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Millisecond electric pulse makes titanium stronger and tougher

Researchers from Kumamoto University and partners discovered a method to enhance titanium alloys using high-density pulsed electric current, achieving improved strength and toughness. The technique harnesses an electron wind force to reorganize the internal crystal structure, producing nanoscale martensitic phases that disperse stress ...

SourceKumamoto University·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 16, 2026

SUTD researchers discover how pressure turns angstrom-thin semiconducting bismuth into a metal

Researchers at SUTD have discovered that applying pressure can transform angstrom-thin bismuth into a metallic material, eliminating its energy band gap and allowing electrons to move freely. This discovery enables the creation of layer-selective Ohmic contact, which allows electrical current to be steered between layers on demand.

Scientists smash record in stacking semiconductor transistors for large-area electronics

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have achieved a new benchmark in integration density and efficiency by stacking six semiconductor transistors. This feat enables larger area electronics while maintaining performance, opening possibilities for flexible electronics and the Internet of Things.

SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalNature Electronics·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 17, 2025

Mixing metals, maximizing performance: recent advances on additive manufacturing of heterogeneous/gradient metallic materials

Researchers are making progress in overcoming technical hurdles to create layered structures, continuous gradients, and fully three-dimensional architectures with programmable material variation. Optimized laser parameters and build sequences can enhance strength, control heat flow, and improve energy absorption.

SourceInternational Journal of Extreme Manufacturing·JournalInternational Journal of Extreme Manufacturing·DateSep 2, 2025

Enhanced pollutant photodegradation activity of graphitic carbon nitride on via bismuth oxyhalide graphene hybridization and the mechanism study

Researchers have developed a novel photocatalyst by combining g-C3N4 with Bi4O5Br2 and graphene, resulting in efficient degradation of pollutants. The CN/BOB-16 heterostructure exhibited superior performance, surpassing existing benchmarks, and confirmed the key role of Z-type heterojunctions in generating active species.

SourceIndustrial Chemistry & Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 15, 2024

UCSB researchers create the first ever visualization of photoexcited charges traveling across the interface of two semiconductor materials

UCSB researchers used scanning ultrafast electron techniques to visualize fleeting electric charges in semiconductor materials. The study provides direct visual evidence of charge transfer across the interface, shedding light on the behavior of hot photocarriers and their impact on device performance.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 10, 2024

A new “metal swap” method for creating lateral heterostructures of 2D materials

A team of researchers from Tokyo University of Science employed a new 'transmetallation' technique to synthesize lateral heterojunctions of 2D coordination nanosheets. The method enables the creation of ultrathin electronic devices with unique properties, paving the way for innovative devices.

SourceTokyo University of Science·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 8, 2024

Scientists discover ‘flipping’ layers in heterostructures to cause changes in their properties

Researchers found that changing the stacking order of layers in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors creates new optoelectronic devices with tailor-made properties. The study reveals dark excitons exclusively located in the top layer, which can be utilized for optical power switches in solar panels.

SourceInstitute for Basic Science·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 10, 2023

Valleytronics is warming up at Brookhaven Lab

Scientists have discovered a method for maintaining valley polarization at room temperature using transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and chiral lead halide perovskites. This breakthrough could lead to the development of devices that store and process information in novel ways without the need for ultra-low temperatures.

SourceDOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 8, 2023

Layered and traditional semiconductors heterogenous integration open door for post Moore era

Scientists have demonstrated techniques to fabricate layered semiconductors with suitable bandgap and band structure, offering a new class of materials in photoelectronic applications. Heterogeneous integration of TMDs and traditional semiconductors enables the exploration of next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices.

SourceInternational Journal of Extreme Manufacturing·JournalInternational Journal of Extreme Manufacturing·DateAug 16, 2023

Can a solid be a superfluid? Engineering a novel supersolid state from layered 2D materials

Researchers predict that layered electronic 2D semiconductors can host a quantum phase of matter called the supersolid. A solid becomes 'super' when its quantum properties match those of superconductors, simultaneously having two orders: solid and super. The study reports the complete phase diagram of this system at low temperatures.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 29, 2023

Heterostructures developed at Purdue support predictions of counterpropagating charged edge modes at the v=2/3 fractional quantum Hall state

Researchers at Purdue University have developed heterostructures that support the prediction of counterpropagating charged edge modes at the v=2/3 fractional quantum Hall state. The team's experiment measured an electrical conductance equal to half the fundamental value of e^2/h, consistent with theoretical predictions.

