Metal nanoclusters have unusual optical properties that are of interest for fundamental reasons as well as for applications like diagnostic imaging and 3D printing. To better understand how nanocluster structure relates to optical properties, researchers performed high-pressure diffraction studies on single crystals of gold nanoclusters. Read more »
A 2D Electron Liquid Floats on a Crystal Surface
Researchers discovered a liquid-like layer of electrons that floats on the surface of an unusual crystal and appears to undergo a phase transition upon doping. The system is an ideal platform for studying exotic phenomena involving electrons (e.g. superconductivity) without complications arising from other types of interactions. Read more »
Copper Migrates to Surface of Topological Insulator in Air
An ambient-pressure study of a topological insulator doped with copper revealed that the copper atoms, inserted between the material’s layers, migrate to the surface when exposed to air. The work represents a novel way of modifying the material’s surface composition, which can confer it with new properties such as superconductivity. Read more »
Percolating Puddles in Rich Quantum Landscapes
Combining x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) with scanning micro x-ray diffraction (SµXRD), researchers found that charge density wave domains (known as “puddles”) in a nickelate material exhibit two types of dynamics: small puddles actively “percolate” (fluctuate in size and shape), while large puddles are more static. Read more »
Charge Density Wave Found in Magnetic Kagome Crystal
Researchers discovered a wave-like charge order in a magnetic material with a “kagome” geometric structure and obtained clues to the order’s origins in the material’s electronic structure. By helping to connect certain structures with emergent quantum properties, the work brings us a step closer to the goal of creating materials by design. Read more »
Dirac Nodal Line in Hourglass Semimetal Nb3SiTe6
Hourglass fermion in an electronic band structure is protected by the nonsymmorphic symmetry of a layered semimetal Nb3SiTe6. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy demonstrates the band features of an hourglass fermion in k-space, such as band crossings and nodal loops. Read more »
Crossing from One to Two Dimensions in a Single Material
Low-dimensional materials exhibit excellent properties for use in next-generation electronic devices. Now, researchers have discovered an ideal platform for tuning between 1D and 2D physics, expanding the possibilities for device engineering and offering a versatile platform for the exploration of intriguing low-dimensional physics. Read more »
Scientists Grow Lead-Free Solar Material With a Built-In Switch
A new ferroelectric material—grown in the lab from cesium germanium tribromide (CGB)—opens the door to an easier approach to making solar cell devices. Unlike conventional solar materials, CGB crystals are inherently polarized, where one side of the crystal builds up positive charges and the other side builds up negative charges, no doping required. Read more »
Multilayer Stack Opens Door to Low-Power Electronics
Researchers found that a multilayer stack of ultrathin materials exhibits a phenomenon called negative capacitance, which reduces the voltage required for transistor operation. The material is fully compatible with today’s silicon-based technology and is capable of reducing power consumption without sacrificing transistor size or performance. Read more »
Disorder Drives Long-Range Order in “Tetris Ice” Nanomagnet Arrays
Long-range ordering is typically associated with a decrease in disorder, or entropy. Yet, it can also be driven by increasing entropy in certain special cases. In a recent DOE-funded study, researchers demonstrated that certain artificial spin-ice arrays—nanomagnets lithographically patterned to form Tetris-like shapes—can produce such entropy-driven order. Read more »
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