This last summer, Berkeley Lab hosted three students from Navajo Technical University in a DOE-funded initiative that partners national labs with learning institutions whose populations are historically underrepresented in science. The goal is to increase enrollment of Native American students in Navajo Tech engineering programs. Read more »
Not All Gaps Are Created Equal
Researchers found that charge density waves (CDWs) in topological materials induce unconventional spectral gaps in the materials’ electronic structure. The finding that CDWs in topological materials can be essentially different from that in other materials should be carefully considered when designing quantum devices. Read more »
Spin Textures in High-Tc Superconductors
In bismuth-based cuprate superconductors, charge imbalances caused by lattice distortions generate persistent and universal patterns of spin polarization. The results supply a previously missing but essential ingredient in efforts to understand the mechanisms driving the electronic behavior of high-temperature superconductors. Read more »
Magnetization Switching in Highly Magnetostrictive Microstructures
Researchers learned how the size, shape, and orientation of microstructures affect how they switch magnetization directions in response to an applied voltage. The work advances our understanding of strain-responsive composite materials for use in energy-efficient electronic applications such as memory devices, sensors, and actuators. Read more »
Tracking Oxidation in “High-Entropy” Alloys with Multiple Principle Elements
For extreme applications such as nuclear fusion reactors and high-temperature jet engines, scientists are experimenting with “high-entropy” alloys that consist of many metals mixed together in equal proportions. In this work, researchers begin to unravel how these materials degrade under high-temperature oxidative environments. Read more »
A New Way to “Squeeze” Infrared Wavelengths Down to Size
Researchers demonstrated a new way to confine, or “squeeze,” infrared light by coupling photons with phonons (lattice vibrations) within a certain type of thin film. The work heralds a new class of optical materials for controlling infrared light, with potential applications in photonics, sensors, and microelectronic heat management. Read more »
Mechanism of an Economical Way to Produce Al–Ce Alloy
A time-resolved diffraction study conducted at the ALS revealed mechanistic insight into a multi-step chemical reaction for the economical production of aluminum–cerium alloy, a high-performance material with superior temperature stability. The results provide crucial information for the application of the method on an industrial scale. Read more »
Strategic ALS Projects Reach Key Milestones
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of multidisciplinary teams from groups across the ALS, a spate of important milestones occurred over the past month, for projects involving the new QERLIN beamline, the MERLIN beamline upgrade, and a new chamber for computer-chip metrology in Sector 12. Read more »
Stabilizing Pristine α-Sn Thin Films for Topological Investigation
Researchers developed a recipe for the room-temperature stabilization of thin films of α-Sn, a form of elemental tin that exhibits a variety of topologically nontrivial phases, but only at low temperatures. By dramatically reducing contamination from the film’s substrate, the recipe greatly simplifies electronic structure studies. Read more »
Superhard Materials at the Nanoscale: Smaller is Better
In the superhard material, rhenium diboride, smaller grain size leads to greater yield strength (i.e., the amount of stress tolerated before permanent deformation). Because such transition-metal borides are extremely hard, metallic, and can be synthesized at ambient pressure, they have exciting potential for use in next-generation cutting tools. Read more »
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