Physical sciences articles within NPG Asia Materials

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  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Black phase CsPbI3 easily transforms into the non-perovskite yellow phase, while losing the outstanding optoelectronic properties. In this review, the origin of the phase stability in CsPbI3 and strategies to stabilize the black phases exhibiting the α-phase or the relatively easily stabilized β/γ-phases are extensively discussed. Furthermore, a profound analysis of the CsPbI3 stabilization progress and the evolution of the performance efficiency records of black phase CsPbI3 is provided. Lastly, a prospective on future research on CsPbI3 solar cells pinpoints the current challenges and directs future research approaches toward more efficient and stable devices.

    • Handong Jin
    • , Yu-Jia Zeng
    •  & Elke Debroye

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The interfaces linking biological tissues and man-made devices is challenging due to mechanical mismatch, biofouling, and water content. Soft materials such as hydrogels have emerged in diverse applications, however, their unresolved problem is the loss of functions in a short period. This report explores natural connective tissue, called periostracum, which is perfectly bridged between biological tissue and inorganic nonliving shell with high durability for long-lasting functions. Its hierarchically designed strategy provides a novel blueprint to design durable soft materials for the interfacing device into tissue.

    • Hyungbin Kim
    • , Heejin Lim
    •  & Dong Soo Hwang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The structure of a commercially important glass-ceramic ZrO2-doped lithium aluminosilicate system during its initial nucleation stage was investigated by an X-ray multiscale analysis which enables us to observe the structure from the atomic to the nanometer scale by using diffraction, small-angle scattering, absorption, and anomalous scattering techniques. The combinatorial approach revealed that the formation of edge sharing between the ZrOx polyhedra and (Si/Al)O4 tetrahedra, and that the Zr-centric periodic structure in which the local structure of the Zr4+ ions resembled a cubic or tetragonal ZrO2 crystalline phase was potentially the initial crystal nucleus for the Zr-doped lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic.

    • Yohei Onodera
    • , Yasuyuki Takimoto
    •  & Shinji Kohara

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    This research is emphasized particularly on cathodes (such as carbon, metal oxides, MXenes, and redox-active polymers), anodes (such as Zn-based composite materials and Zn-free materials), electrolytes (organic/ionic liquid electrolytes, WiSs, redox electrolytes, polymer or solid electrolytes) as well as the design of a novel device for ZHSCs.

    • Weijia Fan
    • , Faxing Wang
    •  & Yuping Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    We demonstrate the magnetic-field induced reversal of antiferromagnetic spins and the electric field modulation of the switching field. The modulation efficiency is significantly high, greater than 4 T nm/V, and this giant modulation efficiency is attributed to the magnetoelectric effect of the antiferromagnetic Cr2O3. The magnetoelectric (ME) based mechanism provides a scheme for the energy-efficient, nonvolatile, deterministic 180° switching of the magnetic state in the pure antiferromagnetic (AFM) component. This study represents a great advancement in the AFM-based ME random access memory with ultralow writing power, an inherently fast switching speed and superior robustness to the magnetic state.

    • Kakeru Ujimoto
    • , Hiroki Sameshima
    •  & Yu Shiratsuchi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bayesian optimization improved the thermoelectric properties of InGaAsSb thin films; this domain warrants comprehensive investigation due to the need to simultaneously control multiple parameters, such as, the composition, dopant concentration, and film-deposition temperatures. After six optimization cycles, the dimensionless figure of merit exhibited an approximately threefold improvement compared to its values obtained in the random initial experimental trials. These findings not only promote the development of thermoelectric devices based on III–V semiconductors but also highlight the effectiveness of using Bayesian optimization for multicomponent materials.

    • Takamitsu Ishiyama
    • , Koki Nozawa
    •  & Kaoru Toko

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The energy loss mechanism due to magnetostriction was clarified by analytical formulation considering the viscosity of magnetic materials. Effects of magnetostriction have been focused on contributions to magnetic anisotropy. However, our formulation shows that the magnetic anisotropy due to magnetostriction cannot explain excess losses in nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials, and the viscosity causes resistance forces acting on domain wall motions. This viscous resistance dissipates the magnetic energy and generates the energy loss, which has the same frequency dependence as anomalous eddy current loss. The results of this research provide new design criteria for ultra-efficient soft magnetic materials.

