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Category: materials

Muon Knight shift reveals the behavior of superconducting electron pairs

Quantum materials and superconductors are difficult enough to understand on their own. Unconventional superconductors, which cannot be explained within the framework of standard theory, take the enigma to an entirely new level. A typical example of unconventional superconductivity is strontium ruthenate, SRO214, the superconductive properties of which were discovered by a research team that included Yoshiteru Maeno, who is currently at the Toyota Riken—Kyoto University Research Center.

The findings are published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Debate over SRO214’s superconducting nature.

Pulsar timing hints at a nearby dark matter ‘sub-halo’

A group of US astronomers may have uncovered the first evidence for a dark matter sub-halo lurking just beyond our stellar neighborhood. Reporting their findings in Physical Review Letters, a team led by Sukanya Chakrabarti at the University of Alabama in Huntsville suggests that an unseen clump of dark matter could be subtly tugging on nearby pulsars. If confirmed, the result could shed new light on the elusive nature of dark matter and how it is distributed throughout our galaxy.

Despite never having been observed directly, astronomers estimate that dark matter makes up around 85% of the total mass of the universe. According to the best available cosmological models, this invisible material forms vast, diffuse “halos” that completely envelop the flat disks of galaxies like the Milky Way. These halos, in turn, should be populated by numerous smaller structures known as dark matter sub-halos.

If theoretical predictions are correct, such sub-halos should be abundant throughout the galaxy. Yet even with masses potentially exceeding tens of millions of times that of the sun, their limited gravitational influence on visible matter has so far made them extraordinarily difficult to detect.

Novel electronic structures and magnetic properties in twisted two-dimensional graphene/Janus 2H–VSeTe heterostructures

In the experiments, the stacking of other layers can be stacked layer by layer by using the method of direct growth, such as chemical bath deposition [17] and chemical vapor deposition [18]. To date, many vertical stacking structures based on graphene have been explored, such as graphene/Janus 2H-VSeTe [19], graphene/Janus 2H-VSeX (X = S, Te) [20], graphene/WTe2, etc. Scientists have done a lot of research on heterostructures, from the aspects of spin-orbital coupling [21], strains, applied electric field and Lattice mismatch, etc.

Show abstract.

Uncovering hidden quantum landscapes

Imagine trying to read Braille while wearing thick winter gloves; you might feel the general shape of the book, but the story remains a mystery. For decades, this has been the reality for physicists trying to “feel” the invisible energy landscapes that govern how electrons move in quantum materials. Now, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have taken the gloves off.

A single atomic defect acts as a new type of microscope to reveal the electrostatic potential landscape steering the behavior of electrons in quantum materials. (Image: Weizmann Institute of Science)

New type of magnetism discovered in 2D materials to help store data

Researchers have discovered a new type of magnetism in 2D materials that can help store data.

The team led by researchers from the University of Stuttgart experimentally demonstrated the previously unknown form of magnetism in atomically thin material layers.

Researchers revealed that the discovery is highly relevant for future magnetic data storage technologies and advances the fundamental understanding of magnetic interactions in two-dimensional systems.

This paper-thin chip turns invisible light into a steerable beam

Researchers have built a paper-thin chip that converts infrared light into visible light and directs it precisely, all without mechanical motion. The design overcomes a long-standing efficiency-versus-control problem in light-shaping materials. This opens the door to tiny, highly efficient light sources integrated directly onto chips.

Development of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived ovarian support cells as a clinical-grade product for in vitro fertilization

Paulsen et al. present the process development and clinical application of an hiPSC-derived OSC product, Fertilo. They describe the raw material upgrades, process consistency and reproducibility, and analytical assessment required for the generation of a clinically suitable product, as well as favorable outcomes from the first-in-human application of Fertilo.

Quantum Twins simulator unveils 15,000 controllable quantum dots for materials research

Researchers in Australia have unveiled the largest quantum simulation platform built to date, opening a new route to exploring the complex behavior of quantum materials at unprecedented scales.

Reporting in Nature, a team led by Michelle Simmons at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney has demonstrated a platform they call “Quantum Twins”: a two-dimensional array of around 15,000 individually controllable quantum dots. The researchers say the system could soon be used to simulate a wide range of exotic quantum effects that emerge in large, strongly correlated materials.

As quantum technologies advance, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how advanced quantum materials behave under different conditions.

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