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Keeping the energy in the room

Professor Ben Mazin and his team developed precision optical sensors for telescopes, doubling the spectral resolving power. This breakthrough enables scientists to analyze exoplanet composition using spectroscopy, with implications for detecting different molecules across the universe.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJul 1, 2022

Topological superconductors: fertile ground for elusive Majorana ('angel') particle

Researchers investigate the search for Majorana fermions in iron-based superconductors, which could enable topological quantum computing and ultra-low energy electronics. The existence of Majorana zero-energy modes in topological superconductors makes them a promising candidate material for realizing these technologies.

Successful development of pentacene derivative that has 100 times more light durability than conventional products

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a pentacene derivative with significantly improved photostability, exceeding 100 times that of existing products. The molecule's planarity and π-electron conjugation are strengthened through the addition of a radical substituent.

SourceOsaka Metropolitan University·JournalPhysical Chemistry Chemical Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 16, 2022

Finding superconductivity in nickelates

A team of researchers led by Arizona State University's Antia Botana discovered a new high-temperature superconductor in nickelates, a material that could pave the way to room temperature superconductivity. The discovery was made possible by combining theoretical models with experimental results using supercomputers.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center·JournalPhysical Review X·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 25, 2022

Spinning is key for line-dancing electrons in iron selenide

A team of researchers used resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to study the behavior of electron spins in iron selenide, a material that exhibits directionally-dependent electronic behavior. They found that high-energy spin excitations are dispersive and undamped, indicating a well-defined energy-versus-momentum relationship.

SourceRice University·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 23, 2022

Collaboration reveals interplay between charge order and superconductivity at nanoscale

A large-scale collaboration has uncovered how charge order and superconductivity interact at the nanoscale, enabling new insights into high-temperature superconductor dynamics. The study aims to develop a framework for understanding how these materials emerge, with potential applications in energy and telecommunication systems.

Researchers find superconductors can carry magnetic information to much longer distances than conventional metals

The study reveals that superconductors can transmit spin currents between magnets, allowing for controlled magnetic interactions and modifying the magnetic response. This breakthrough enables new approaches to information processing using magnetic materials at low temperatures.

SourceUniversity of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 6, 2022

Glimpse inside a graphene sandwich

Researchers studied twisted trilayer graphene, discovering a phase diagram that decouples into product states of graphene and bilayer graphene. The system exhibits unique insulating and semi-metallic phases in the presence of an electric field.

SourceUniversity of Innsbruck·JournalPhysical Review X·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 27, 2022

Guiding a superconducting future with graphene quantum magic

Scientists have identified magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene as a promising material for high-temperature superconductivity. Researchers found that nematic order in MATBG originates from the interference between fluctuations of a novel degree-of-freedom combining valley and spin degrees.

SourceNagoya University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 18, 2022

Physicists elucidate connection between symmetry and Mott physics in step towards understanding high-temperature superconductivity

Researchers at University of Illinois discover key connection between symmetry and Mott physics, providing new insight into high-temperature superconductivity. They found that breaking a hidden symmetry destroys Fermi liquids, implying that all models of Mott insulators must break this particle-hole symmetry.

Anisotropic supercurrent through twisted Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x van der Waals stacks: a step towards explaining high-temperature superconductivity

A Korean research team has demonstrated the anisotropic superconductivity of a high-temperature superconductor by stacking twisted pieces of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x using the microcleave-and-stack technique. This study confirms material properties and develops a new fabrication method for nanomaterials.

New insight into unconventional superconductivity

Researchers at PSI's Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy have discovered strong evidence of exotic charge order and orbital currents in a correlated kagome superconductor. The findings provide a new insight into unconventional superconductivity and its relationship with the quantum anomalous Hall effect.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 9, 2022

SLAC and Stanford researchers reveal the fourth signature of the superconducting transition in cuprates

Scientists confirmed the fourth signature of superconducting transition in cuprates, revealing how electrons pair up and condense into a quantum condensate. The discovery provides a holistic picture of unconventional superconductivity and gives researchers two knobs to tune for higher temperatures.

SourceDOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 26, 2022

Semiconductors reach the quantum world

A composite material consisting of superconducting and semiconducting materials has been discovered, enabling the integration of quantum devices into semiconductor technology. This breakthrough could lead to significant improvements in data transmission bandwidth, energy efficiency, and information security.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 22, 2021

Green information technologies: Superconductivity meets spintronics

Researchers have created a material system exhibiting unusually long-range Josephson effect, enabling macroscopic quantum coherence and potential for spintronic applications. The discovery of 'triplet' superconductivity, where electrons with the same spin circulate, expands possibilities for low-power consumption devices.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 2, 2021

On-water creation of conducting MOF nanosheets

Scientists at Osaka Prefecture University developed a novel method for creating uniform, electrically conductive nanosheets using oil and water interfaces. The approach resulted in highly organized three-dimensional nanostructures with high electrical conductivity, offering potential applications in energy devices and sensors.

SourceOsaka Prefecture University·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·TypeNews article·DateOct 28, 2021

A sunny outlook for solar

Researchers found that defects in both organic and inorganic perovskites cause comparable levels of recombination, but the organic molecule in hybrid perovskites actually decreases efficiency due to hydrogen loss. The study suggests all-inorganic materials have potential for outperforming hybrids.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalCell Reports Physical Science·DateOct 14, 2021

Fabricating MgB2 superconductors using spark plasma sintering and pulse magnetization

New research from Shibaura Institute of Technology reveals that spark plasma sintering produces highly dense MgB2 bulks with improved mechanical and superconducting properties. The resulting samples exhibit superior strengths and high trapped field performance, making them suitable for space applications and electric machines.

SourceShibaura Institute of Technology·JournalMaterials Science and Engineering B·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 23, 2021

New cerium superhydrides become stepping stones to ‘Goldilocks’ superconductors

Scientists have discovered two new cerium superhydrides, CeH9 and CeH10, which exhibit superconductivity at lower pressures than previously known compounds. This breakthrough brings researchers closer to creating room-temperature superconductors with more manageable pressure conditions.

SourceSkolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 13, 2021

Discovery of two-phase superconductivity in CeRh2As2

The discovery of two-phase superconductivity in CeRh2As2 reveals the material has the highest critical magnetic field to transition temperature ratio of any known superconductor. Researchers found a clear transition between two different order parameters as the applied field is raised, leading to unique thermodynamic properties.

SourceMax Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 26, 2021