A new study led by Rice University’s Qimiao Si has unveiled a new class of quantum critical metal, shedding light on the intricate interactions of electrons within quantum materials. Published in Physical Review Letters on Sept. 6, the research explores the effects of Kondo coupling and chiral spin liquids within specific lattice structures.
Humans are still learning from nature.
Researchers mimicked ancient fish scales for a 3D-printed concrete structure:
Concrete is a ubiquitous building material, but over time, it may become prone to cracking. In order to ensure the long-term durability and safety of concrete structures, it is essential to prevent or minimize cracking.
Researchers have developed a novel approach to improve the longevity of concrete by increasing its fracture resistance mechanisms.
The Princeton Engineering team used cutting-edge additive manufacturing processes and precision robotic automation to create twisted concrete components. The resulting concrete is stronger and more durable than the standard cast concrete.
The 2011 accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi plant in Japan inspired extensive research and analysis that elevated nuclear energy into a standard bearer for safety. It also inspired a number of studies at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. Scientists want to look more closely at nuclear fuel materials to better understand how they will behave at extremely high temperatures.
Researchers at Tohoku University have successfully increased the capacity, lifetime durability, and cost-effectiveness of a capacitor in their pursuit of a more power-efficient future. The research is published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
A capacitor is a device used as part of a circuit that can store and release energy, just like a battery. What makes a capacitor different from a battery is that it takes much less time to charge. For example, your cellphone battery will power your phone instantly, but charging that battery back up to 100% when it dies is far from instantaneous.
While this makes capacitors sound like the superior choice, they have some big drawbacks that need to be overcome. First, their capacity is much smaller than batteries, so they cannot store large amounts of energy at once. Second, they can be quite expensive.
Moiré superlattices, structures that arise when two layers of two-dimensional (2D) materials are overlaid with a small twist angle, have been the focus of numerous physics studies. This is because they have recently been found to host novel fascinating unobserved physical phenomena and exotic phases of matter.
A study out recently has prompted much media attention about the role of plastics in developing autism.
In particular, the study focused on exposure to a component of hard plastics—bisphenol A, or BPA—in the womb and the risk of boys developing this neurodevelopmental disorder.
Importantly, the study doesn’t show plastics containing BPA cause autism.
Metamaterials have recently garnered substantial research interest as they can be engineered to achieve materials properties not found in nature, thus presenting unique opportunities across various fields. In order to facilitate the rational design of metamaterials, computational methods have been widely employed, but not without numerous challenges yet to be addressed. This Focus highlights recent advancements, challenges, and opportunities in computational models for metamaterials design and manufacturing, as well as explores their potential promises in emerging information processors and computing technologies.
Researchers at Swansea University, in collaboration with Wuhan University of Technology, Shenzhen University, have developed a pioneering technique for producing large-scale graphene current collectors.
This breakthrough promises to significantly enhance the safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), addressing a critical challenge in energy storage technology.
Published in Nature Chemical Engineering, the study details the first successful protocol for fabricating defect-free graphene foils on a commercial scale. These foils offer extraordinary thermal conductivity—up to 1,400.8 W m–1 K–1 —nearly ten times higher than traditional copper and aluminum current collectors used in LIBs.
Researchers with the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have experimentally demonstrated that metasurfaces (two-dimensional materials structured at the nanoscale) can precisely control the optical properties of thermal radiation generated within the metasurface itself. This pioneering work, published in Nature Nanotechnology, paves the way for creating custom light sources with unprecedented capabilities, impacting a wide array of scientific and technological applications.