Focus 26 January 2021

Applied physics and mathematics

This page aims to highlight the most interesting papers published in Nature Communications in the interdisciplinary areas where diverse approaches at the boundaries of physics, mathematics, materials science and engineering take place to create new research opportunities.

Featured articles

Suppression of hollow droplet rebound on super-repellent surfaces

So far, attempts to prevent droplet rebound rely on augmenting energy dissipation. Here, the authors present that the rebound of hollow droplets is suppressed even on super-repellent surfaces, reminiscent of zero-surface-tension liquid droplets.
- Ying Zhou
- Chenguang Zhang
- Pingan Zhu
ArticleOpen Access4 Sep 2023 Nature Communications
Magnetic Janus origami robot for cross-scale droplet omni-manipulation

Current droplet manipulation techniques have limitations such as applying to a large scale of volume or of on-demand droplet release. Here using a magnetic actuated Janus origami robot, Jiang et al. present a strategy to achieve omni-manipulation of micro and nanoliter droplets.
- Shaojun Jiang
- Bo Li
- Yanlei Hu
ArticleOpen Access6 Sep 2023 Nature Communications
High performance mechano-optoelectronic molecular switch

To date the performance of molecular electronics compared to silicon limits their applications. Yang et al. develop the first mechano-optoelectronic switch based on mechanically controlled aggregation-induced emission of the self-assembled molecules, which can be reversibly switched at high speed.
- Zhenyu Yang
- Pierre-André Cazade
- Yuan Li
ArticleOpen Access13 Sep 2023 Nature Communications
Synchronization in collectively moving inanimate and living active matter

Collective motion arises from the coordination of individuals and entails the adjustment of their respective velocities. Yet, how individuals achieve this coordination is often not understood. For migrating cells and motorized agents, Riedl et al. show that the synchronization of the intrinsic oscillator through nearest neighbour coupling establishes the necessary feedback leading to a uniform speed within the collective.
- Michael Riedl
- Isabelle Mayer
- Björn Hof
ArticleOpen Access13 Sep 2023 Nature Communications
Directed exciton transport highways in organic semiconductors

Optical properties of organic semiconductors enable various optoelectronic applications. Müller et al. report a large exciton bandwidth in a crystalline organic material and attribute it to the strong Coulomb interaction in directed exciton pathways induced by the donor–acceptor type molecular structure.
- Kai Müller
- Karl S. Schellhammer
- Frank Ortmann
ArticleOpen Access12 Sep 2023 Nature Communications
Machine learning the dimension of a Fano variety

Fano varieties are mathematical shapes that are basic units in geometry, they are challenging to classify in high dimensions. The authors introduce a machine learning approach that picks out geometric structure from complex mathematical data where rigorous analytical methods are lacking.
- Tom Coates
- Alexander M. Kasprzyk
- Sara Veneziale
ArticleOpen Access8 Sep 2023 Nature Communications
Transfer Learning with Kernel Methods

Transfer learning can be applied in computer vision and natural language processing to utilize knowledge from a source task to improve performance on a target task. The authors propose a framework for transfer learning with kernel methods for improved image classification and virtual drug screening.
- Adityanarayanan Radhakrishnan
- Max Ruiz Luyten
- Caroline Uhler
ArticleOpen Access9 Sep 2023 Nature Communications
Zero-shot visual reasoning through probabilistic analogical mapping

Inspired by human analogical reasoning in cognitive science, the authors propose an approach combining deep learning systems with an analogical reasoning mechanism, to detect abstract similarity in real-world images without intensive training in reasoning tasks.
- Taylor Webb
- Shuhao Fu
- Hongjing Lu
ArticleOpen Access24 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
Universal patterns in egocentric communication networks

Personal communication networks through mobile phones and online platforms can be characterized by patterns of tie strengths. The authors propose a model to explain driving mechanisms of emerging tie strength heterogeneity in social networks, observing similarity of patterns across various datasets.
- Gerardo Iñiguez
- Sara Heydari
- Jari Saramäki
ArticleOpen Access26 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
Direction-dependent dynamics of colloidal particle pairs and the Stokes-Einstein relation in quasi-two-dimensional fluids

Hydrodynamics and correlated motion of colloids in the near-field interactions are not fully understood. The authors report the motion of particles in particle-pairs is direction-dependent in the near-field and that the Stokes-Einstein relation is not applicable in this case.
- Noman Hanif Barbhuiya
- A. G. Yodh
- Chandan K. Mishra
ArticleOpen Access22 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
Toughening colloidal gels using rough building blocks

