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Unraveling how a 'magnetic twist' induces one-way electric flow

Scientists at Tohoku University and collaborators have made a significant discovery about how magnetic twist induces one-way electric flow in a unique quantum material. By studying the material's electronic behavior, they found that the 'magnetic twist' directly triggers electronic band asymmetry, leading to nonreciprocal transport.

SourceTohoku University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 27, 2025

Chinese researchers make breakthrough in artificial chiral structural-color microdomes

Researchers have made a breakthrough in creating artificial chiral-structural-color materials, exhibiting iridescent colors through microscopic structures that interact with light. The new discovery enables the creation of microdomes composed of widely available polymers that produce exceptional dissymmetry and polarization selectivity.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 26, 2025

Designing homochiral metal–organic frameworks with ultrahigh surface areas and stability for practical applications

A novel mixed-ligand strategy creates ultrahigh surface area, chemically stable chiral MOFs ideal for practical applications in asymmetric catalysis. The frameworks demonstrate record-breaking surface areas and exceptional structural features, making them suitable as heterogeneous catalysts.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience Bulletin·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 21, 2025

Designing molecules that produce color-changing circular light for 3D displays and security printing

Scientists develop mechanochromic luminescence using chiral pyrenylprolinamides, a significant step towards widespread implementation of materials with switchable solid-state CPL. The findings provide new design guidelines for creating molecules that enable solid-state CPL switching through mechanical stimuli.

SourceYokohama National University·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateFeb 10, 2025

The art and science of twisting light

A team of researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design has developed a new type of metasurface that can generate circularly polarized light without complex optical setups. The metasurface exhibits chirality, enabling it to convert arbitrary optical excitation into circularly polarized light at specific frequency ranges.

SourceSingapore University of Technology and Design·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJan 17, 2025

Chiral Exceptional point enhanced tuning and non-reciprocity in silicon microring

Researchers develop a nano-heater aligned to one arm of the micro-resonator for deterministic, dynamic tuning of chirality and precise phase-only control. This leads to enhanced electro-optic amplitude modulation in photonic integrated circuits, reducing energy consumption and simplifying circuit design.

Through the looking glass: A cross-chiral reaction challenges our definition of life

Researchers demonstrate the first cross-chiral exponential amplification of an RNA enzyme, potentially leading to the development of cross-chiral therapeutics and biotechnologies. The discovery suggests that a bioengineer can create a new form of biochemical evolution by using both left- and right-handed molecules.

SourceSalk Institute·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 22, 2024

SNU-KAIST researchers jointly develop a new visible light communication encryption technology using chiral nanoparticles

The SNU-KAIST joint research team developed a novel visible light communication encryption technology with high security using chiral nanoparticles. This technology uses unclonable nanoparticles like fingerprints to encrypt information, making it impossible to intercept without detailed information about the nanoparticles.

SourceSeoul National University College of Engineering·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 10, 2024

A breakthrough in chiral capsule tools for advanced optical technologies

Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo create terpene-based chiral capsules that facilitate the easy preparation of well-defined host–guest composites with tunable chiroptical properties. The resulting composites can be used in water without organic solvents, paving the way for advances in cutting-edge optical technologies.

SourceInstitute of Science Tokyo·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 2, 2024

Discovery of orbital angular momentum monopoles enables orbital electronics with chiral materials

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have made a groundbreaking discovery in chiral materials, enabling the creation of orbital electronics. The study reveals that certain materials naturally possess orbital angular momentum monopoles, which can be harnessed for memory devices and other applications.

SourceMax-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 1, 2024

New 'chiral vortex' of light reveals molecular mirror images

A new structure of light has been discovered that can accurately measure chirality in molecules, a property of asymmetry important in physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. This 'chiral vortex' provides an accurate and robust form of measurement, allowing for the detection of chiral biomarkers.

SourceMax Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)·JournalNature Photonics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 2, 2024

Breakthrough in molecular control: new bioinspired double helix with switchable chirality

Researchers from Tokyo University of Science created a novel mechanical motif, double-helical monometallofoldamers, with controllable chiral switching properties. The new molecule can undergo inversion switching in response to external stimuli, paving the way for novel high-order molecular systems and molecular information processing.

SourceTokyo University of Science·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 8, 2024

Physicists use light to probe deeper into the ‘invisible’ energy states of molecules

Researchers at the University of Bath have discovered a new optical phenomenon called hyper-Raman, which can penetrate deeper into living tissue and yield images with better contrast. This effect has significant potential applications in pharmaceutical science, security, forensics, environmental science, art conservation, and medicine.

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalNature Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 31, 2024

A breakthrough on the edge: One step closer to topological quantum computing

A team of experimental physicists has achieved a breakthrough in topological quantum computing by inducing superconducting effects in edge-only materials. This discovery could lead to the development of stable and efficient quantum computers, with potential applications in fields like quantum computing and technological advancements.

SourceUniversity of Cologne·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 10, 2024

The nanotechnological revolution requires standardized ‘screws’ – here is a way to measure them

Scientists at the University of Bath discovered a new nonlinear optical property that measures the twist in tiny particles, similar to viruses and bacteria. This finding enables real-time particle size analysis and has significant implications for various fields like display technology, chemical catalysis, and medicine.

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalACS Nano·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 14, 2024

Gold nanoparticles that selectively emit left-/right-handed light

Researchers found that chiral gold nanoparticles exhibit high selectivity for left- or right-handed circularly polarized light with a dissymmetry factor of approximately 0.7, outperforming previous materials. The findings suggest potential applications in anti-counterfeiting and quantum information using circularly polarized light.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalAdvanced Optical Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 4, 2024

Shining a light on molecules: L-shaped metamaterials can control light direction

A team of researchers from Penn State and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln developed an optical element that can control the direction of polarized electromagnetic light waves. This allows them to identify the chirality of molecules by determining how polarized light interacts with them, which is crucial for biomedicine applications.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 4, 2024

When injecting pure spin into chiral materials, direction matters

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Pittsburgh studied how pure spin currents move through chiral materials. They found that the direction of spin injection affects its absorption in chiral materials, which could enable the design of energy-efficient spintronic devices for data storage, communication,...

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 3, 2024

Riddle of the sphinx

Researchers used the sphinx tile to explore geometry and chirality in life, finding unexpected properties related to its chirality. The study reveals superexponential increases in possible layouts as the number of sphinxes grows, with some tilings having nearly 72,000 possibilities.

SourceChan Zuckerberg Biohub·JournalPhysical Review Research·DateMar 21, 2024

Printed polymer allows researchers to explore chirality and spin interactions at room temperature

Researchers have developed a printable organic polymer that enables them to measure charge-to-spin conversion in spintronic materials at room temperature, revealing new insights into the mechanics of spintronics. The findings suggest longer spin lifetimes and tunability, paving the way for more efficient and energy-friendly devices.

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 15, 2024