    • Hiroshi Tsukahara
    • , Haodong Huang
    •  & Kanta Ono

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A novel magnetic anisotropic hydrogel (MAH) with magnetic and topographic anisotropy was designed by combining static magnetic field-induced magnetic nanomaterials and a hydrogel. The duel anisotropic hydrogel promotes osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs through upregulating SNHG5 and downstream SIRT6, which modulated the level of NOTCH1/2 by antagonizing DNMT1 protein stability.

    • Shijia Tang
    • , Yue Yan
    •  & Ning Gu

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Despite years of exploration, numerous challenges remain unresolved in the field of hydrogels and hydrogel membranes for bone repair. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles and current development status of hydrogel materials for bone repair, including their mechanisms, formation principles, and medical benefits in bone regeneration. Additionally, we summarize recent effective strategies to develop advanced hydrogels and technical approaches for bone repair while also discussing future directions.

    • Wang Ding
    • , Yuxiang Ge
    •  & Xiaofan Yin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The figure depicts a new type of transparent electrode recording array made of vertically aligned zinc oxide nanotubes grown on graphene (top middle). The nanotubes are formed by sharp nanowalls to penetrate the cell (top left) while transparent graphene layers allow imaging the neurons using with conventional microscopy (top right). As a result, simultaneous recording of electrical signals was obtained from multiple neurons at single-cell resolution. Moreover, the signals had distinguishable waveforms that implicated extracellular- and intracellular-like electrophysiological voltage changes (bottom).

    • Jamin Lee
    • , Keundong Lee
    •  & Gyu-Chul Yi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A biodegradable triboelectric nanogenerator made from both natural and synthetic biodegradable materials that is utilized to collect mechanical energy in vivo and transduce it into electricity. Reed film and polylactic acid were chosen among different biodegradable materials as the triboelectric layers due to having the best output performance. The nanogenerator was connected to an interdigital electrode to generate an electric field, which stimulated the accelerated release of doxorubicin from red blood cells in targeted drug delivery systems. The release of doxorubicin normalized, facilitating the precise killing of cancer cells, demonstrating the broad potential in the field of cancer treatments.

    • Gang Jian
    • , Shangtao Zhu
    •  & Ching-Ping Wong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cryomicroneedles (cryoMNs) permit the precise delivery of therapeutic cells into the skin, but are limited by the cold-chain transportation and storage. This article introduces an innovative solution to use a prefabricated porous microneedle scaffold that can be shipped at room temperature and allow on-site cell loading and usage in the clinic (i.e., the second generation cryoMNs or S-cryoMNs). The study investigates the loading and intradermal delivery of three cell types in clinically relevant in vitro and in vivo models, including mesenchymal stem cells for wound healing, melanocytes for vitiligo treatment, and antigen-pulsed dendritic cells for cancer vaccination.

    • Mengjia Zheng
    • , Tianli Hu
    •  & Chenjie Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Topological transition of a bubble to a skyrmion by the controlled magnetic monopoles injection in Fe/Gd magnetic multilayers. The magnetic monopoles injected from the top and bottom surfaces are topologically characterized by Q = −1 and Q = +1, respectively.

    • Hee-Sung Han
    • , Sergio A. Montoya
    •  & Mi-Young Im

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this paper, we report the dimensional control of the interface coupling-induced ferromagnetic phase in perovskite-CaRuO3/infinite-layered-SrCuO2 superlattices. The Hall and magnetoresistance measurements indicate the appearance of an interfacial ferromagnetic state in the originally paramagnetic CaRuO3 layers when the CaRuO3 layer is in proximity to the chain-type SrCuO2 layers; this superlattice has the highest Curie temperature of ~75 K and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Along with the thickness-driven structural transition from chain-type to planar-type of the SrCuO2 layers, the interfacial ferromagnetic order gradually deteriorates and finally disappears.

