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  A new study about hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) from the university of Surrey was published in the journal Small. Recently, scientists have shown interesting research about nano porous hBN. They are considering its potential environmental applications like filtering pollution, hydrogen storage, and even as an electrochemical catalyst for fuel cells.  Dr Marco Sacchi is An associate professor at Surrey’s School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. He is Lead author of the study. He reports, “ Our research should light on the atomic scale processes that govern the formation of this remarkable material and its nano structures. By understanding these mechanisms, we can engineer materials with unprecedented precision, optimizing their properties for a host of revolutionary technologies.” Dr Sacchi worked with Austria’s Graz University of Technology. The team used functional theory and microkinetic modeling. This showed the growth of hBN. (It is created from borazine precursors....

Two interesting discoveries were made about graphene and published in the journal Nano Letters. Electron transport in bilayer graphene shows reliance on both edge state and a non-local transport mechanism. The study is led by professor Gil-Ho Lee and Hyeon Jeong from POSTECH’d Department of Physics. They worked with Dr. Kenji Watanabe and Dr. Takashi Taniguchi from Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS).  Bilayer graphene is made up of two vertically stacked graphene layers. Graphene can modulate it’s electronic band gap by using electric fields that are applied. This property is essential for electron transport. Scientists are interested in exploiting the substance in “valleytronics,” the next generation of data processing.  A valley is a quantum state. It is an electron’s energy structure and is it’s data storage unit. Valleytronics Will enable more efficient, faster, data processing than even spintronics.  Valleytronics is based on the “Valley Hall Eff...

  Chirality is an object that cannot be super imposed onto their mirror images. It doesn’t matter which combination, rotation or translation is used; it’s much like our right and left hand. In Chile crystals, the arrangement of atoms makes a specific handedness. This factor can influence their electrical and optical properties. A team at Hamburg Oxford is studying anti-ferro chirals. It is a type of non-chiral crystal that acts just like anti-ferromagnetic materials. Its magnetic moments anti-align in a vanishing net magnetization. Both types of chiral (right and left left-handed substructures) render it overall, non-chiral.  Andrea Cavalleri From the max plank Institute for the structure and dynamics of matter is leading the research team.  The scientists used terahertz light to change this balance in the non-chiral material boron phosphate. The team published their works in the journal Science. Zheiyang Zheng Is lead author of this work. He reports, “ We exploit a mecha...

  New work is published in the Physical Review Materials journal. Antonija Grubisic-Cabo and her colleges at the University of Groningen have been studying 2D materials. 2D materials are sheets that are one atom thick. They have a myriad of electronic properties. If two sheets are placed on top of each other at specific angles, they can have new properties like superconductivity.  The team studied sheets of tungsten disulfide. When a bilayer or two sheets are stacked at an angle of 4.4°, the electrons will show a collective behavior. Giovanna Feraco is first author of the study. She reports about the electrons, “ When they are so closely connected, their collective behavior can create new fascinating effects.”  The scientists did not see this collective behavior in experiments. It can only be explained by the reactions between atoms in the bilayer.  Feraco summarizes, “…by studying the electronic substructure in the bilayer, we discovered that this material tends to ...

  Quantum technology is changing how we understand our world. One new technology is called macroscopic mechanical oscillation. These devices  are important in quartz watches, mobile phones, and types of telecommunications.  In the quantum world, these oscillators could help the very sensitive sensors used in quantum computing. It is necessary to control  mechanical oscillators by developing new technologies.  However, controlling them is challenging. It requires near perfect units, meaning identical. Research in quantum optomechanics  is based on a single oscillator. Quantum phenomenon like ground state, cooling and quantum squeezing can be demonstrated.  Collective quantum behavior is elusive. This is where many oscillators act like one. These dynamics are key to making more powerful quantum systems, however, they demand surprisingly precise control over multiple oscillators.  Researchers are being led by Tobras Kippenberg at EPFL. They have reac...

  The optical trap is considered one of the  greatest innovations in optics and photonics. The beginning works were created by Arthur Ashkin in the 1970s.  Currently it is being used in a large variety of fields, including physics, engineering and life sciences. Just like its thermal and acoustic counterparts, the trap is usually bright or dark and is usually located at the field intensities maximum or minimum.   New research was published in Physical Review A. Professor Yao Baoli and Dr Xu Xiaohao are from the Xi’an Institute of Optical and Precision Mechanics (XIOPM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. They have revealed a full gray optical trap in structured light. The trap is able to capture nanoparticles, but shows at the location where the intensity of light is not maximized or minimized. The scientists developed a high order multipole model. This model is for gradient forces and is based on multipole expansion theory. The team immersed Si particles into a stru...

