[Image above] Credit: ACerS
NANOMATERIALS
KAIST researchers identified how information is recorded in hafnium zirconium oxide. By linking nanoscale changes to electrical measurements, they developed a model that captures both processes, offering a basis for designing faster and more stable memory.
Optical skyrmions can control the motion of magnetic skyrmions(opens in new tab)
Researchers led by Waseda University used micromagnetic simulations to investigate how magnetic skyrmions interact with optical skyrmions, their light-based counterparts. Their findings provide a new framework for controlling magnetic skyrmions with light, potentially connecting photonics and magnetism with promising applications.
New chip redirects light beams in less than a trillionth of a second(opens in new tab)
Researchers at California Institute of Technology developed a device that uses one beam of light to redirect another in just 74 femtoseconds. The system relies on a phenomenon known as the optical Kerr effect, which is strengthened using a metasurface on a thin, amorphous silicon film.
ENERGY
Researchers extend the lifespan of anode-free batteries(opens in new tab)
KAIST researchers developed a new technology that extends the lifespan of anode-free batteries by applying secondary sputtering lithography, an ultrafine fabrication process used in semiconductor device manufacturing, to batteries.
Finland lays the groundwork for large-scale underground hydrogen storage(opens in new tab)
A new study by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Geological Survey of Finland GTK, together with companies operating in Finland’s hydrogen economy, shows underground hydrogen storage can be developed in crystalline bedrock.
BIOMATERIALS
Lasers give surgical implants nanocarbon armor(opens in new tab)
Researchers used a laser to coat polypropylene medical devices with a forest of spiky carbon nanostructures that impart antibacterial properties.
ENVIRONMENT
Satellites accurately detect methane emissions in large-scale test(opens in new tab)
Researchers conducted a yearlong test of satellite methane monitoring systems, comparing observations and estimates with hundreds of controlled releases in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. On clear days, dedicated methane sensors detected 92–100% of test plumes, repurposed instruments detected 62–88%, and general-purpose land scanners detected 29–37%.
MANUFACTURING
New imaging technique reveals concrete behavior during printing stages(opens in new tab)
Rowan University researchers developed a new way to measure how 3D-printed concrete deforms during printing and curing, revealing how lower layers respond to the weight and pressure of newly deposited material.
Iowa State University researchers developed a process to turn lignin and aqueous bio-oil, both considered low-value byproducts, into high-value carbon fiber. With support from a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, the researchers will move from laboratory batch production to commercially relevant continuous production.
New method makes acrylic glass recycling economically viable(opens in new tab)
ETH Zurich researchers developed a new energy-efficient and cost-effective method for breaking down acrylic glass into its constituent building blocks. The method relies on an inexpensive reagent belonging to a class of substances known as N-hydroxyimides. The reagent attacks the acrylic glass polymer chains, breaking them to release the monomers.
OTHER STORIES
Using electronic structure to guide AI in designing new materials(opens in new tab)
Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo extended a leading generative artificial intelligence model so that it designs the electronic structure of a material together with its crystal structure.
Giving AI a ‘crystal clear’ view of the materials world(opens in new tab)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers created a multimodal artificial intelligence model that combines 3D atomic structures with natural language descriptions to create rich linguistic descriptions about the structures from experimental research papers and first-principles computational databases.
Hybrid diamond chip strengthens interactions between light and quantum bits(opens in new tab)
University of Washington researchers developed and demonstrated a new hybrid photonic platform that integrates quantum emitters with photonic devices. The chip-based platform, which combines gallium phosphide with a diamond substrate, could help make quantum networks more practical by providing a way to connect quantum devices over long distances.
An infrared-transparent flexible glass for adaptive optics(opens in new tab)
Ningbo University researchers developed a S60Se40 chalcogenide glass with a unique chain-ring dual-network architecture. This material simultaneously yields an ultralow Young’s modulus (≈0.0037 GPa), extreme tensile strain (≈650%), high elastic recovery (≈80%), and self‑healing at room temperature, while maintaining an ultrabroad transmission from 0.62 μm to 21 μm.