    • Li Zhe
    • , Shi Wenxiao
    •  & Jirong Sun

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Wearable devices provide an alternative way to clinically diagnose respiratory diseases in a non-invasive and real-time manner. In this review, we summarize the recent developments in the field of wearable respiratory sensors, including the methods to synthesize various sensing materials, the ways to improve respiratory sensing performances, and the feature comparison among different sensing materials. We also summarize the concentrations, sources and associated diseases of various biomarkers in exhaled gas. Finally, we discuss current trends in the field to provide predictions for the future trajectory of wearable respiratory sensors.

    • Zhifu Yin
    • , Yang Yang
    •  & Xue Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    We investigate the anomalous transverse conductivities of a two-dimensional (2D) magnetic Fe3GaTe2 system (monolayer to four-layer thickness). A giant anomalous thermal Hall conductivity (ATHC) of -0.14 W/K.m is obtained in the four-layer structure, and this value is comparable to the typical ATHC found in bulk materials which is rare to find in low-dimensional systems. Our findings suggest that the ultra-thin 2D Fe3GaTe2 system could be a promising platform for future spintronics and spin caloritronics device applications.

    • Brahim Marfoua
    •  & Jisang Hong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The ultrabroadband absorptive refractory plasmonics is demonstrated with TiN and TiO2 deposited onto an anodized aluminum oxide template. The absorber shows ultrabroadband absorption in the solar spectrum (400–2500 nm). Furthermore, the absorber shows an extended hot carrier lifetime and improved efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen production. This novel ultrabroadband absorber has great potential to provide a sustainable and cost-effective route for hydrogen generation from solar energy.

    • Myeongcheol Go
    • , Inju Hong
    •  & Jin Kon Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnonic noise has unveiled magnon dynamics, including nonlinear scattering processes.

    • Ryo Furukawa
    • , Shoki Nezu
    •  & Koji Sekiguchi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study explores a novel approach to achieve field-free current-driven spin–orbit torque switching of perpendicular magnetization for MRAM applications. By adjusting growth protocols in Pt-based magnetic heterostructures, a previously overlooked laterally tilted texture and magnetic anisotropy are harnessed. These findings allow deterministic switching of perpendicular magnetization without an external magnetic field. Contrary to conventional assumptions, the observed nonlinear dependence on current density resembles a damping-like torque, challenging previous notions about its origin.

    • Chen-Yu Hu
    • , Wei-De Chen
    •  & Chi-Feng Pai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Schematic illustrations of the changes in the magnetic anisotropy by an applied electric field (E) in the strain directions are displayed. Under an applied E, the piezoelectric stress in the ferroelectric PMN-PT could be introduced in the tensile and compressive directions using positive and negative bias voltages, respectively, resulting in the changes in the magnetic anisotropy in the Co2FeSi layer. The XMCD spectra of Fe and Co L-edges in Co2FeSi under applying E showed the line shape changes only in the Fe site, which corresponds to the changes of orbital magnetic moment in Fe, while that in Co remains unchanged.

    • Jun Okabayashi
    • , Takamasa Usami
    •  & Kohei Hamaya

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The fabrication and development of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) with exceptional functionalities is a rapidly expanding field. The extrinsic factors, such as the existence of grains and different phases, would complicate understanding the physical phenomena. We classified the epitaxial system into atomic-site disordered (ASD) and amorphous system into structurally disordered (SD) states, respectively, to exclude the extrinsic effects of HEAs. With a comprehensive study of the magnetic and transport properties, we can further promote the research of high entropy systems.

