Techniques and instrumentation articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The design of programmable artificial photosynthetic cells is hindered by the requirement for cofactor generation for the biocatalytic module. Here, the authors report on the design of artificial photosynthetic cells using biotic–abiotic thylakoid–CdTe as hybrid energy modules, which enhance the regeneration of NADPH, NADH and ATP cofactors without external supplements by promoting proton-coupled electron transfer.

    • Feng Gao
    • , Guangyu Liu
    •  & Yujie Xiong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electron holography and microscopy have long been used to map static electric and magnetic fields. Here, authors establish Lorentz Microscopy of Optical Fields, a new technique that uses the deflection and interference of an electron beam to obtain phase-resolved images of nanoscale optical fields.

    • John H. Gaida
    • , Hugo Lourenço-Martins
    •  & Claus Ropers

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) normally ensure authentication of small physical objects. Here, instead, the authors observe that also rooms and buildings can serve as PUFs. They apply this insight to monitor the integrity of enclosed environments, such as art galleries, bank vaults, or data centers.

    • Johannes Tobisch
    • , Sébastien Philippe
    •  & Ulrich Rührmair

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Correlated disorder can lead to phenomena that are inaccessible to ordered structures. Here the authors show that local order principles can be directly derived from the three-dimensional difference pair distribution function based on the single crystal diffuse scattering in 3D electron diffraction data from nanometre sized crystals.

    • Ella Mara Schmidt
    • , Paul Benjamin Klar
    •  & Lukas Palatinus

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this work, authors demonstrate a fast and versatile microprinting technique to produce high-performance and customizable piezoelectric elements by employing a conductive spiny disc to electrostatically trigger instability to the liquid-air interface of the ink.

    • Xuemu Li
    • , Zhuomin Zhang
    •  & Zhengbao Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A critical step to enable practical structural superlubricity (SSL) applications is to enable high throughput to both fabrication and performance evaluation. Here, the authors demonstrate an automated system for efficient and multiple SSL materials transfer and tribological measurement.

    • Li Chen
    • , Cong Lin
    •  & Ming Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Crystal dissolution has been predominately viewed as a process of ion-by-ion detachment into a surrounding solvent. Here, the authors report an alternative mechanism of dissolution by particle detachment.

    • Guomin Zhu
    • , Benjamin A. Legg
    •  & James J. De Yoreo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Under-liquid joining of metals has far-reaching implications for energy storage, space exploration, offshore mining and defense. Here, the authors report an alternative method to join metallic glasses firmly under water, seawater, flammable alcohol and even cryogenic liquid nitrogen.

    • Luyao Li
    • , Xin Li
    •  & Jiang Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nanodiamonds containing NV centers are promising electron paramagnetic resonance sensors, however applications are hindered by their random orientation. Qin et al. propose a new protocol that makes the technique insensitive to the sensor’s orientation and present a proof-of-principle in situ demonstration.

    • Zhuoyang Qin
    • , Zhecheng Wang
    •  & Jiangfeng Du

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chiral materials with strong and tunable chiroptical activities are highly desirable. Here, the authors employ an AI-guided robotic platform to fully execute a cyclic process to perform inverse design and fabricate chiral films with target chiroptical performance.

    • Yifan Xie
    • , Shuo Feng
    •  & Gang Zou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Observing the evolution of the solid electrolyte interphase on SiOx-based electrodes in Li-ion batteries is challenging. Here, authors use three-dimensional tomography to visualize the growth of the interphase on single SiOx particles and propose a mechanical confinement strategy to prevent aging.

    • Guoyu Qian
    • , Yiwei Li
    •  & Feng Pan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Radiolysis is known for damaging crystals. Here, using STEM, researchers observed radiolysis-driven bond-breakage, atomic movements, & crystal restructuring in rutile TiO2, and proposed a “2-step rolling” model of building blocks. These results open possibilities for constructive use of radiolysis.

    • Silu Guo
    • , Hwanhui Yun
    •  & K. Andre Mkhoyan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mechanical and thermal properties of semicrystalline polymers are governed by the hierarchical structure comprising lamellar crystals, but the tilt angles of the molecular chains in the lamellae and their origin remains controversial. Here, the authors report a direct determination of molecular chain orientation in the lamellar crystals of high-density polyethylene using electron-diffraction based imaging with nanometre-scale positional resolution.

    • Shusuke Kanomi
    • , Hironori Marubayashi
    •  & Hiroshi Jinnai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Analysis of experimental data in condensed matter is often challenging due to system complexity and slow character of physical simulations. The authors propose a framework that combines machine learning with theoretical calculations to enable real-time analysis for electron, neutron, and x-ray spectroscopies.

    • Sathya R. Chitturi
    • , Zhurun Ji
    •  & Joshua J. Turner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors correlate the position and spectral emission properties of single photon emitters in monolayer WSe2 with the surrounding local strain potential by combining deep-subwavelength photoluminescence imaging and atomic force microscopy, providing insights on the microscopic mechanisms behind the formation of the quantum emitters.

