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Category: materials – Page 5

Researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) at Osaka University have discovered that temperature-controlled conductive networks in vanadium dioxide significantly improve the sensitivity of silicon devices to terahertz.

Terahertz radiation refers to the electromagnetic waves that occupy the frequency range between microwaves and infrared light, typically from about 0.1 to 10 terahertz (THz). This region of the electromagnetic spectrum is notable for its potential applications across a wide variety of fields, including imaging, telecommunications, and spectroscopy. Terahertz waves can penetrate non-conducting materials such as clothing, paper, and wood, making them particularly useful for security screening and non-destructive testing. In spectroscopy, they can be used to study the molecular composition of substances, as many molecules exhibit unique absorption signatures in the terahertz range.

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Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a groundbreaking method to transform graphite into materials with electronic memory capabilities.

By manipulating atomic layers, they could revolutionize computing and electronic devices, potentially surpassing the value of diamonds and gold.

Transforming elements: from alchemy to advanced materials.

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The phase and the group velocity of light propagating in conventional optical media cannot exceed the speed of light in vacuum. However, in so-called epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials, light exhibits an infinite phase velocity and a vanishing group velocity for a particular color (frequency).

So far, such properties have only been observed in very few solids and nano-engineered materials. A new study by researchers from the Max Born Institute in Berlin and Tulane University in New Orleans opens a completely new avenue by transiently turning ordinary liquids, such as water and alcohols, into ENZ materials at terahertz (THz) frequencies through the interaction with intense femtosecond laser pulses.

Ionization of a polar molecular liquid with generates , which localize or “solvate” on a femtosecond time scale and eventually occupy voids in the network of molecules, a disordered array of electric dipoles. The binding energy of the electron in its final location is mainly determined by electric forces between the electron and the molecular dipoles of the liquid.

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A research team has developed a revolutionary two-dimensional polyaniline (2DPANI) crystal that overcomes major conductivity limitations in polymers. Its unique multilayered structure allows metallic charge transport, setting the stage for new applications in electronics and materials science.

An international team of researchers has successfully created a multilayered two-dimensional polyaniline (2DPANI) crystal, demonstrating exceptional conductivity and a unique ability to transport charge in a metallic-like manner. Their findings were published on February 5 in Nature.

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Superconducting materials are similar to the carpool lane in a congested interstate. Like commuters who ride together, electrons that pair up can bypass the regular traffic, moving through the material with zero friction.

But just as with carpools, how easily can flow depends on a number of conditions, including the density of pairs that are moving through the material. This “superfluid stiffness,” or the ease with which a current of electron pairs can flow, is a key measure of a material’s superconductivity.

Physicists at MIT and Harvard University have now directly measured superfluid stiffness for the first time in “magic-angle” graphene—materials that are made from two or more atomically thin sheets of graphene twisted with respect to each other at just the right angle to enable a host of exceptional properties, including unconventional superconductivity.

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Researchers have discovered a method to induce chirality in non-chiral materials using terahertz.

Terahertz radiation refers to the electromagnetic waves that occupy the frequency range between microwaves and infrared light, typically from about 0.1 to 10 terahertz (THz). This region of the electromagnetic spectrum is notable for its potential applications across a wide variety of fields, including imaging, telecommunications, and spectroscopy. Terahertz waves can penetrate non-conducting materials such as clothing, paper, and wood, making them particularly useful for security screening and non-destructive testing. In spectroscopy, they can be used to study the molecular composition of substances, as many molecules exhibit unique absorption signatures in the terahertz range.

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Researchers introduce an innovative device that combines light emission and color control with clay compounds, offering a versatile solution for multifunctional displays.

The field of display technology is on the verge of a major breakthrough, driven by the growing interest in electrochemical stimuli-responsive materials. These materials can undergo rapid electrochemical reactions in response to external stimuli, such as low voltage.

A key advantage of these reactions is their ability to produce different colors almost instantly, paving the way for next-generation display solutions. An electrochemical system consists of electrodes and electrolytes, and researchers have found that integrating luminescent and coloration molecules directly onto the electrodes—rather than within the electrolyte—can significantly enhance efficiency and stability in display devices.

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Researchers have discovered clear chemical traces of decaying collagen in a duck-billed dinosaur fossil, upending previously held notions that any organic material found within such ancient fossils must be from some source of contamination.

“This research shows beyond doubt that organic biomolecules, such as proteins like collagen, appear to be present in some fossils,” says University of Liverpool materials scientist Steve Taylor.

“Our results have far-reaching implications. Firstly, it refutes the hypothesis that any organics found in fossils must result from contamination.”

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This new theoretical framework based on simulations allowed scientists to predict and design materials that exhibit almost no change in size with temperature.

With this new understanding, the team set out to create an even better material. And they succeeded.

Researchers developed a new alloy, the pyrochlore magnet, which exhibits even less thermal expansion than Invar.

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