[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Experiments with twisted 2D materials catch electrons behaving collectively
Researchers led by the University of Washington report that carefully constructed stacks of graphene can exhibit highly correlated electron properties. They also found evidence this type of collective behavior likely relates to the emergence of exotic magnetic states.
Stacking and twisting graphene unlocks a rare form of magnetism
Researchers at Columbia University and the University of Washington discovered that a variety of exotic electronic states, including a rare form of magnetism, can arise in a three-layer graphene structure.
Intelligent nanomaterials for photonics
Researchers led by Friedrich Schiller University Jena developed a process based on chemical vapor deposition for growing 2D materials directly on optical fibers. A temperature of over 700 degrees Celsius is necessary for the 2D material growth.
Graphene detector reveals polarization of THz light
Physicists created a broadband detector of terahertz radiation based on graphene. The new detector, which relies on the interference of plasma waves, allowed the researchers to observe helicity- and phase-sensitive conversion of circularly polarized radiation into dc photovoltage caused by the plasmon-interference mechanism.
Graphene microbubbles make perfect lenses
Researchers from Swinburne University of Technology, National University of Singapore, Rutgers University, University of Melbourne, and Monash University developed a method to generate precisely controlled graphene microbubbles on a glass surface using laser pulses.
Graphene enables ultrasensitive microwave detectors
Two research teams—one based at Aalto University and the VTT Technical Research Center in Finland, and one a multinational group comprising institutions in the United States, Korea, Spain and Japan—reported designs for chip-scale microwave detectors that bulldoze through the speed and sensitivity limits of previous similar devices.
ENERGY
New solar panel design improves light absorption
Researchers led by University of York and NOVA University Lisbon investigated how different surface designs impact sunlight absorption in solar cells. They found the checkerboard design improved diffraction, which enhanced the probability of light being absorbed.
Additive allows all-perovskite tandems to hit 24.2% efficiency
Researchers led by Nanjing University discovered that fluorosilicic acid, a chemical commonly used for bleaching in the textile industry, can also serve as a performance-boosting additive to mixed lead/tin perovskite thin films.
BIOMATERIALS
Bioceramic implant induces cranial regrowth
Researchers led by University of Gothenburg showed a bioceramic implant can stimulate regeneration of natural skull bone, so that even large cranial defects can be repaired, without growth factors or stem cells being added.
OTHER STORIES
Python for Glass Genomics (PyGGi) Version 1.1 released
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi released a revamped version of their Python for Glass Genomics package. This package now houses three new apps: PyGGi Bank (a massive repository for glass data with more than 250,000 compositions), PyGGi Seer (a machine-learning based property prediction tool), and PyGGi Zen (a meta-heuristic optimization package for accelerated glass design).
Diamonds are a quantum scientist’s best friend
University of the Witwatersrand researchers detail the phenomenon of what is called “triplet superconductivity” in diamonds. Triplet superconductivity occurs when electrons move in a composite spin state rather than as a single pair.
Geologists solve puzzle that could predict valuable rare earth element deposits
A team of geologists led by University of Exeter conducted a series of experiments that showed sodium and potassium—rather than chlorine or fluorine as previously thought—were the key ingredients for making the rare earth elements neodymium and dysprosium soluble.
Revealing the reason behind jet formation at the tip of laser optical fiber
Researchers from Russia and Japan used a numerical simulation to explore why an optical fiber discharges a high-temp, high-speed jet when immersed in liquid. They determined it is because the vapor bubble at the fiber’s tip shrinks, causing a flow that deforms the bubble and induces flow collision in a radial direction.