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Category: energy

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have proved to be a promising platform for studying exotic quasiparticles, such as excitons. Excitons are bound states that emerge when an electron in a material absorbs energy and rises to a higher energy level, leaving a hole (i.e., the absence of an electron) at the site that it used to occupy.

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University and other institutes recently observed two distinct exciton states in bilayer molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂) with a 2H-stacked configuration, which involves the alignment of two monolayers with a characteristic rotational symmetry. Their paper, published in Physical Review Letters, reports the observation of one of these states known as quadrupolar excitons in 2H-MoSe₂

“Our work was inspired by the ongoing effort to explore and control excitonic phenomena in atomically thin semiconductor materials, which are rich platforms for studying ,” Mauro Brotons-Gisbert, senior author of the paper, told Phys.org. “In particular, bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) like MoSe₂ naturally host interlayer excitons with a dipolar character— of electrons and holes residing in adjacent layers.”

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Millions of years of evolution have enabled some marine animals to grow complex protective shells composed of multiple layers that work together to dissipate physical stress. In a new study, engineers have found a way to mimic the behavior of this type of layered material, such as seashell nacre, by programming individual layers of synthetic material to work collaboratively under stress. The new material design is poised to enhance energy-absorbing systems such as wearable bandages and car bumpers with multistage responses that adapt to collision severity.

Many past studies have focused on reverse engineering to replicate the behavior of natural materials like bone, feathers and wood to reproduce their nonlinear responses to mechanical stress. A new study, led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign civil and environmental engineering professor Shelly Zhang and professor Ole Sigmund of the Technical University of Denmark, looked beyond reverse engineering to develop a framework for programmable multilayered materials capable of responding to local disturbances through microscale interconnections.

The study findings are published in the journal Science Advances.

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An international team of scientists have unlocked a key piece of Earth’s evolutionary puzzle by decoding the structure of a light-harvesting “nanodevice” in one of the planet’s most ancient lineages of cyanobacteria.

The discovery, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides an unprecedented glimpse into how harnessed sunlight to produce oxygen—a process that transformed our planet forever.

The team, including Dr. Tanai Cardona from Queen Mary University of London, focused on Photosystem I (PSI), a molecular complex that converts light into , purified from Anthocerotibacter panamensis —a recently discovered species representing a lineage that diverged from all other cyanobacteria roughly 3 billion years ago.

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In recent research published in Optics & Laser Technology and Infrared Physics & Technology, a research team led by Prof. Cheng Tingqing at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has introduced a novel low-thermal-effect gradient-doped crystal to tame thermal effects and improve the brightness of high-power end-pumped Nd: YAG lasers.

Traditional end-pumped solid-state lasers rely on uniformly doped crystals, which develop significant temperature gradients and thermal stresses under high pump power due to the axial absorption decay of pump power. These effects not only limit maximum pump power, but also degrade beam quality and conversion efficiency.

In this study, the researchers devised a numerical model for crystals whose neodymium concentration gradually increases along the rod, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing the concentration distribution and growth of novel gradient-doped crystals.

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Most sunlight received by photovoltaic panels is converted to and lost as heat, increasing their temperature and deteriorating their performance. Here, the authors propose a multi-energy generation photovoltaic leaf concept with biomimetic transpiration and demonstrate much improved performance.

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TAE’s “Norm” development, for instance, may “[chart] a path for streamlined devices that directly addresses the commercially critical metrics of cost, efficiency, and reliability,” theorized Michl Binderbauer, CEO of TAE Technologies.

“This milestone significantly accelerates TAE’s path to commercial hydrogen-boron fusion that will deliver a safe, clean, and virtually limitless energy source for generations to come,” Binderbauer added.

“Norm” is set to precede TAE’s next reactor prototype, “Copernicus,” which TAE engineers anticipate will demonstrate fusion as a viable energy source before 2030.

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Ava Community Energy just rolled out a new program in California that pays EV and plug-in hybrid drivers for charging their cars when electricity on the grid is cleaner and cheaper.

The new Ava SmartHome Charging program, launched in partnership with home energy analytics platform Optiwatt, offers up to $100 in incentives in the first year. And because the program helps shift home charging to lower-cost hours, Ava says drivers could save around $140 a year on their energy bills.

EV and PHEV owners who are Ava customers can download the Optiwatt app for free, connect their vehicle, and let the app handle the rest. The app uses an algorithm to automatically schedule charging when demand is low and more renewable energy is available, typically overnight or during off-peak hours.

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