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December 4, 2020
An ultrafast X-ray pulse (magenta) excites a burst of activity (green) at the oxygen site (red) of a nitric oxide molecule. The green arrows represent the excitation and motion of electrons within the molecule.
A Swift Kick to Initiate Electronic Motion in Molecules
Observation of impulsive stimulated X-ray Raman scattering with attosecond soft X-ray pulses.
December 4, 2020
Two techniques—co-localized electron back scattered diffraction imaging (left) and ultrafast optical microscopy (center and right)—help determine how local structural defects affect fast electron movement within a single microscopic crystal.
Defects Slow the Electron’s Dance
Advanced techniques reveal how defects in nanoscale crystals affect how solar photovoltaics perform.
November 30, 2020
A terahertz laser pulse (purple) interacts with an electron beam (red) inside a special copper structure to “chirp” the electrons’ energies, causing the tail of the beam to catch up with the head as it drifts toward the target material (blue dots).
Laser-Driven “Chirp” Powers High-Resolution Materials Imaging
Harnessing the intensity of a terahertz laser pulse brings the resolution of electron scattering closer to the scale of electron and proton motion.
November 30, 2020
Layers of zinc and oxygen atoms (in yellow and blue) are deposited onto the surfaces of nanowires of molybdenum disulfide (in purple). These atoms grow into arrays of semiconductor crystals at sites of defects on the surfaces.
Decorating Semiconductors at the Atomic Scale
Crystals grown from layers of atoms arrange themselves on semiconductor surfaces to add new capabilities.
November 30, 2020
Substituting heavier deuterium (red) for hydrogen in methylammonium (blue-orange-red) slows its swaying so it can interact with vibrations that remove heat, keeping charge carriers hot longer.
Some Like It Hot: Boosting Efficiency in Solar Cells
Neutron scattering and isotopic substitution techniques reveal how to block vibrations that could leak heat from a photovoltaic cell.
November 3, 2020
Top: oscillating moments in a spin chain, forming a magnon. Bottom: neutron scattering data (left) and corresponding theoretical models (right) in sodium manganese oxide corresponding to one-, two-, and three-magnon bound states.
Scientists Discover a New Magnetic Quasiparticle
Neutron scattering reveals a new way for magnetic oscillations to stick together.
November 3, 2020
(a,b) Illustrations of two types of atomic vibration patterns termed H1 and K5 modes in hexagonal iron sulfide (h-FeS). Iron (Fe) and sulfur (S) atoms are depicted as brown and yellow, respectively. Red arrows denote the destabilized atomic displacements.
Material Found in Meteorites Portends New Possibilities for Spintronic Computing
Neutron and X-ray experiments illuminate the magnetic transitions in hexagonal iron sulfide that transform it from a conductor to an insulator.
October 23, 2020
Fluid vortices induced by a swarm of synchronized spinning particles in a liquid-like state. The activity of spinning self-assembled particles produces flows that cause neighboring spinning particles to self-organize into lattice-like structures.
Building Materials from Spinning Particles
Swarms of synchronized active spinning particles exhibit complex collective behavior, ranging from liquid-like states to dynamic crystals.
August 21, 2020
Comparison of atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterization of the surfaces of the bullseye lenses made using the conventional focused ion beam sculpting method (left) and the new electron beam lithography method (right).
Next-Generation Electron Source Hits the Bullseye for Materials Studies
New lens could generate an ion beam that is both small and fast.
August 14, 2020
Optical laser pulses excite electrons in gold nanoparticles (AuNP) attached to a titanium dioxide (TiO2) substrate. Short X-ray pulses count the electrons injected from the nanoparticles into the substrate and monitor their return to the nanoparticles.
Watching Electrons Harvest Light at the Nanoscale
Insight into charge generation induced by light could enable the design of better photocatalysts made from nanomaterials.
August 11, 2020
At center, simulation of ring polymers being stretched in one direction (left). A fraction of ring polymers always forms highly elongated, knotted daisy chains (right), increasing the fluid’s resistance to flow. See how it works in this animation.
Elongated Ring Polymers Get Tied Up in Knots
Controlling the knotting of molecular chains offers new ties from polymer fluids to industrial applications.
July 31, 2020
Machine-learning enabled characterization of a 3D microstructure. This snapshot is from a 2-million molecule simulation of polycrystalline ice. The image shows ice grains and their boundaries.