  Metasurfaces are a planar arrays of nanostructures. A worldwide review of advancements concerning the integration of metasurfaces into existing technologies is currently taking place.  This will lead to breakthroughs in augmented and virtual reality, thermal management, solar energy and even quantum technologies. The review was published in the journal Science on November 29, 2024. The research was led by the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (A*STAR/MRE) Stanford University, and the Nanyang Technological University of Technology and Design. Metasurfaces are designed as extremely thin, engineered layers made of tiny building blocks called nanostructures. Metasurfaces can bend, reflect or change light with precision. These materials may offer advancements in device performance. For example, metasurface integrated photodetectors capture more complex light information. This will drive progress in imaging systems and optical computing. LED integrated metasur...

 New research was published in the journal of the American Chemical Society. The research is focused on the Berlin synchrotron radiation source named BESSYII. Scientists have determined the largest magnetic anisotrophy of a single molecule ever measured experimentally. The larger a molecule’s anisotrophy, the better the molecular nanomagnet that’s created. There’s huge potential for these nanomagnets, for example, in energy efficient data storage. The scientist involved in the study are from the Max Planck Institute for Kohlenforschung (MPI KOFO), the Joint Lab EPR4 Energy of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC) and Berlin’s Helmholtz-Zentrum. A group led by Josep Cornella from MPI KOFO is studying a unique molecule, bismuth complex. Also, a team led by Frank Neese from MPI KOFO has predicted bismuth complex’s unique magnetic properties in theoretical studies. Prior to the study, all attempts to measure the magnetism of bismuth complex have failed....

  A new study was released in ACS Nano about nanocarbon. The research was inspired by rocket fuel ignition. Scientists have created a nanoporous carbon with the highest surface area ever reported. Researchers have attempted to increase the porosity of carbon. The increase of porosity exposes more of material surface. A new technique for creation has provided a huge advancement. Carbon surface area can now reach 4800 m² per gram. This is approximately a football field packed into a teaspoon of material.  Emmanuel Giannelis is senior author of the paper and a Walter R Reed professor in the department of material science and engineering. He reports, “ having more surface per mass is very important, but you can get to a point where there is no material left. It’s just air. So the challenge is how much of that porosity you can introduce and still have structure left behind, along with enough yield to do something practical with it.” Giannelis began working with Nikolas Chalmpes. Ch...

  New research was released in Physical Review Applied on December 20, 2024. Macquarie University scientists have  shown how grapes can improve the performance of quantum sensors. This could lead to systematic improvement to quantum technologies. Pairs of grapes can create strong localized magnetic field hotspots of microwaves. These hotspots are used in quantum sensing applications. This could help create smaller and more cost-effective quantum devices. Ali Fawaz is lead author of the study and is a quantum physics PhD candidate at Macquarie University. He reports, “ While previous studies looked at the electrical fields causing the plasma effect, we showed that grape pairs can also enhance magnetic fields, which are crucial for quantum sensing applications.” Prior studies focused on electrical fields. The new study by the Macquarie team examined magnetic field effects important for quantum uses.  Dr. Sarath Nair is a lecturer in quantum technology at Macquarie Universit...

  All of our data used to fit on a two-megabyte floppy disk. In today’s society, the volume of information required that we switch to high capacity, low power consumption options. The next generation of storage devices will use magnetoresistive random access memory. (MRAM).  Scientists at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) have published a review in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials on November 13, 2024.  Researchers used a cobalt manganese iron alloy in a thin film. It demonstrated a high perpendicular magnetic anisotrophy (PMA). This is important for creating MRAM devices that use spintronics. Professor Shigemi Mizikami is from Tohoku University. He reports, “ This is the first time a cobalt manganese iron alloy has strongly shown large PMA. We previously discovered this alloy showed a high tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) effect, but it is rare that an alloy potentially shows both together.” MRAM use magnetic storage elements...

  There is huge potential for the future of optical tweezers. However, they are not known for being practical. This is because they require low conductive media, additional electric sources and high intensity laserbeams. A new study was released in a journal called The Innovation. The team was led by Dr Du Xuemin from Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The researchers used a new photopyroelectric tweezer (PPT). The new tweezer combines both the light and electric fields. The PPT can be manipulated into a variety of positions. The PPT team claims it is made up of two components. One component of the PPT is a near infrared (NIR) spectrum laser light source. The other important component includes a liquid base and a photopyroelectric substrate. The substrate is made up of a superhydrophobic ferroelectric polymer layer. The substrate is also made up of a Ga-In liquid metal microparticle embedded polycomposite and a lubricated slippery ...

