Articles

Commercial adiabatic demagnetisation refrigerators are typically based on hydrated salts that are subject to corrosion and have poor thermal conductivity and low entropy at sub-Kelvin temperatures. Here, YbNi_1.6Sn is identified as a metallic magnetocaloric which retains high entropy into the 100 mK regime, providing an economical and durable alternative to magnetic refrigeration.

Infrared colloidal quantum dots are interesting due to their low-cost fabrication and wavelength tunability for optoelectronic applications. Here, air-stable low-noise mid-infrared photodiode devices are fabricated using hole-doped Ag-HgTe nanocrystals.

Material properties prediction from a given microstructure is important for accelerated design but a comprehensive methodology is lacking. Here, a multi-method machine learning approach is utilized to understand the processing-structure-property relationship for differently processed porous materials.

The recent claim of near-ambient superconductivity in nitrogen-doped lutetium hydrides has sparked great excitement and strong controversies in the community. Here, a comprehensive first-principles calculations study predicts the stability and critical temperatures of Lu-N-H compounds based on their composition and applied pressure.

Neural circuitry is important for comprehending computational mechanisms and physiology of the brain but controlling neuronal connectivity and response in 3D is challenging. Here, titanium carbide MXene-coated 3D polycaprolactone scaffolds are demonstrated to effectively control neuronal interconnection.

Martensite in Ti-6Al-4V is known to decompose under heating. This study employs rapid laser heating in situ in a synchrotron to study changes in the diffraction profiles during the martensite decomposition process.

Polyimides are attractive dielectrics for communication devices, but there is a need to reduce their high-frequency dissipation factor. Here, a series of polyimides are fabricated and characterized, finding that those that contain ester groups and ether bonds in their molecular structure have low dissipation factors.

Isolated flat bands can host strongly correlated electronic phases due to the enhancement of the Coulomb interaction. Here, an isolated flat band is realized and visualized in a 2D supramolecular crystal based on self-assembled square-shaped macrocycle molecules on Ag(111) surface arranged in a Lieb lattice.

Additive manufacturing is known to create microstructures that cannot be achieved by conventional alloy processing. Here, heat treatment of an additively-manufactured aluminum alloy creates a hierarchical microstructure with a large number of precipitates, achieving high strength and ductility.

Irradiation-induced void swelling is known to be higher in metals with an fcc structure compared to bcc, though the reason behind this is unclear. Here, by combining simulations and STEM imaging, stacking fault tetrahedra are found to be the cause of a high swelling rate in fcc copper.

Ferroelectric field-effect transistors are interesting for their non-destructive readout characteristic and energy efficiency but are difficult to integrate on silicon platforms. Here, ferroelectricity in Zr_XAl_1−XO_Y generated by compressive strain in contact with ZnO is demonstrated, showing promising multi-level memory and synaptic weight performance for neuromorphic computing devices.

Structural transformations offer a route to control functional properties but it is difficult to design metal-organic frameworks with multiple and fast transformations. Here, a 2D metal-organic framework was designed with continuous structural transformations driven by light and used for optical modulation.

Defected silicon has uses in optically active telecom emitters. Here, nanosecond pulsed laser annealing is demonstrated as a non-invasive, localized method to activate the defects in high-purity silicon substrates.

Rare-earth-based triangular lattice materials are interesting for their unconventional magnetism. Here, CsNdSe₂ single crystals are synthesized, with magnetic susceptibility measurements and first-principles calculations suggesting a candidate spin-liquid ground state.

Rydberg excitons in cuprous oxide feature giant optical nonlinearities that may be exploited in quantum applications if suitably confined. Here, the authors show how exciton confinement can be realised by focused-ion-beam etching of Cu2O crystals without noticeable degradation of excitonic properties.

The Dicke model, describing the cooperative coupling of an ensemble of two-level atoms with a single-mode light field, has a rich phenomenology in quantum optics and quantum information, but its analytical or numerical solution is beyond current reach. Here, a solid-state quantum simulator of an extended Dicke model is achieved using ErFeO₃ crystals, where terahertz spectroscopy and magnetocaloric effect measurements reveal an atomically ordered phase in addition to the expected superradiant and normal phases.

Magnetic ordering in 2D materials represents a promising platform for data storage, computing, and sensing. Here, nanometer scale imaging of few-layer Cr₂Ge₂Te₆ reveals its thickness-dependent magnetic textures such as labyrinth domains and skyrmionic bubbles.

Metallic copper is a potent antimicrobial agent against microorganisms but its coating on high-touch surfaces reduces their optical transparency. Here, a transparent antimicrobial nanostructured copper surface is reported with >99.9 % antimicrobial effectiveness and high transmittance.

Metal-organic frameworks are versatile materials but typically suffer from poor electrical conductivity. Here, a patterning technique allows controlled metal-organic framework growth on predefined areas of functionalized carbon nanotube for increased conductivity.

Giant magneto-thermal resistance has been recently observed in spintronic materials and superconductors, with exciting prospects in thermal management technologies. Here, nonvolatile thermal switching by magnetic field is demonstrated in commercial Sn-Pb solders, with electron thermal conductivity retaining its value even when the field is turned off.