Machine Learning Probes 3D Microstructures
Machine learning-based algorithm characterizes materials’ microstructure in 3D and real time.
July 17, 2020
Researchers demonstrated the first example of a lipid-based “memcapacitor,” an energy storage device with memory that advances brain-like, synaptic information processing in neuromorphic computing.
Oil and Water Almost Mix in Novel Neuromorphic Computing Components
Lipid-based devices mimic brain-like processing.
July 17, 2020
New deep learning models predict the interactions between atoms in organic molecules. These models could help computational biologists and drug development researchers understand and treat disease.
Machine Learning Speeds Molecular Motion Modeling
New approach yields fast, accurate model of how small organic molecules move in chemical processes.
July 15, 2020
Schematic showing filtration of aerosol particles using a combination of mechanical and electrostatic filtration from a combination of fabrics.
Facemask Fabric Filtration Efficiency
Scientists assessed common household fabrics to determine the best for protection against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
July 15, 2020
Modelled illustration of copper (I) oxide (Cu<sub>2</sub>O) photocatalyst particles interacting with carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) and water (H<sub>2</sub>O) to convert CO<sub>2</sub> and water into liquid methanol (CH3OH).
Catalysis Sees the Light
Studies pinpoint the active site of a catalyst that converts sunlight to liquid fuels.
July 13, 2020
By “freezing out” the rotation, vibration, and motion of potassium-rubidium molecules to a temperature of 500 nanokelvin, scientists “trapped” the reaction in the intermediate stage for a longer time.
Freezing Out Chemical Reactions to Have a Closer Look in the Quantum Realm
Catching a glimpse of the breaking and formation of chemical bonds in ultracold chemical reactions.
July 13, 2020
Schematic of the binding energy of electrons in a copper-oxide superconductor as measured by advanced microscopy. The size of the blue and yellow blobs surrounding each atom indicates the size of the energy gap. The red rods indicate the atoms’ spin.
Electrons Line Dance in a Superconductor
High resolution imaging and spectroscopy definitively confirms a state of matter called a “pair density wave.”
July 1, 2020
Fast acid stimulus (red) rapidly releases copper ions (Cu2 , blue) triggering swelling waves through a hydrogel (COO− groups). In contrast, a slow acid stimulus triggers traveling color waves due to rebinding of copper ions.
Integrating Variable Signals in Hydrogels
Simple soft materials couple tunable chemical signals to produce distinct energy flows.
July 1, 2020
A novel approach to designing artificial materials achieves greater control over light than conventional materials. The materials were demonstrated using holograms projected at independent wavelengths to showcase multiwavelength performance potential.
Designing Better Holograms
Nanofabrication adds complexity to optical electronic devices.
June 30, 2020
Researchers fabricated synthetic, moisture-controlling leaves that resist drying in low humidity.
Stabilizing Water Loss in Synthetic Trees
Microfabricated leaf design holds more water.
June 30, 2020
The middle layer in this image is a 3D “exceptional surface” calculated from quasiparticles called magnon polaritons. The surfaces above and below the intersection with the exceptional surface display unique behaviors.
Being Exceptional in Higher Dimensions
Study shows that the strong coupling of photons and spin waves in magnetic materials creates an “exceptional surface” for new phenomena.
June 25, 2020
An ultrafast X-ray probe scatters from a molecular sheet (grey and yellow) energized by laser light. A multi-element detector captures the scattered X-rays (purple), making a distinctive pattern that correlates with atoms’ positions and vibrations.
Intense Light Pulses Bounce on a Crystalline Bed without Rumpling the Atomic Blanket
X-ray scattering measures the positions of atoms as they vibrate in a two-dimensional cover sheet.
June 5, 2020
Researchers guided photons through a zigzag design of silicon nanodisks, demonstrating the first fully three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear topological nanostructure for light generation.
Harnessing Light for Nanotechnologies
Novel nanofabrication makes nonlinear photon play possible in 3D.
June 5, 2020
Scientists combined imaging and microscopy to study the vibrational properties of water at nanoscale. Electron microscopy of a sample between boron nitride sheets (right) distinguished between hydrogen (O-H) and deuterium (O-D) vibrational modes (left).
Good Vibrations Show How Water Works
New method enables fundamental liquid studies at nanoscale.