  Entanglement is a confusing aspect of quantum mechanics. It allows for intriguing properties. Entanglement means that particles are able to communicate over vast distances at an instant, violating the speed of light. However, entangled particles don’t share information between them. In quantum mechanics, a particle isn’t a firm, precise point; it’s more of a fuzzy cloud of possibilities. The possibilities describe where the particles are located. Until a measurement is formed, the particle remains unknown. The fuzzy possibilities are called quantum states.  Sometimes it is feasible to connect to particles in a quantum way, so that one equation describes both sets of possibilities at the same time. When this occurs, it is known that these particles are entangled.  When two particles share a quantum state, the measurements of one can give information about the other state. Quantum spin is a property of subatomic particles. Particles like electrons can have two spin states...

 A team from Zhenjiang Agriculture and Forestry University in China is studying nanoplastics. They have discovered the relationship between nanoplastics and tissue damage. Plastic usage is way up, reaching a staggering 390.7 million metric tons in 2021. There’s a major elevation of microplastic pollution because of this usage. The plastic accumulates in soil, water, food and even human tissue. Methods to analyze MNPs (Micro/Nanoplastics) Are not widely available. Data that links MNPs to disease are necessary for the future. A study was released in TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry. The study was titled “ Mapping micro(nanoplastics) in various organ systems: Their emerging links to human diseases.” Researchers collected 840 related articles on toxicological mechanisms. Their data came from microscopy and spectroscopy as well as other methods. The goal was to identify polymer types in tissues. The scientists studied oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses.  The study foun...

  New information was released last month about the nanoscale. A newly discovered quasi particle was found to be in all magnetic material, regardless of strength or temperature. Magnetism is not as stagnant as a once believed.  The new article is titled, “Emergent Topological quasi particle kinetics in constricted nanomagnets.” It was published in the journal Physical Review Letters. Deepak Singh and Carsten Ullrich are from the University of Missouri’s College of Arts and Science. Ullrich is a Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy. He reports, “ we’ve all seen the bubbles that form in sparkling water, or other carbonated drink products. The quasi particles are like those bubbles and we found that they can freely move around at remarkably fast speeds.” The next generation of electronics will be faster, smarter, and even more energy efficient. The first challenge is to figure out how this finding could work into these processes. One field that could greatly...

  There is a top secret laboratory in the UK. They’re developing the first quantum clock in the country.  This will help both the British military intelligence and reconnaissance missions. This amazing clock is very precise. It will lose less than one second over 1 billion years. The British Defense ministry said that the clock is “ Allowing scientists to measure time at an unprecedented scale”.  Maria Eagle is the minister for defense procurement. She reports, “ The trialing of the emerging, groundbreaking technology could not only strengthen our operational capacity, but drive  progress in industry, bolster our science sector, and support high skilled jobs.” The technology will decrease UK’s dependence on GPS technology. The ministry stated “(the GPS technology) Can be disrupted and blocked by adversaries.” 15 years ago at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, the world’s first quantum clock was developed.  This type of clock is “ The first de...

The Australian National University and the Tala Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai have published a study in the journal Laser and Photonic Reviews. The team has shown a new way to steer a beam of relativistic electron pulses.  The scientists used an ultrahigh intensity femtosecond laser. Beams of high energy electrons are important for applications like medical therapies and imaging. These beams are created from accelerators. These are expensive, complex,  large size devices with high powered control and electrical systems. Each accelerator is specifically geared, making modifications difficult. High intensity femtosecond laser pulses are pointed at plasma targets and the beaming of the electrons is usually along the direction of the laser itself.  Scientists are looking to discover ways to get electrons at larger fluxes, like a solid target. This larger flux would control the directionality of electrons. The control of energies is from the laser's incident dire...

  Scientists are studying ultrafast chemical reactions, biological process and are probing the structure of material at the atomic level. They are using x-ray free-electron lasers. These create pulses of light that are very bright. Because of the way light is generated, pulses are noisy in time and frequency. This is because of a process called self-amplified spontaneous emission.  (SASE). The pulses are not sensible in the short term. This randomness is a huge obstacle for scientists. It requires high control to observe electron and structural dynamics. The Swiss FEL have published their findings in Physical Review Letters. It was part of the "Editor's Suggestion." The Swiss have found a new way to make light neat and orderly. The Swiss used a device called the Athos beam line. They insert magnetic chicanes. These control the timing of the electron beam between modules.  Researchers made two big discoveries. First, they created frequency combs. This is where the spectral...

