Applied Physics Letters

Gallium nitride has wear resistance that approaches that of diamond

By April Gocha / November 15, 2016

Researchers at Lehigh University report that in addition to gallium nitride’s checklist of other useful properties, the material has a wear rate that approaches that of diamonds—which could open the material’s foray into even more diverse applications.

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Solar energy news roundup: Solar cells go ‘green,’ ultrathin, and power 24/7

By Stephanie Liverani / June 21, 2016

It’s officially summer—and that means more sun-filled days ahead. So it’s only fitting that we round up the latest solar energy research news. This week, solar cells get ‘greener’ and thinner, and a solar power plant in Nevada keeps the energy going 24/7.

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Distorted reality: Revolving electron microscopy divulges material’s innermost atomic secrets

By April Gocha / February 17, 2015

Researchers at North Carolina State University have pioneered a new imaging method that is allowing them to peer inside a material’s atomic organization to precisely map the location of distortions, a unique perspective that is allowing them to see how those distortions affect the material’s properties.

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Video: Will ‘stained glass’ solar cells light the future?

By April Gocha / March 7, 2014

University of Michigan scientists have given solar cells a makeover–their semi-transparent cells can be printed with designs and colors, opening up new surfaces for solar cells.

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Other materials science stories that may be of interest

By / July 3, 2012

Georgia Tech researchers pose with a computer model of graphene oxide’s structure and the chemical species that become part of it. Shown are (l-r, first row) Elisa Riedo and Suenne…

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By / March 20, 2012

Check ’em out: Ultrafast large-amplitude relocation of electronic charge in ionic crystals (pdf) (PNAS, Early Edition) We have demonstrated an ultrafast relocation of charge that is induced by electronic excitation…

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