    • Jia-Wei Chen
    • , Shih-Hsun Chen
    •  & Ying-Hao Chu

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Oxide-based thermoelectric materials that exhibit a high figure of merit are promising because of their good chemical and thermal stabilities and their relative harmlessness compared with chalcogenide-based state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials. The layered barium-cobalt oxide (Ba1/3CoO2) exhibits a record-high ZT of 0.55 at 600 °C in air. The increase in ZT is directly originated by the decreased thermal conductivity of Ba1/3CoO2. As we hypothesized, the greater the atomic mass, the lower the thermal conductivity, resulting in higher ZT. The ZT is reliable and the highest among thermoelectric oxides. Moreover, this value is comparable to those of p-type PbTe and p-type SiGe.

    • Yuqiao Zhang
    •  & Hiromichi Ohta

  • Article
    | Open Access

    With the use of a fluorine-containing block providing a surface tension as low as that of PDMS (19.9 < \(\gamma\) < 21.5 mN/m), the PDMS-b-PPeFPA copolymer is synthesized to create a volume-symmetric lamellar structure. Under the symmetric confinement with simultaneous dual neutral interfaces, lamellar microdomains with a sub-10 nm half-pitch feature size are successfully oriented perpendicular to the interfaces at room temperature (RT). Together with unidirectionally aligned perpendicular lamellae along the electric vector in a short period (0.5 h) at RT, we demonstrate a unidirectional alignment of the perpendicular air–inorganic (oxidized PDMS) lamellae between the electrodes.

    • Seungbae Jeon
    • , Seungjae Lee
    •  & Du Yeol Ryu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Two-dimensional semiconductors are considered as field-effect transistors to overcome short channel effects and reduce the device size. As contacts to the metallic electrodes are decisive for the device performance, we study the electronic properties of contacts between Janus MoSSe and various two-dimensional metals. We demonstrate that weak interactions at these van der Waals contacts suppress Fermi level pinning and show that ohmic contacts can be formed for both terminations of Janus MoSSe, generating favorable transport characteristics.

    • Ning Zhao
    • , Shubham Tyagi
    •  & Udo Schwingenschlögl

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Malaria continues to be among the most lethal infectious diseases. In the last two decades, we have witnessed unprecedented success in reducing the mortality rate. With the UN resolution of eradicating malaria by 2030 approaching fast, the scientific community has devoted substantial attention to interdisciplinary research using the latest opto-/magnetic-based technologies to detect a novel biomarker coming from the malarial pigment (hemozoin), which also carries vital information for discovering targeted drugs. This perspective article looks into the growing interest in this field and discusses the practical applicability of these sensing technologies.

    • Ashutosh Rathi
    • , Z. Chowdhry
    •  & Weng Kung Peng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A WO3 nanoneedle film was developed for a gas sensor to detect low concentrations of acetone gas, which is a diabetes biomarker. The sensor exhibited a high response (19.72) to 10 ppmv acetone gas. The sensor also exhibited a high response (25.36) to 1 ppmv NO2, which is related to asthma. The limits of detection for acetone and NO2 gases were estimated to be 2.4 and 1.5 ppbv, respectively. The sensor exhibited superior ability to detect low concentrations of biomarker gases. The unique characteristics of the WO3 nanoneedle film contributed to its high response rates.

    • Yoshitake Masuda
    •  & Ayako Uozumi

  • Perspective
    | Open Access

    This perspective highlights recent applications of ionogels that take advantage of their ionic conductivity, nonvolatility, and high thermal and electrochemical stability. Examples include sensors, batteries, electronics, 3D printing, and adhesives. Improving the mechanical properties of ionogels broadens the application space; thus, simple strategies to achieve tough ionogels are introduced. Finally, the potential applications and future opportunities of ionogels are discussed.

    • Meixiang Wang
    • , Jian Hu
    •  & Michael D. Dickey

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this work, 3D printing shape of memory polymer (SMP) based smart structures is conducted using a Digital light processing 3D printer and a customized resin in combination with liquid crystals. Lattice structures are fabricated and programmed to achieve tunable mechanical properties. The strain-sensing response is measured to demonstrate the utility of these lattice structures as smart patches for joint movement sensing. Changes in the electrical resistance are measured during the stretching and compression of the structure. The SMPs can be prepared conveniently and can potentially be used for various applications, such as smart tools, toys, and meta-material sensors.

