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Relax, just break it

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory used novel tools to study local order in relaxor ferroelectrics, revealing a correlation between butterfly-shaped diffuse scattering and piezoelectric behavior. This discovery could lead to the development of non-lead-based materials with improved properties.

SourceDOE/Argonne National Laboratory·JournalNature Materials·DateJul 19, 2018

Water can be very dead, electrically speaking

A recent study published in Science reveals that atomically thin layers of water near solid surfaces exhibit no electric response, with a thickness of less than one nanometer. This finding has significant implications for understanding the role of water in biological molecules, proteins, and technological processes.

SourceUniversity of Manchester·JournalScience·DateJun 21, 2018

Nanoscale super-resonator extends light lifetime

Researchers create a subwavelength dielectric resonator that can trap light for an extended period due to destructive interference, allowing for more efficient optical devices. The structure is capable of suppressing energy leakage and keeping light for ten times longer than conventional resonators.

SourceITMO University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateDec 18, 2017

Model for 2-D materials based RRAM found

Researchers at Lanzalab developed a compact model to describe the functioning of RRAM devices using graphene/h-BN/graphene van der Waals structures. The model accurately predicts the device's behavior and explains dispersion in cycle-to-cycle data, enabling simulation and mass production.

SourceLanzalab·Journal2D Materials·DateMay 29, 2017

Light has new capacity for electronics

Scientists have discovered a new phenomenon called the photodielectric effect, which could lead to the creation of laser-controlled touch displays. The discovery uses light to increase the dielectric permittivity of a material, allowing for more efficient energy storage and filtering.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateApr 27, 2017

Absorbing electromagnetic energy while avoiding the heat

Electrical engineers at Duke University have created a metal-free metamaterial that can absorb electromagnetic energy, opening doors for applications in imaging, sensing, and lighting. The device's ability to absorb energy without heating up has direct implications for thermal imaging devices and efficient lighting systems.

SourceDuke University·JournalOptics Express·DateJan 27, 2017

A wolverine inspired material

Researchers developed a transparent, self-healing, highly stretchable conductive material that can be electrically activated to power artificial muscles. The material has potential applications in robots, biosensors, and electronic devices, offering improved durability and efficiency.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateDec 23, 2016

Coherence vs. control

Researchers at UCSB explore the delicate balance between coherence and control with a simple yet complete platform for quantum processing. They successfully integrated the control of three superconducting qubits, creating an artificial magnetic field that allowed photons to interact strongly with each other and the pseudo-magnetic field.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalNature Physics·DateOct 31, 2016

Flexible optical design method for superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

Researchers at NICT have developed a flexible optical design method for superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, enabling high detection efficiency over a precise spectral range while rejecting other wavelengths. This technique has potential applications in quantum cryptography, fluorescence spectroscopy, and remote sensing.

'Ideal' energy storage material for electric vehicles developed

A team of Penn State materials scientists has developed a unique three-dimensional sandwich-like structure that protects the dense electric field in the polymer/ceramic composite from dielectric breakdown. The material has been shown to have high energy density, power density and excellent charge-discharge efficiency, making it highly ...

SourcePenn State·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 23, 2016

Understanding nature's patterns with plasmas

A new experiment reproduces nature's patterns with a specially designed system called an H-shaped dielectric barrier discharge system. The system produces filaments of discharge plasma that can assume vast ranges of patterns in 3D, allowing scientists to explore complex mechanisms behind nature's diverse designs.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalPhysics of Plasmas·DateAug 23, 2016

Artificial muscle for soft robotics: Low voltage, high hopes

Researchers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a dielectric elastomer with broad motion range that requires relatively low voltage and no rigid components. This innovation addresses key challenges in soft actuation and opens doors for various applications in soft robotics.

Gentle strength for robots

Researchers have developed a soft actuator that allows robots to move freely without harming humans. The actuator uses hyperelastic membranes and electric fields to control movement, enabling robots to give way in case of doubt, making them suitable for applications where human safety is a concern.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateMay 18, 2016

Cooling chips with the flip of a switch

Researchers at Penn State University have developed a unique blend of ferroelectric polymers that can hold absorbed heat even after the external field has been switched off. This allows the material to generate cooling when the field is turned on, but no subsequent heating when the field is turned off.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateApr 5, 2016

Making electronics safer with perovskites

Researchers at Hokkaido University are developing perovskite ceramic capacitors with improved insulating properties. The process involves sintering and annealing the material to exhibit ferroelectricity, a promising dielectric property for multi-layered ceramic capacitors.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalChemistry of Materials·DateMar 16, 2016

Building a better mouse trap, from the atoms up

UConn researchers develop a systematized approach to materials design using machine learning. They create numerical fingerprints of polymers based on atomic configurations, enabling computers to quickly scan theoretical compounds for desired properties. The breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize the search for new materials.

SourceUniversity of Connecticut·JournalScientific Reports·DateMar 4, 2016