Blog
- Combining Twistronics with Spintronics Could Be the Next Giant Leap in Quantum Electronics 29/06/2023 Twistronics isn't a new dance move, exercise equipment, or new music fad. No, it's much cooler than any of that. It is an exciting new development in quantum physics and material science where van der Waals materials are stacked on top of each other in layers, like sheets of paper in a ream that can easily twist and rotate while remaining flat, and quantum physicists have used these stacks to discover intriguing quantum phenomena.
- New low-temperature synthesis method for high-quality tellurium nanomesh for next-gen electronics 27/06/2023 A collaborative team led by researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently invented an innovative method for synthesizing high-quality, semiconducting nanomesh at a lower temperature and production cost than conventional methods. The findings will help enable the large-scale production of nanomesh for next-generation electronics.
- Exploring gravity's effect on quantum spins 22/06/2023 A joint research group led by Prof. Sheng Dong and Prof. Lu Zhengtian from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), investigated the coupling effect between neutron spin and gravitational force via employing a high-precision xenon isotope magnetometer. This work was published in Physical Review Letters.
- Designing spin and orbital sources of Berry curvature at oxide interfaces 20/06/2023 Quantum materials can display physical phenomena rooted in the geometry of electronic wavefunctions. The corresponding geometric tensor is characterized by an emergent field known as the Berry curvature (BC). Large BCs typically arise when electronic states with different spin, orbital or sublattice quantum numbers hybridize at finite crystal momentum. In all the materials known to date, the BC is triggered by the hybridization of a single type of quantum number. Here we report the discovery of the first material system having both spin- and orbital-sourced BC: LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces grown along the [111] direction. We independently detect these two sources and probe the BC associated to the spin quantum number through the measurements of an anomalous planar Hall effect. The observation of a nonlinear Hall effect with time-reversal symmetry signals large orbital-mediated BC dipoles. The coexistence of different forms of BC enables the combination of spintronic and optoelectronic functionalities in a single material.
- The Sun rises on perovskites 15/06/2023 With the first solar cells scheduled for commercial sale this year, Tim Wogan looks at the long, hard road to producing stable perovskite photovoltaics
- New model found for microsphere-enhanced interferometry 13/06/2023 Optical measurement techniques collecting light intensity in the far-field such as conventional and confocal microscopy or coherence scanning interferometry (CSI) enable fast and contactless inspection of several types of specimens. Nonetheless, optical measurement instruments suffer from diffraction effects leading to a fundamental lateral resolution limitation given by the minimum resolvable period length of Abbe-limit and the objective lens's numerical aperture (NA).
- Two-beam ultrafast laser scribing of ultrafine graphene patterns 08/06/2023 The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014 was awarded for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy. Inspired by this work, scientists at Institute of Photonic Chips (IPC), University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST) have developed an innovative laser scribing pathway for the fabrication of ultrafine graphene patterns.
- Non-contact microsphere ultrafast laser nanopatterning technology 06/06/2023 In recent decades, the development of nano-fabrication technology is driven by the need to increase the density of components and performance, which requires high accuracy in material processing and the capability of manufacturing in an atmospheric environment. Compared to other advanced processing methods, ultrafast laser processing has been recognized as one of the most extensively used tools for micro/nano-structuring.
- Danish physicists make breakthrough quantum discovery 01/06/2023 In a new breakthrough, researchers at the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with Ruhr University Bochum, have solved a problem that has caused quantum researchers headaches for years. The researchers can now control two quantum light sources rather than one. Trivial as it may seem to those uninitiated in quantum, this colossal breakthrough allows researchers to create a phenomenon known as quantum mechanical entanglement. This in turn, opens new doors for companies and others to exploit the technology commercially.
- Team successfully demonstrates laser-induced monolayer graphene nanoprocessing 30/05/2023 Discovered in 2004, graphene has revolutionized various scientific fields. It possesses remarkable properties like high electron mobility, mechanical strength, and thermal conductivity. Extensive time and effort has been invested in exploring its potential as a next-generation semiconductor material, leading to the development of graphene-based transistors, transparent electrodes, and sensors.
- Ladder-like polymer that could halt electrical overheating divides opinion 25/05/2023 Questions raised over reported structure and whether the polymer can even perform as researchers hope