    • Fahad Alam
    • , Jabir Ubaid
    •  & Nazek El-Atab

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Osmotic energy generation, using aramid nanofiber (ANF) semiconductor membranes for light-driven proton transport, displayed wavelength and intensity-dependent potential and current under unilateral illumination. The simultaneous application of illumination and pressure led to a five-fold voltage increase and a three-fold current increase. Density functional theory calculations and spectroscopic measurements confirmed ANF’s role in photoinduced proton transport. This research has significant implications for developing flexible, stable ANF membrane-based energy devices.

    • Cheng Chen
    • , Yunxiao Lin
    •  & Dan Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling molecular spin quantum bits optically could help us reduce decoherence and raise the working temperature of quantum computing. Here we show theoretically exchange interactions and spin dynamics could be mediated by optically driven triplet state, leading to quantum gate operations. This indicates a great potential for radical as molecular building block for quantum circuits. A molecular quantum architecture, combining molecular network and nano-photonics, was also proposed. We thus expect the computational exploration of chemical database for molecular quantum computing. This work would therefore open up a new direction to use optical instruments and ‘Click Chemistry’ towards molecular quantum technology.

    • Tianhong Huang
    • , Jiawei Chang
    •  & Wei Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ba0.95La0.05SnO3 epitaxial films grown on (0001)-oriented Al2O3 with a BaZrO3/MgO template bilayer exhibit lower sheet resistance by three orders of magnitude compared with template-free films. These epitaxial films with single-crystalline level properties, including high ultraviolet‒visible transmittance (~82%) and high electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (~18.6 dB at 10 GHz), can be used for the development of stable and inexpensive optoelectronic and energy applications of epitaxial BLSO films grown on Al2O3.

    • Youngkyoung Ha
    • , Jingyeong Jeon
    •  & Shinbuhm Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Inspired by Bouligand structure in the dactyl club of the mantis shrimp, direct ink writing is used to 3D print Bouligand composites reinforced with glass microfibres at controllable pitch angles. The Bouligand composites with a pitch angle of 40˚ exhibited a maximum energy absorption of 2.4 kJ/m2, which was 140 % higher than the unidirectional composites. The topography of the fractured surface supplemented with numerical simulations revealed the combination of crack twisting and crack bridging mechanisms. These findings have implications for the microstructural design of engineered composites using direct ink writing for applications in aerospace, transportation, defense, etc.

    • Lizhi Guan
    • , Weixiang Peng
    •  & Hortense Le Ferrand

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this work, by involving high-energy scanning X-ray diffraction strain mapping, we identify and distinguish between structural and elastic heterogeneity in the extremely rejuvenated metallic glasses under triaxial compression. Microindentation hardness hints at an unsymmetrical hardening/softening picture and further reveals the complementary effects of stress and structure modulation. Our results suggest that simultaneous stress and structural modulation can be used to enhance rejuvenation beyond the limits known to date, and may therefore aid in the design of MGs with enhanced ductility and strain-hardening capability.

    • Daniel Şopu
    • , Florian Spieckermann
    •  & Jürgen Eckert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    III-V commercial optical semiconductor GaP crystalizes in either zincblende or wurtzite structure at ambient pressure. Zincblende GaP transforms into orthorhombic phase across a critical pressure during compression, accompanying piezochromic transition, metallization and superconductivity. Upon decompression, superconductivity could be preserved toward ambient pressure and displays broadening features due to amorphization. It reveals the presence of two high-pressure superconducting phases.

    • Nixian Qian
    • , Chunhua Chen
    •  & Zhaorong Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A molecular imaging-based strategy was proposed for precise diagnosing the depression through specifically visualizing the inflammation status associated with depressed brain. The inflammation-targeting MRI nanoprobe that can specifically target the inflamed vascular endothelial cells was constructed through attaching the ICAM-1 targeting peptides on biocompatible Fe3O4 nanoparticle. Through nanoprobe-based SWI, the spatial distribution of inflammation in depressed brain can be mapped in vivo. This strategy not only facilitate insight into the biological mechanism underlying depression, but also provide a target within the depressed brain for the further development of anti-inflammatory therapies.

