A Crackling Analysis of Stripe and Skyrmion Phases June 18, 2019 - Through statistical analysis of “crackling” (a system’s jerky response to slowly changing conditions), researchers demonstrated fundamental differences between skyrmion and stripe phases in a layered heterostructure. The method has broad applicability to many complex materials of interest for emerging information technologies. Read more »
Electric Dipoles Form Chiral Skyrmions June 14, 2019 - Researchers demonstrated that polar skyrmions—cousins of magnetic skyrmions but comprising swirls of electric dipoles instead of spins—exhibit chirality in a material with electrically switchable properties. Control of such phenomena could one day lead to low-power, nonvolatile data storage as well as to high-performance computers. Read more »
Heliconical-layered nanocylinders (HLNCs) – hierarchical self-assembly in a unique B4 phase liquid crystal morphology June 1, 2019 - Morphology is of critical importance for molecular crystals, drug molecules, alloys, and elements in the periodic table. We here demonstrate how very subtle structural changes in a set of bent-core liquid crystals lead to rather complex hierarchical superstructures driven by changes in molecular conformation. Read more »
Clues to the Early Solar System Preserved in a Meteorite May 23, 2019 - Scientists analyzing a tiny carbon-rich pocket inside a meteorite found unexpected chemical signatures. Their findings are the first direct evidence that material from the outer solar system may have traveled inward long before planets formed, providing insight into the early solar system. Read more »
Breakthrough in Membrane-Protein Design Settles Long-Standing Debate May 22, 2019 - Scientists characterized designed membrane proteins to better understand the forces that stabilize these large, complex structures. The results necessitate a rethinking of membrane-protein biophysics and could lead to better therapies for related illnesses as well as functional membrane proteins for engineering applications. Read more » 
Mirror, Mirror, in the Optimal Spot May 21, 2019 - Researchers have developed a fast, systematic way to get the best performance out of x-ray mirrors by optimizing their positioning in beamlines. The system does in a day what used to take many days, by combining precise surface metrology with computer analysis of the optimal alignment of a mirror in a beamline. Read more »
A New Path to Carbon Dioxide Transformation May 17, 2019 - Combining ALS experiments with quantum-mechanical calculations, scientists found dramatic differences in how carbon dioxide (CO2) reactions begin on silver as opposed to copper. Both metals help transform CO2—a greenhouse gas—into more useful forms, and this new atomic-level data could help make the process more efficient. Read more » 
Exploring the “minimal” structure of a functional ADAMTS13 by mutagenesis and small-angle X-ray scattering April 25, 2019 - Researchers used the SIBYLS beamline to gain insight into ADAMTS13, the only known protein to regulate the adhesive function of von Willebrand factor (VWF), a blood-clotting protein. When VWF is deficient or abnormal, it causes a common inherited bleeding disorder, von Willebrand disease. VWF is also implicated in arterial and deep-vein thrombosis, stroke, atherosclerosis, sickle cell crisis, and sepsis. Read more »
Chiral Crystals Give Rise to Topological Conductors April 22, 2019 - Researchers have discovered materials whose chiral crystal structures produce chirality in their electronic behavior. These topological conductors retain their unique electronic properties regardless of defects and open new possibilities in materials research. Read more »
Superconductor Exhibits “Glassy” Electronic Phase April 22, 2019 - Researchers discovered that electrons in a high-temperature superconductor can exhibit a new type of collective behavior that is more “glassy” (disordered) than expected. The study provides valuable insight into the nature of collective electron behaviors and how they relate to high-temperature superconductivity. Read more » 