The slightest deformation in the colloidal gels made by smooth particles causes them to transition from a solid to a liquid state. The authors develop a surface grafting technique using click-like chemistry to functionalize particles and show that the rough particle gel is much tougher.
- Florence J. Müller
- Lucio Isa
- Jan Vermant
ArticleOpen Access31 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
Emerging exotic compositional order on approaching low-temperature equilibrium glasses

Understanding glass transition would rely on the knowledge of the structural ordering upon slow cooling in the absence of crystallization or phase separation. The authors identify exotic compositional order, not accompanied by any thermodynamic signature, directly impacts the structural relaxation dynamics.
- Hua Tong
- Hajime Tanaka
ArticleOpen Access7 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
In situ observation of coalescence of nuclei in colloidal crystal-crystal transitions

The coalescence of nuclei plays an important role in phase transitions, but it remains challenging to monitor the process in real time. Here, Peng et al. image the coalescence of two post-critical nuclei in the crystal-crystal transition with single-particle resolution using a colloidal system.
- Yi Peng
- Wei Li
- Yilong Han
ArticleOpen Access15 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
Discovering conservation laws using optimal transport and manifold learning

Conservation laws are crucial for analyzing and modeling nonlinear dynamical systems; however, identification of conserved quantities is often quite challenging. The authors propose here a geometric approach to discovering conservation laws directly from trajectory data that does not require an explicit dynamical model of the system or detailed time information.
- Peter Y. Lu
- Rumen Dangovski
- Marin Soljačić
ArticleOpen Access7 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
Exciton dissociation in 2D layered metal-halide perovskites

The photophysics of 2D layered Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites is still lively debated. Here, authors address the exciton stability of perovskites in form of film and single crystal by resonant injection of cold excitons and probe the exciton dissociation with femtosecond differential transmission.
- Angelica Simbula
- Luyan Wu
- Giovanni Bongiovanni
ArticleOpen Access11 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Holding water in a sieve—stable droplets without surface tension

Droplets and sharp interfaces at supercritical pressures are interpreted as evidence of surface tension due to phase equilibria in mixtures, given the lack of a supercritical liquid-vapor phase equilibrium in pure fluids. Authors show from first principles and simulations that, unlike in gases or liquids, stable droplets, bubbles, and planar interfaces can exist without surface tension.
- N. P. Longmire
- S. L. Showalter
- D. T. Banuti
ArticleOpen Access6 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Topological solitonic macromolecules

The formation of soliton macromolecules or metamaterial analogues of polymers with inter-soliton binding resembling strong covalent-like chemical bonds has not been considered so far. Zhao et al. experimentally create and theoretically, model soliton macromolecules, called “polyskyrmionomers”, introducing polymer-mimicking designs of topological chiral meta matter that promise technological utility in data storage and electro-optics.
- Hanqing Zhao
- Boris A. Malomed
- Ivan I. Smalyukh
ArticleOpen Access29 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Angle-programmed tendril-like trajectories enable a multifunctional gripper with ultradelicacy, ultrastrength, and ultraprecision

Soft grippers can emulate human hands, but it remains challenging to achieve multiple capability in manipulating various objects in one design. Hong et al. utilize a kirigami gripper with controllable and programmable trajectories to manipulate objects spanning from ultra-soft to ultra-strong with high precision.
- Yaoye Hong
- Yao Zhao
- Jie Yin
ArticleOpen Access2 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
Kinetic drop friction

Sliding of drops over solid surface is a common phenomenon, but it remains impossible to predict the sliding velocity due to numerous dissipation channels causing drop friction. Li et al. show that dynamic wetting is determined by a dimensionless friction coefficient, which is a material parameter.
- Xiaomei Li
- Francisco Bodziony
- Hans-Jürgen Butt
ArticleOpen Access29 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
A multifunctional soft robotic shape display with high-speed actuation, sensing, and control

Shape morphing surfaces demonstrate a wide variety of applications, yet the existing technologies lack high-fidelity, high-speed deformation and embedded state sensing. Johnson et al. integrate soft actuators and soft sensors for high-fidelity shape morphing with self-sensing and high-speed actuation.
- B. K. Johnson
- M. Naris
- M. E. Rentschler
ArticleOpen Access31 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Colloidal transport by light induced gradients of active pressure