    • Artem N. Abramov
    • , Igor Y. Chestnov
    •  & Vasily Kravtsov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Demand for data recovery from monolithic storage devices is high but current methods are inefficient. Here, authors develop a robotic OCT-guided inspection and microsurgery method, minimizing damage to device and enhancing data recovery efficiency.

    • Bin He
    • , Yuxin Zhang
    •  & Ning Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Carbon is a key support for metal-catalyzed acetylene hydrochlorination to vinyl chloride but its role remains elusive. Here, the authors, by means of operando spectroscopy, demonstrate the co-catalytic function of neighboring carbon and isolated metal atoms, constituting the active ensemble.

    • Vera Giulimondi
    • , Andrea Ruiz-Ferrando
    •  & Javier Pérez-Ramírez

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Modern microscopes can image a sample with sub-Angstrom and sub-picosecond resolutions, but this often requires analysis of tremendously large datasets. Here, the authors demonstrate that an autonomous experiment can yield over a 70% reduction in dataset size while still producing high-fidelity images of the sample.

    • Saugat Kandel
    • , Tao Zhou
    •  & Mathew J. Cherukara

  • Comment
    | Open Access

    Adopting standardized and reliable methodologies to accurately measure particle removal efficiency when developing fibrous materials for controlling airborne contamination is crucial. Here, the authors recommend best practices for experimental assessments and reporting to ensure a reliable evaluation of new airborne particle filtration media and technologies.

    • Paolo Tronville
    • , Vincenzo Gentile
    •  & Jesus Marval

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Kagome materials, such as CsV3Sb5, a rich array of correlated phase, including a time-reversal symmetry breaking phase, which could possibly be the result of loop currents. Attempts to verify this with magneto-optical measurements have yielded mixed results. Here, Farhang et al show that the magneto-optical signals are due to specular optical rotation. ‘

    • Camron Farhang
    • , Jingyuan Wang
    •  & Jing Xia

  • Article
    | Open Access

    By carefully inducing twists or lattice stacking offsets between two adjacent van der Waals crystals, a superlattice potential can be introduced. This Moire lattice offers an incredibly rich physics, ranging from superconductivity to exotic magnetism, depending on van der Waals materials in question. Here, Du et al. study the magnetic domains in twisted CrI3, and show that despite this domain structure, spin fluctuations are spatially homogenous.

    • Mengqi Huang
    • , Zeliang Sun
    •  & Chunhui Rita Du

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electron detectors used in electron microscope are often unable to provide quantified information without calibration. Here, by combining existing detectors with hardware signal processing, the authors demonstrated that the detectors can be run in an electron counting mode enabling imaging at faster speeds, at lower electron doses, and reduces the barrier to quantitative measurements.

    • Jonathan J. P. Peters
    • , Tiarnan Mullarkey
    •  & Lewys Jones

  • Article
    | Open Access

    pH alterations are a hallmark of many pathologies including cancer and kidney disease. Here the authors describe [1,5- 13 C2]Z-OMPD as a probe for hyperpolarized 13C-MRI with good pH sensitivity and hyperpolarization properties which combined with tailored MRI protocols allow sub-minute imaging of pH, renal perfusion and filtration simultaneously.

    • Martin Grashei
    • , Pascal Wodtke
    •  & Franz Schilling

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors present crackling noise microscopy, a method for measurement of the crackling of individual nanoscale features based on AFM nanoindentation. They use it to investigate crackling noise and avalanches in the domains and domain walls of ferroelectric materials.

    • Cam-Phu Thi Nguyen
    • , Peggy Schoenherr
    •  & Jan Seidel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding the mechanical properties of materials is critical in many fields, from soft hydrogels to biological tissues, yet current measurement methods lack the spatial and time resolution to characterize samples with complex structures. Here, the authors show non-invasive elastography technique offering advancements in resolution, sensitivity, and measurement frequencies.

    • Xu Feng
    • , Guo-Yang Li
    •  & Seok-Hyun Yun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Manufacturing metallized arrays of 3D nanoarchitectures is generally limited by existing lithographic methods. Here, by manipulating applied electric and flow fields, authors demonstrate fast 3D nanoprinting of nanostructured arrays of multiple materials and geometries over millimetre-scale areas.

    • Bingyan Liu
    • , Shirong Liu
    •  & Jicheng Feng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Real-time monitoring of coatings erosive wear is critical to mitigate safety and financial concerns in many applications. Here, authors show a non-destructive inspection system with AI-enabled microwave resonators and a smart monitoring circuitry to identify and estimate wear depth and rate of eroded layers.

    • Vishal Balasubramanian
    • , Omid Niksan
    •  & Mohammad H. Zarifi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electrospray deposition is a promising technique for depositing functional coatings at the micro-/nano-scale. Here, the authors establish the necessary conditions for high efficiency electrospray deposition of small targets, establishing promise as an alternative to other conformal coating methods.

