ALS researchers have discovered a material that is essentially a 3D version of graphene — the 2D sheets of carbon through which electrons race at many times the speed at which they move through silicon. The discovery promises exciting new things to come for the high-tech industry, including much faster transistors and far more compact hard drives. Read more »
Minding the Gap Makes for More Efficient Solar Cells
Using novel materials to develop thin, flexible, and more efficient photovoltaic cells is one of the hottest topics in current materials research. A class of transition metals undergoes a dramatic change that makes them ideal for solar energy applications. Read more »
Superconducting Topological Insulators
ARPES studies show that it’s possible to introduce superconductivity into a topological insulator. The resulting novel properties, such as relativistic electrons and quantum memory, may in the future provide the basis for a whole new type of computer.
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ALS Reveals New State of Matter
ALS user groups from Princeton and Stanford have been making waves this past year with several high-profile papers and extensive news coverage of their work on a new state of matter embodied by so-called “topological insulators,” materials that conduct electricity only on their surfaces. Read more »