The mechanical forces exerted by active fluids may provide an effective way of transporting microscopic objects, but the details remain elusive. Using space modulated activity, Pellicciotta et al. generate active pressure gradients capable of transporting passive particles in controlled directions.
- Nicola Pellicciotta
- Matteo Paoluzzi
- Roberto Di Leonardo
ArticleOpen Access13 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Hydrodynamic spin-orbit coupling in asynchronous optically driven micro-rotors

Hydrodynamically coupled rotors can be used to describe interactions ranging from molecular machines to atmospheric dynamics. Modin et al. show that optically-driven rotors in a non-tweezing beam can freely diffuse while spinning asynchronously and develop an analytical hydrodynamic model to explain.
- Alvin Modin
- Matan Yah Ben Zion
- Paul M. Chaikin
ArticleOpen Access11 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Finding defects in glasses through machine learning

Rare quantum tunneling two-level systems are known to govern the glass physics at low temperatures, but it remains challenging to detect them in simulations. Ciarella et al. show a machine learning approach to efficiently identify the structural defects, allowing to predict the quantum splitting.
- Simone Ciarella
- Dmytro Khomenko
- Francesco Zamponi
ArticleOpen Access15 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Coherent movement of error-prone individuals through mechanical coupling

In biology, individuals are known to achieve higher navigation accuracy when moving in a group compared to single animals. The authors show that simple self-propelled robotic modules that are incapable of accurate motion as individuals can achieve accurate group navigation once coupled via deformable elastic links.
- Federico Pratissoli
- Andreagiovanni Reina
- Roderich Groß
ArticleOpen Access18 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Universal alignment in turbulent pair dispersion

Turbulent pair dispersion is relevant for mixing processes such as microplastics transport in the ocean or dynamics of water droplets in clouds. The authors present a geometrical framework and empirical evidence that elucidate the universality of the process across scales, while forming a bridge with the classical Richardson theory.
- Ron Shnapp
- Stefano Brizzolara
- Markus Holzner
ArticleOpen Access14 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Differentially private knowledge transfer for federated learning

To ensure the privacy of processed data, federated learning approaches involve local differential privacy techniques which however require communicating a large amount of data that needs protection. The authors propose here a framework that uses selected small data to transfer knowledge in federated learning with privacy guarantees.
- Tao Qi
- Fangzhao Wu
- Xing Xie
ArticleOpen Access24 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Direct measurements of the colloidal Debye force

The Debye interaction is defined as the attraction between a polar molecule and a nonpolar molecule, which governs many self-assembling processes in materials. Here, Lee et al. design a like-charged colloidal model at the water-oil interface to characterize the Debye interaction for the first time.
- Hyang Mi Lee
- Yong Woo Kim
- Bum Jun Park
ArticleOpen Access29 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Local cation-tuned reversible single-molecule switch in electric double layer

A common approach to design single-molecule switch is to use molecular backbones in response to external stimulus, but often requires complex organic synthesis. Here, Tong et al. show how to in situ control of the molecule-electrode contact using electrochemical gating to realize a reversible switch.
- Ling Tong
- Zhou Yu
- Xiao-Shun Zhou
ArticleOpen Access9 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Liquid metal droplets bouncing higher on thicker water layer

Liquid metals are widely used in flexible electronics and soft robotics applications, but their adhesion to underlying solid substrates is unwanted. Dai et al. show that liquid metal droplets can overcome adhesion forces and bounce off from the surface covered with a water film with sufficient thickness.
- Yuhang Dai
- Minfei Li
- Zuankai Wang
ArticleOpen Access14 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Predicting frictional aging from bulk relaxation measurements

Increase of friction between two solid surfaces in stationary contact over time, known as frictional aging, has been widely observed. Farain and Bonn show that, regardless of surface roughness or degree of compression, the normalized stress relaxation of microcontacts is the same as that of bulk material.
- Kasra Farain
- Daniel Bonn
ArticleOpen Access17 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Enabling liquid crystal elastomers with tunable actuation temperature

Isotropization temperature determines the temperature at which Liquid Crystals Elastomer (LCE) material actuates. Here, the authors give a general strategy based on dynamic covalent bonds for tuning the isotropization temperature for LCEs.
- Yanjin Yao
- Enjian He
- Yan Ji
ArticleOpen Access14 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Pen-drawn Marangoni swimmer