    • Peisen Zhang
    • , Jiaoqiong Guan
    •  & Yue Lan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The rise of three-dimensional topological insulators as an attractive playground for the observation and control of various spin-orbit effects has ushered in the field of topological spintronics. To fully exploit their potential as efficient spin-orbit torque generators, investigating the efficiency of spin injection and transport at various topological insulator/ferromagnet interfaces is crucial. Here, using all-optical time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometry, we demonstrate efficient room-temperature spin pumping in Sub/BiSbTe1.5Se1.5(BSTS)/Co20Fe60B20(CoFeB)/SiO2 thin films characterized by the spin-mixing conductances of the interface and the spin diffusion length in BSTS, and obtain an ultrahigh interfacial spin transparency.

    • Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
    • , Pratap Kumar Pal
    •  & Anjan Barman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    We present a strategy for significantly increasing the H contents on catalysts for the HER in alkaline electrolyte solutions, which were generated by combining ruthenium with HxYO2−x on an oxygen vacancy-rich graphene system. This strategy greatly increased the hydrogen coverage on the RuYO2−x/C catalyst to enhance the HER performance.

    • Xiang Li
    • , Wei Deng
    •  & Fei Jiang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    An interfacial co-assembly strategy for synthesizing gradient mesoporous hollow silica sheets is reported. The SO42− and NH4+ were aggregated by protonated amphiphilic polymer PVP and formed (NH4)2SO4 crystals at the n-pentanol-water interface. Negatively charged silica oligomers can be confined on the (NH4)2SO4 crystal surface by the Coulomb interaction of NH4+ and co-assembled with CTAB under the catalysis of ammonia molecules. After removing the (NH4)2SO4 cores and CTAB template by washing and extraction, the first layer of mesoporous hollow silica was formed. Modulating the n-pentanol-water interface to n-hexane-water interface, n-hexane swelled CTAB micelle co-assembled with silica oligomers and formed the second layer of mesoporous silica with larger pore size. The finally obtained gradient mesoporous silica sheet shows remarkable gradient rejection rates for molecules with different sizes.

    • Yangbo Dong
    • , Danyang Feng
    •  & Zhen-An Qiao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Precisely tunable high-entropy oxides (HEO) via controllable one-step combustion within a few seconds offers the rational design capability of optimal phases, structures and configurational entropy. The screened HEO-based anodes exhibit outstanding specific capacity (1165 mAh g−1, 80.9% retention at 0.1 A g−1, and 791 mAh g−1 even at 3 A g−1), excellent rate capability, and stable cycling life (1252 mAh g−1, 80.9% retention after 100 cycles at 0.2 A g−1).

    • Dongjoon Shin
    • , Seunghoon Chae
    •  & Wonjoon Choi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    We observed a pressure-induced semiconductor-metal transition, which was followed by the emergence of superconductivity in the nonsymmorphic topological insulator KHgAs. The superconducting transition temperature reaches a maximum of approximately 6.6 K at 31.8 GPa, after which it slightly decreases up to 55 GPa. We identified the pressure-induced phase transitions and determined the structures of three high-pressure phases of KHgAs through structure prediction. Our findings establish the high-pressure phase diagram of the hourglass fermion compound KHgAs and demonstrate the potential coexistence of superconductivity with a topologically nontrivial feature protected by nonsymmorphic symmetries.

    • Guangyang Dai
    • , Yating Jia
    •  & Changqing Jin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The low coercivity in Nd-Fe-B-based magnets, which is limited to around 20% of the anisotropy field (HA) of the main phase, is a bottleneck for their usage at elevated temperatures. Herein, we overcome the limit and demonstrate a coercivity of 40% HA by tuning the magnetism of grain boundaries, enabling their applications at elevated temperatures.

