Researchers synthesized a topological insulator between two ferromagnetic layers and found that it is electronically characterized by a large magnetic band gap. The results open a new path toward lossless charge transport and perfect spin polarization, which could lead to the development of ultralow-energy electronics and spintronics. Read more »
ALSNews Vol. 439
June 29, 2022
Nanoscale Infrared Study of Meteorite Mineralogy
Using a nanoscale infrared probe, researchers found that the minerals in a meteorite—an artifact representing the solar system’s past—were altered by water on very fine spatial scales. The work sheds light on conditions in the early solar system and lays groundwork for analyzing asteroid samples to be returned to Earth by NASA in 2023. Read more »
Removing Nitrogen from Wastewater using Horizontal Levees
Treated municipal wastewater often contains nitrogen, which has been linked to algal blooms that can devastate coastal ecosystems. In a recent study, researchers characterized the primary nitrogen-removal pathways in a horizontal levee, an engineered subsurface water-treatment system consisting of a gently sloping strip of land adjacent to storm-control levees. Read more »
Copper Doping Improves Sodium-Ion Battery Performance
A big plus for batteries based on sodium over lithium is that sodium is more earth-abundant, which lowers costs and eases environmental and supply-chain concerns. Research to improve the performance of sodium-ion batteries includes this effort to use copper doping of the cathode to enhance oxygen redox reversibility. Read more »
Pushing the Boundaries of Moore’s Law: How Can Extreme UV Light Produce Tiny Microchips?
For the past 25 years, scientists and engineers from the Center for X-Ray Optics (CXRO) have worked to develop EUV lithography, a technique that enables microchip circuits and transistors that are tens of thousands of times thinner than a strand of human hair. Patrick Naulleau, a CXRO scientist who helped develop EUV lithography, shares his perspective in this Q&A. Read more »
Antoine Wojdyla Receives Prestigious Five-Year Research Grant
Antoine Wojdyla is one of three scientists at Berkeley Lab selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science to receive funding through the Early Career Research Program (ECRP). His project is titled DREAM beam: Diffraction-limited Radiation Enhancement with Adaptive Mirrors for X-ray coherent beamlines. Read more »
Cheng Wang Wins RSC Stephanie L. Kwolek Award
Recently the Royal Society of Chemistry awarded its Materials Chemistry Division Horizon Prize: Stephanie L. Kwolek Award to a team of scientists, including ALS Staff Scientist Cheng Wang, for the discovery of chiral organic materials that allow high control of photon and electron spin. Read more »
Register for the User Meeting and Submit a Video for Steve Kevan’s Retirement Celebration
Register for the ALS User Meeting, taking place virtually August 15–17. You are also invited to submit a video greeting for Steve Kevan’s retirement celebration. Read more »
Congratulations to Our 2022 Retirees
The 2022 class of retirees has a combined 256 years of service. Thank you all for your contributions to the ALS, and congratulations on your retirement! Read more »