Marangoni swimmers have high relative speed, considering the body length and absence of a mechanical system but the fabricating is complex. Song et al. transform simple pen strokes into dynamic, programmable robots that can ‘swim’ with striking versatility.
- Seo Woo Song
- Sumin Lee
- Jiyun Kim
ArticleOpen Access16 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Polarization patterning in ferroelectric nematic liquids via flexoelectric coupling

Ferroelectric Nematic Liquid Crystals (FNLCs) have potential in applications due to their unique combination of fluidity, spontaneous polarization, large dielectric permittivity, and second-order non-linear optical properties. Sebastián et al. show the patterning of electric polarization in FNLCs by photoalignment which exploit flexoelectric coupling between polarization and splay director deformations.
- Nerea Sebastián
- Matija Lovšin
- Alenka Mertelj
ArticleOpen Access25 May 2023 Nature Communications
Light-driven dandelion-inspired microfliers

Insect-scale untethered micro aerial vehicles such as artificial dandelion devices suffer from high flight randomness and inadequate controllability. Chen et al. design and fabricate an untethered dandelion-inspired microflier, which is spatially and temporally controlled by an ultralight and supersensitive light-driven bimorph soft actuator.
- Yuanhao Chen
- Cristian Valenzuela
- Wei Feng
ArticleOpen Access26 May 2023 Nature Communications
Frictional fluid instabilities shaped by viscous forces

Fingering patterns form spontaneously when a non-wetting viscous liquid displaces a dry granular mixture in a confined flow cell. The authors show how these patterns are controlled by the balance between viscous, capillary, and frictional forces.
- Dawang Zhang
- James M. Campbell
- Bjørnar Sandnes
ArticleOpen Access26 May 2023 Nature Communications
Tailoring vapor film beneath a Leidenfrost drop

A liquid drop hovers over the surface when placed on a hot surface that is hotter than the Leidenfrost point because a vapor film will form beneath the drop. Here authors report how to manipulate drops by cutting the Leidenfrost film using chemically heterogeneous surfaces.
- An Li
- Huizeng Li
- Yanlin Song
ArticleOpen Access8 May 2023 Nature Communications
Colloidal gelation with non-sticky particles

The colloidal composites of gel and solid inclusions are more commonly encountered in real life. Using simulations, authors identify two lengthscales whose interplay generically controls the gelation in composite gels.
- Yujie Jiang
- Ryohei Seto
ArticleOpen Access15 May 2023 Nature Communications
Digital mapping of surface turbulence status and aerodynamic stall on wings of a flying aircraft

Early warning of the airflow separation and monitoring of the stall status is critical for the safety of flying aircraft. Here authors introduce a lightweight and conformable system on the wing surface of aircraft that can sense and warn the pre-stall.
- Zijie Xu
- Leo N. Y. Cao
- Zhong Lin Wang
ArticleOpen Access16 May 2023 Nature Communications
Unifying speed limit, thermodynamic uncertainty relation and Heisenberg principle via bulk-boundary correspondence

In classical and quantum thermodynamics, a trade-off between speed, precision and cost is of relevance for problems in open quantum dynamics and various biomolecular processes. By employing bulk-boundary correspondence, the authors uncover connection between thermodynamic uncertainty relations and speed limit relations.
- Yoshihiko Hasegawa
ArticleOpen Access17 May 2023 Nature Communications
A positive statistical benchmark to assess network agreement

In the variety of biological and social networks, the validation of experimental data is done by comparing an overlap with reference networks. The authors introduce a positive statistical benchmark corresponding to the best possible overlap between two networks to threshold and validate new experimental datasets.
- Bingjie Hao
- István A. Kovács
ArticleOpen Access24 May 2023 Nature Communications
Learning how network structure shapes decision-making for bio-inspired computing

Better understanding of a trade-off between the speed and accuracy of decision-making is relevant for mapping biological intelligence to machines. The authors introduce a brain-inspired learning algorithm to uncover dependencies in individual fMRI networks with features of neural activity and predict inter-individual differences in decision-making.
- Michael Schirner
- Gustavo Deco
- Petra Ritter
ArticleOpen Access23 May 2023 Nature Communications
Topological defects reveal the plasticity of glasses

Identifying topological defects in disordered materials has a profound effect on predicting when and where the material will break. Matteo Baggioli comments a recent publication in Nature Communications, which confirms the existence of defects in glasses and their crucial role for plasticity.
- Matteo Baggioli
CommentOpen Access24 May 2023 Nature Communications
Topology of vibrational modes predicts plastic events in glasses

