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It has been theoretically predicted that certain molecules can have a large Seebeck coefficient and therefore be useful in thermoelectric power conversion applications. Now, Cui et al. have developed a very sensitive calorimeter that allows the direct determination of the heat absorbed or dissipated in a molecular junction with picowatt sensitivity. With this instrument they observe refrigeration (Peltier cooling) in several molecular systems. The image is an artist's depiction of the molecular junction based on an oil painting on masonite by Sara Adlerstein. The blue (cold) and red (hot) regions are bridged by aromatic molecules. The red spheres represent electrons that are carrying heat from the cold to the hot region
Removing nuclear spins by means of isotopically purified silicon, and introducing magnetic field gradients by means of microfabricated ferromagnets yields electron spin qubits with enhanced fidelity and fast electrical control.
Under specific conditions, molecular monolayers dissipate power more than they heat up at one end of a molecular junction, validating theoretical predictions of Peltier cooling.
Electrical control over quantum confinement opens a new avenue for spatial manipulation of charge carriers and bound excited states for quantum opto-electronics.
Quantum control on an isotopically enriched Si spin qubit is demonstrated with ultrahigh gate fidelities and long coherence times — even in the presence of sizeable charge noise.
The spin accumulation in graphene can be enhanced by a thermal gradient as a result of a thermoelectric spin voltage owing to an effective spin-dependent Seebeck coefficient.
The rectification ratio of a molecular junction made of a self-assembled monolayer of di-nuclear ruthenium-complex molecules can be varied by more than three orders of magnitude by controlling relative humidity.
Formation of a homogeneous two-dimensional electron gas in transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures allows for efficient electrical control of charge carriers and excitons.
Indentation in bilayer epitaxial graphene induces its reversible transformation into a diamond-like structure with stiffness and hardness comparable to diamond.
Self-assembled few-layer organic films based on paraffinic tripodal triptycene provide an efficient surface functionalization strategy for high-performance organic electronic devices.
Mapping a moiré pattern in a lateral lattice-mismatched WSe2–MoS2 heterojunction enables determination of the full strain tensor and the study of strain-induced electronic properties.