Blog
- All-metal fullerene cluster made for first time 30/11/2023 A fullerene-like molecule composed entirely of metal atoms has been made by researchers in China. As the molecule is highly unstable, it remains uncertain whether it will find direct applications, but its existence could provide new insights into the bonding between metal atoms.
- Limits for quantum computers: Perfect clocks are impossible, research finds 28/11/2023 There are different ideas about how quantum computers could be built. But they all have one thing in common: you use a quantum physical system—for example, individual atoms—and change their state by exposing them to very specific forces for a specific time. However, this means that in order to be able to rely on the quantum computing operation delivering the correct result, you need a clock that is as precise as possible.
- Deep learning model can detect a previously unknown quasicrystalline phase 23/11/2023 Crystalline materials are made up of atoms, ions, or molecules arranged in an ordered, three-dimensional structure. They are widely used for the development of semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, photovoltaics, and catalysts.
- Why superconductor research is in a ‘golden age’ — despite controversy 21/11/2023 Last week’s retraction dealt a blow to the search for room-temperature superconductivity, but physicists are optimistic about the field’s future.
- quantum mechanics: Unlocking the secrets of spin with high-harmonic probes 16/11/2023 Deep within every piece of magnetic material, electrons dance to the invisible tune of quantum mechanics. Their spins, akin to tiny atomic tops, dictate the magnetic behavior of the material they inhabit. This microscopic ballet is the cornerstone of magnetic phenomena, and it's these spins that a team of researchers has learned to control with remarkable precision, potentially redefining the future of electronics and data storage.
- Researchers achieve chemically controlled, reversible magnetic phase transition 14/11/2023 A research team led by Associate Prof. Li Xingxing and Prof. Yang Jinlong from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a groundbreaking chemical method for two-dimensional metal-organic lattices.
- Making contact: Researchers wire up individual graphene nanoribbons 19/10/2023 Researchers have developed a method of 'wiring up' graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), a class of one-dimensional materials that are of interest in the scaling of microelectronic devices. Using a direct-write scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) based process, the nanometer-scale metal contacts were fabricated on individual GNRs and could control the electronic character of the GNRs. The researchers say that this is the first demonstration of making metal contacts to specific GNRs with certainty and that those contacts induce device functionality needed for transistor function.
- A graphene addition for enhancing the critical current density of Bi-2223 superconductors 17/10/2023 Superconductors are materials that offer zero electric resistance to the flow of current on being cooled down below a certain critical temperature. Typically, superconductors have a very low critical temperature, close to absolute zero. However, a class of superconductors, known as high-temperature superconductors (HTS) have a critical temperature above 77 Kelvin, the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. They have been extensively used for the development of superconducting devices in many industries.
- Amazing New Material Contains an Extremely Rare Kind of Gold 12/10/2023 Thanks in part to the atom's size, a charged variation of gold called Au2+ isn't commonly found in nature.
- Ribbons of Graphene Push the Material’s Potential 10/10/2023 A new technique developed at Columbia offers a systematic evaluation of twist angle and strain in layered 2D materials.
- One-atom-thick ribbons could improve batteries, solar cells and sensors 05/10/2023 Researchers at UCL have created one-atom-thick ribbons made of phosphorus alloyed with arsenic that could dramatically improve the efficiency of devices such as batteries, supercapacitors and solar cells.