It remains challenging to understand the relation between mechanical properties of glasses close to the yielding point and plastic behaviors at microscales. Wu et al. examine the plasticity using topological properties of the vibrational modes and identify a correlation between defects and plastic events.
- Zhen Wei Wu
- Yixiao Chen
- Limei Xu
ArticleOpen Access24 May 2023 Nature Communications
Quasi-seamless stitching for large-area micropatterned surfaces enabled by Fourier spectral analysis of moiré patterns

A challenge in making a flexible mold stamp using roll-to-roll nanoimprint lithography is to increase area while minimizing perceptible seams. Here, based on Fourier spectral analysis of moiré patterns resulting from superposed identical patterns, a method that enables the fabrication of scalable, quasi-seamless functional surfaces without the use of alignment marks is proposed.
- Woo Young Kim
- Bo Wook Seo
- Young Tae Cho
ArticleOpen Access18 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Diffusion capacity of single and interconnected networks

Understanding of diffusive and spreading processes in networks remains challenging when dynamics of the network is complex. The authors propose a quantity to reflect the potential of a network node to diffuse information, that may serve to develop interventions for improved network efficiency.
- Tiago A. Schieber
- Laura C. Carpi
- Martín G. Ravetti
ArticleOpen Access18 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Meta-learning biologically plausible plasticity rules with random feedback pathways

The biological plausibility of backpropagation and its relationship with synaptic plasticity remain open questions. The authors propose a meta-learning approach to discover interpretable plasticity rules to train neural networks under biological constraints. The meta-learned rules boost the learning efficiency via bio-inspired synaptic plasticity.
- Navid Shervani-Tabar
- Robert Rosenbaum
ArticleOpen Access31 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
Enhanced osmotic transport in individual double-walled carbon nanotube

Carbon nanotubes are promising candidates for transport of ions and charges, but the response of carbon nanotubes under osmotic forcings is not well explored. Here the authors report enhanced ion-specific osmotic transport in individual double-walled carbon nanotubes.
- Guandong Cui
- Zhi Xu
- Ming Ma
ArticleOpen Access21 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
A unifying criterion of the boiling crisis

Boiling crisis is a physical phenomenon limiting the operation of many technologies cooled by boiling. Zhang et al. reveal theoretically and experimentally the existence of a unifying criterion to explain and predict the boiling crisis.
- Limiao Zhang
- Chi Wang
- Matteo Bucci
ArticleOpen Access22 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Integrated opposite charge grafting induced ionic-junction fiber

Ionic-junction devices are difficult to integrate with fiber-shaped tissues like nerves and muscles for applications in implantable bioelectronics due to their large size and bulk structure. Authors realize here easy to implant fiber-shaped iontronics through an integrated opposite charge grafting process, enabling the construction of ionic logic gates and artificial neural pathways.
- Yi Xing
- Mingjie Zhou
- Gang Wang
ArticleOpen Access24 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Thermal tolerance of perovskite quantum dots dependent on A-site cation and surface ligand

The lattice strain induced by surface ligands not only stabilizes black phase at room temperature but also enables full-range A-site tuning. Here, authors construct a detailed picture of temperature dependent behaviour of perovskite quantum dots by in situ spectroscopic and structural measurements.
- Shuo Wang
- Qian Zhao
- Guoran Li
ArticleOpen Access18 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Light-driven peristaltic pumping by an actuating splay-bend strip

Small-scale manipulation of liquids is being controlled with bulky pumps or power sources. Dradrach et al. show a light-driven pumping of micro-liter liquid using a centimeter-long liquid crystal elastomer strip.
- Klaudia Dradrach
- Michał Zmyślony
- Piotr Wasylczyk
ArticleOpen Access4 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
A direct observation of up-converted room-temperature phosphorescence in an anti-Kasha dopant-matrix system

The emission maximum of phosphorescence is normally larger than that of fluorescence. Here, authors report up-converted room-temperature phosphorescence materials that emit from higher-lying triplet states with 3n-π* characters and large phosphorescence decay rate constants, violating Kasha’s rule.
- Jiuyang Li
- Xun Li
- Kaka Zhang
ArticleOpen Access8 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Supercritical fluids behave as complex networks

Supercritical fluids have local density inhomogeneities caused by molecular clusters. Authors show that the molecular interactions of supercritical fluids, associated with localized clusters, obey complex network dynamics that can be represented by a hidden-variable network model.
- Filip Simeski
- Matthias Ihme
ArticleOpen Access10 Apr 2023 Nature Communications

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