    • Sarah H. Park
    • , Lin Lei
    •  & Jonathan P. Singer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Testing general relativity with optical clocks is important both as a fundamental test and for metrological applications. Here, a vertical linear array of 5 separate ensembles of strontium atoms trapped in a single optical lattice is used to perform a blinded lab-based test of the gravitational redshift at the mm to cm scale.

    • Xin Zheng
    • , Jonathan Dolde
    •  & Shimon Kolkowitz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The application of time-resolved photoemission electron microscopy (TR-PEEM) to non-conducting materials is challenging. Here, the authors report the TR-PEEM characterization of near-field dielectric modes and photoemission properties of insulating hexagonal boron nitride structures on indium tin oxide/glass substrates.

    • Yaolong Li
    • , Pengzuo Jiang
    •  & Qihuang Gong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Angular-resolved photoemission data is commonly used to determine the 3D electronic structure assuming free-electron final states. Strocov et al. show that even at high excitation energies the complexity of final states in various materials can go far beyond the free-electron picture.

    • V. N. Strocov
    • , L. L. Lev
    •  & J. Minár

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here authors use iDPC-STEM to directly image the rotation of linkers in MOFs, demonstrating an approach to study the local flexibility. They show that the dynamic properties of UiO-66-X are likely correlated to their macroscopic properties of CO2 uptake.

    • Boyang Liu
    • , Xiao Chen
    •  & Tiefeng Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The utility of microfluidic devices has been limited by several drawbacks including low resolution, inferior feature fidelity, poor repeatability. Here the authors address these challenges by developing a strategic approach of image guided in-situ maskless lithography to fabricate a variety of microfluidic devices and resolve critical proximity effect and size limitations in rapid prototyping.

    • Ratul Paul
    • , Yuwen Zhao
    •  & Yaling Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors present μeV electron spectromicroscopy, a technique that combines free-space light and electron beams to achieve unmatched spatial and spectral resolution. This approach enables detailed investigation of photonic structures, promising advancements in microscopy and quantum optics.

    • Yves Auad
    • , Eduardo J. C. Dias
    •  & Mathieu Kociak

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Volumetric additive manufacturing generally suffers from systematic undercuring of fine features, which limits its application range. Here, authors develop a model to predict print time variation with feature size and propose a deconvolution method, enabling precise fabrication of intricate structures.

    • Antony Orth
    • , Daniel Webber
    •  & Chantal Paquet

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recent electron microscopy techniques have attracted significant attention for their ability to image electric fields at the atomic level. Here, the authors investigate the possibility to separate the charge density contributions of core and valence electrons in monolayer MoS2, highlighting the limitations induced by the electron probe shape.

    • Joel Martis
    • , Sandhya Susarla
    •  & Arun Majumdar

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mechanical and electrical properties of liquid-metal particle fibers are limited by incompatible coating techniques. Here, Lee et. al. present a solution shearing-based deposition technique for high performance bi-layer stretchable fibers, showcasing applications in smart clothing and 1D bioelectronics.

    • Gun-Hee Lee
    • , Do Hoon Lee
    •  & Steve Park

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The reliable fabrication of 2D heterostructures with controllable moiré patterns is important for the investigation of their emergent physical properties. Here, the authors report an alignment technique enabling the fabrication of double-aligned hBN/graphene/hBN supermoiré lattice structures with a yield close to 100%.

    • Junxiong Hu
    • , Junyou Tan
    •  & A. Ariando

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors utilized an evolutionary algorithm and artificial intelligence to design new basic 2D biomolecular NMR experiments to accelerate the acquisition of large biomolecular spectra. The method enables recording the spectra of poorly soluble or unstable macromolecules and analyzing the kinetics of biomolecular aggregation and oligomerization. The authors laid the foundation for accelerating multidimensional NMR experiments at high and ultra-high magnetic fields.

    • V. S. Manu
    • , Cristina Olivieri
    •  & Gianluigi Veglia

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPhPs) in anisotropic van der Waals materials hold promise for nanophotonic applications, but their far-field characterization remains challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate the application of Raman spectroscopy in a backscattering configuration to determine the dispersion of HPhPs in thin GaSe crystals.

    • Alaric Bergeron
    • , Clément Gradziel
    •  & Sébastien Francoeur

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The existence of peripheric charged groups on poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAM) microgels together with the corresponding counter ion clouds has been proposed to be responsible for the spontaneous deswelling of pNIPAM microgels in concentrated suspensions but no direct measurement of such an ionic cloud exists. Here, the authors use small-angle neutron scattering with contrast variation with different ions to isolate the change in the form factor directly related to the counterion cloud and obtain its radius and width.

    • Boyang Zhou
    • , Urs Gasser
    •  & Alberto Fernandez-Nieves

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