magnetic field to direct the reassembly of metal atoms into predictable shapes.
- Plasmon-assisted click reaction reverses typical relationship between temperature and reaction rate 13/05/2021 Researchers in Czechia have observed an unprecedented inverse relationship between temperature and reaction rate for a plasmon-assisted azide–alkyne cycloaddition, achieving a ten-fold increase in efficiency when they cooled the reaction from room temperature to −35°C.
- Muon magnetism could hint at a breakdown of physics’ standard model 11/05/2021 A highly anticipated measurement strengthens the case that muons behave unexpectedly
- Researchers use a nanoscale synthetic antiferromagnet to toggle nonlinear spin dynamics 06/05/2021 Researchers have used a nanoscale synthetic antiferromagnet to control the interaction between magnons -- research that could lead to faster and more energy-efficient computers.
- New 2D superconductor forms at higher temperatures 04/05/2021 Researchers have discovered a new way to generate 2D superconductivity at an interface of an insulating oxide material, at high transition temperatures.
- Using a new kind of electron microscopy to measure weak van der Waals interactions 29/04/2021 A team of researchers from China, the Netherland and Saudi Arabia has used a new kind of electron microscopy to measure weak van der Waals interactions. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes creating what they describe as a molecular compass to measure weak van der Waals interactions using a new type of electron microscopy developed in the Netherlands.
- Identification of the wettability of graphene layers at the molecular level 27/04/2021 Graphene is a two-dimensional material in which carbon atoms are arranged in hexagonal structures, and it has unique physical and chemical properties such as sub-nanometer thickness, chemical stability, mechanical flexibility, electrical and thermal conductivity, optical transparency, and selective permeability to water. Due to these properties, various applications of graphene in transparent electrodes, desalination, electrical energy storage, and catalysts have been vigorously studied.