Osaka University has published a report in Applied Physics Express. Scientists have developed the world's first compact, tunable-wavelenth blue semiconductor laser. This is a huge advancement for far-ultraviolet light technology. It has promising applications in both sterilization and disinfection methods. The laser is a periodically slotted structure in nitride semiconductors. This makes the device easily adaptable and practical for disinfection practices.    The team had previously shown second harmonic generation below 230 nm. They used transverse quasi-phase matching devices. These devices used large, expensive, ultra short pulse lasers.  Scientists realized a far more practical light source required a semiconductor laser with 460 nm wavelength.  Blue nitride semiconductors were originally designed for Blu-ray technology. They have expanded to gold and copper, expecting to create next generation laser displays. These blue lasers oscillate at multiple wavelengths....

Rising carbon dioxide emissions accelerate global warming and climate changes. Could scientists reuse excess carbon dioxide as a potential energy source? YES!  Electrochemical reduction can be used to achieve this goal. It is a catalyst driven process. Carbon dioxide is changed into products like formic acid, ethanol, methane or carbon monoxide.  Certain barriers exist when attempting to upscale production to industry standards.The challenge with upscaling carbon dioxide is that the reaction to the reduction can lead to several potential outcomes. Scientists are studying reaction pathways, attempting to influence the specific products that will be formed.  Research was published in Small Science on November 28, 2024. A team assembled from Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Science and Vanderbilt University. The scientists have begun using copper as a catalyst for electrochemical reduction. They attempted to control product’s specificity with this reduction. The struct...

  Scientists have released a new study in Physical Review Letters. Research from the University of Birmingham suggests that scientists for the first time can observe the precise shape of a single photon. The article explains in explicit detail just how individual particles of light are emitted by atoms or molecules.  Scientists determined the possibility for light to exist, propagate and travel through its environment. The theory is incredibly difficult to model and it is a challenge that researchers have been working on for decades. The scientists at Birmingham created a model that describes interactions between the photon and the emitter. They also researched how the energy from the interaction travels into the distant field. Most importantly, the Birmingham team were able to calculate a vision of the photon itself. Dr. Benjamin Yuen is first author of the study. He is from the University's School of Physics. He explains, "Our calculations enabled us to convert a seemingly i...

  New research about how gravity affects the quantum world was published in the journal Physical Review Letters. Chris Lammerzahl is a professor of Gravitational Physics at the University of Bremen and Dr. Sebastian Ulbricht is a scientist at the Nature Metrology Institute.  Metrology is the science of measurement. Back in 2019, metrology had a huge uptick. It was understood that units like the kilo, the meter and the second were being redefined based on quantum physics. In the past, these units were determined by comparing them with natural phenomena or even specific objects. Today, units are understood to be fundamental constants. To construct a unit so that it can be used in every day life, it must be based in these fundamental constants.  This construction is often done using the kibble scale. The scale connects mass with electrical properties. It measures the mechanical power and weight of an object. It balances this measurement with an electric power. The electrical...

  There is a big challenge in the physics community. Controlling traveling waves that come from the coupling of oscillations and diffusions has remained elusive. Control of these waves willl improve reaction- diffusion systems and the dynamics that defines them. Researchers have discovered a novel approach to control waves in a type of fluid flow. This is referred to as hyperbolic flow. The scientists controlled the chemical waves via the stretching and compression of fluids.  A team from Universite libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Universite de Rennes released their findings in a journal called Physical Review Letters.  Anne De Wit is the senior author of the paper. She said during a recent interview, "At a summer school in Corsica, discussions between the Brussels and Rennes team triggered the curiosity to see how chemical waves studied at ULB in Brussels would behave in hyperbolic flows analyzed in Rennes. The primary objective was to see how a non-trivial flow would influ...

  Nitrogen oxides are a group of gases. They are formed by nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. They are largely produced by the burning of fossil fuels. They cause harmful effects on the environment and on human health. The University of Cordoba, specifically a team at the Chemical Institute for Energy and the Environment (IQUEMA) is reducing this gas. They have developed a photocatalytic material, while not unlike previous versions, it is far more economical and sustainable. The team's work was published in the journal Advanced Sustainable Systems. The presence of light can cause certain chemical reactions to be favored or accelerated. Light energy in the presence of a material that acts like a catalyst makes it possible to turn nitrogen oxides into nitrates and nitrites. The first author of this research paper is named Laura Marin. She explains that the new techniques involve visible light, and not ultraviolet light, as it is much more abundant and makes up most of the solar spect...