SourcePurdue University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateFeb 23, 2023

CityU develops two novel hydrogen production catalysts based on mineral gel and "crystalline-amorphous" dual-phase nano-aluminium alloy

Researchers from City University of Hong Kong developed a new ultra-stable hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst based on two-dimensional mineral gel nanosheets. The catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and long-term durability, with an overpotential of only 38.5 mV at 10 mA cm−2.

SourceCity University of Hong Kong·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 1, 2022

New hybrid structures could pave the way to more stable quantum computers

Researchers at Penn State have created a two-dimensional heterostructure by combining a topological insulator with a monolayer superconductor, demonstrating topological superconductivity and Ising-type superconductivity. The hybrid structure could pave the way for more stable quantum computers and explore Majorana fermions.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 27, 2022

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'.

Following ultrafast magnetization dynamics in depth

Scientists at Max Born Institute create novel method to probe magnetic thin film systems, identifying heat injection from platinum layer as cause of magnetization changes. The approach allows femtosecond temporal and nanometer spatial resolution, paving way for studying ultrafast magnetism and device-relevant geometries.

SourceMax Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)·JournalPhysical Review Research·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 22, 2022

Chung-Ang University researchers develop novel heterostructure catalyst for effective hydrogen generation from water splitting

Scientists at Chung-Ang University have created a new catalyst that can efficiently generate hydrogen from water without the need for expensive noble metals. The innovative heterostructured material boosts both the half-reactions, improving its overall performance and paving the way for large-scale industrial applications.

SourceChung Ang University·JournalSmall·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 13, 2022

New quantum dots for quantum networks

Researchers at Osaka University and National Research Council Canada create a gallium arsenide quantum dot that can trap individual electrons. The development could help advance the field of quantum networks by efficiently converting photons into electron spins.

SourceOsaka University·JournalJournal of Applied Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 7, 2022

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

Nano-opto-electro-mechanical systems using van der Waals heterostructures as a platform

Researchers developed a universal method to fabricate van der Waals heterostructures into nano-opto-electro-mechanical systems. The team demonstrated various functionalities, including nano-mechanical resonators, vacuum channel diodes, and ultra-fast thermo-radiators.

Boosting thermopower of oxides via artificially laminated metal/insulator heterostructure

Researchers developed a new method to significantly enhance thermoelectric voltage at low temperatures by creating laminate structures with transition metal oxide and insulating layers. The 'phonon-drag effect' is responsible for the enhancement, where flowing phonons drive electrons to produce extra thermoelectric voltage.

SourceTokyo Institute of Technology·JournalNano Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 2, 2021

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology makes breakthrough on new electronic material

Researchers at GIST have made a breakthrough in creating a perovskite material with easily tunable electrical properties. The study used ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction to investigate the effects of fabrication conditions on the material's surface.

SourceGIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)·JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry C·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 16, 2021

Broadband spintronic-metasurface terahertz emitters with tunable chirality

Researchers developed a novel spintronic-metasurface terahertz emitter that generates broadband, circularly polarized, and coherent terahertz waves. The design offers flexible manipulation of the polarization state and helicity with magnetic fields, enabling efficient generation and control of chiral terahertz waves.

SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 26, 2021

Mixing a cocktail of topology and magnetism for future electronics

Researchers explore joining topological insulators with magnetic materials to achieve quantum anomalous Hall effect, promising building blocks for low-power electronics. The 'cocktail' approach allows tuning of both magnetism and topology in individual materials, enabling operation closer to room temperature.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies·JournalAdvanced Materials·TypeLiterature review·DateAug 5, 2021

C-Crete Technologies’ deep learning methods cast wide net for discovery of novel hybrid organic-inorganic materials

Researchers at C-Crete Technologies have developed a method that utilizes deep learning to quickly predict and design novel hybrid organic-inorganic materials, offering improved materials design for various industries. By feeding quantum mechanics calculations to layered machine learning based on artificial neural networks, they can un...

SourceC-Crete Technologies·JournalScientific Reports·DateAug 5, 2021

Interlayer exciton formation, relaxation, and transport in TMDs van der Waals Heterostructures

Research on interlayer excitons in TMDs vdW heterostructures reveals ultrafast formation, long population recombination lifetimes, and intriguing spin-valley dynamics. The properties ensure good transport characteristics and pave the way for potential applications in efficient excitonic devices.