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Concentration‑controlled doping turns a p‑type polymer into its n‑type counterpart

A South Korean research team has discovered a molecular-level mechanism to switch the charge polarity of organic polymer semiconductors by adjusting the concentration of a single dopant. This enables polymers to exhibit both p-type and n-type characteristics, eliminating the need for separate materials or complex device architectures.

Luminous magnets

Researchers visualized new quantum phenomenon: luminous excitons appearing on surface of antiferromagnetic semiconductor CrSBr. Excitons are created when photons strike the material, absorbing light and storing energy.

SourceTechnische Universität Dresden·JournalNature Materials·TypeObservational study·DateMay 19, 2025

Magnetic semiconductor preserves 2D quantum properties in 3D material

Researchers developed a novel approach to maintain quantum characteristics in three-dimensional materials by exploiting the magnetic properties of chromium sulfide bromide. This method enables the preservation of excitons' unique optical properties and their ability to carry energy without charge, making it suitable for advanced optica...

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 19, 2025

Manipulating interlayer magnetic coupling for future spintronics

The study observes electric gate-controlled exchange-bias effect in van der Waals heterostructures, enabling scalable energy-efficient spin-orbit logic. The team successfully tunes the blocking temperature of the EB effect via an electric gate, allowing for the EB field to be turned 'ON' and 'OFF'.

Making a ‘sandwich’ out of magnets and topological insulators, potential for lossless electronics

Researchers create a quantum anomalous Hall insulator by stacking a ferromagnetic material between two 2D topological insulators, enabling room-temperature lossless transport. The new architecture could lead to ultra-low energy future electronics or topological photovoltaics.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies·JournalAdvanced Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2022

Having your cake and eating it too: double-dosing induces magnetism while strengthening topological insulator

A University of Wollongong team has combined two doping elements to achieve new efficiencies in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. The resulting crystals show clear ferromagnetic ordering, a large band gap, high electronic mobility, and the opening of a surface state gap.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies·JournalPhysical Review B·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 12, 2021

Best of both worlds

Ferromagnetic semiconductors have overcome a longstanding physical constraint by growing iron-doped semiconductors at room temperature. This breakthrough enables new opportunities for utilizing spin degrees of freedom in semiconductor devices, such as spin transistors.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateMay 9, 2016