    • Xin Tang
    • , Jiangnan Li
    •  & Kazuhiro Hono

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A two-dimensional array of magnetostrictive nanomagnets was used to demonstrate strong coupling between two different magnons (kM1′ and kM1′′) mediated by a phonon (kph). The coupling is strong, leading to the formation of a new quasi-particle – binary magnon-polaron. These two different magnons show 180° phase difference which is reminiscent of dark magnon modes. We show that it is possible to engineer this magnon-phonon coupling by choosing the frequency and wavelength of the acoustic wave to match the frequency and wavelength of the spin wave, the latter being controlled by a magnetic field.

    • Sudip Majumder
    • , J. L. Drobitch
    •  & Anjan Barman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This work presents a design guide for anlog memristive devices for artificial synapses in neuromorphic computing. Ge implanted a-Si serves multiple fuctions to induce multifilamentary switching and prevent silicide formation. The linear synapse update behaviors were observed thanks to multi-filament formation, which was confirmed by TEM.

    • Keonhee Kim
    • , Jae Gwang Lim
    •  & Inho Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A facile and scalable approach was developed using ultrafine bubble (UFB)-assisted heteroagglomeration to fabricate high-concentration, impurity-free nanoceramic/metal composite powders for additive manufacturin. Individual ZrO2 or Al2O3 nanoparticles up to ~10 wt% were homogeneously decorated on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V powders through the bridging effect of the negatively charged UFBs. The nanoceramics were completely decomposed and dissolved into the matrix upon laser irradiation; therefore, a unique Ti nanocomposite exhibiting both high strength and ductility was obtained.

    • Mingqi Dong
    • , Weiwei Zhou
    •  & Naoyuki Nomura

  • Article
    | Open Access

    We evaluated the liquid fragility and structural and dynamic heterogeneity of glassy solids. The most fragile alloy exhibited the maximum dynamic heterogeneity in the mechanical unfreezing process. We observed that atomic displacement significantly correlated with degrees of clustering of local atomic orders. The clustering produced during the glass-forming quenching process enhanced structural and dynamic heterogeneities. Therefore, there are correlations among liquid fragility, dynamic heterogeneity in liquid alloys, and dynamic and structural heterogeneities in glassy solids. In addition, the alloy with the most fragility exhibited the largest difference in atomic mobility between the densely and loosely packed local atomic orders.

    • Masato Wakeda
    •  & Tetsu Ichitsubo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A liquid–solid dual-phase magnetoactive microlattice metamaterial composed of flexible 3D-printed polymer shell and magnetorheological (MR) fluid has been designed and fabricated. The MR fluid-filled magnetoactive microlattices demonstrated remarkable recoverability (~50%) and be substantially stiffened in the presence of a magnetic field, with an ~200% increment in stiffness at 60 mT. Based on specific applications, the mechanical properties of this magnetoactive microlattice metamaterial can be modulated on demand, leading to certain programmable stress-strain behavior.

    • Wenqiang Zhang
    • , Jingzhuo Zhou
    •  & Yang Lu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Drawing inspiration from the structural attributes of mussels, we have introduced a riveting layer into our hydrogel-plastic hybrids, facilitating robust bonding between hydrogel networks and plastic substrates. This work underscores the immense potential and advantages that this integration of hydrogels and plastics holds, especially in the development of intelligent robotics.

    • Zhixuan Wen
    • , Teng Zhou
    •  & Lei Jiang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this work, we report a strategy with which to realize efficient manipulation of CNT networks by forming double networks with branched polyethylenimine (PEI). The double network was highly viscoelastic and ductile and enabled efficient film stretching or creeping for CNT alignment, which dramatically improved the mechanical strengths of the CNT films. Due to viscous drag from the polymer network, the CNTs showed enhanced movability in reconstructing new networks, which made the film repairable. The repairability resulted from the branched polymeric structure. This double-networking strategy provides a new way to manipulate CNT assemblies for high-performance applications.

    • Xiaohua Zhang
    • , Xin Wang
    •  & Qingwen Li

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