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Volume 9 Issue 1, January 2024

Broken symmetries at the nanoscale can greatly modify the emergent nanophotonic responses enabled by phonon polaritons, and lowering the degree of symmetry in natural and artificial materials gives rise to a wide spectrum of low-loss, directional, confined light–matter quasiparticles. The cover image shows an artist’s impression of extreme light confinement in low-symmetry crystals. See Galiffi E. et al.

Cover image: Sam Whitham.

Volume 9 Issue 1

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Comment

  • Higher education and research institutions are critical to the well-being and success of societies, meaning their financial support is strongly in the public interest. At the same time, value-for-money principles demand that such investment delivers. Unfortunately, these principles are currently violated by one of the biggest sources of public funding inefficiency: sexism.

    • Nicole Boivin
    • Susanne Täuber
    • Janet G. Hering
    Comment

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  • Biochar is proposed as a promising solution for sustainable development, but proper risk management and careful evaluation are essential when considering its use. It is crucial to acknowledge the limitations of biochar and recognize that it is not a magic bullet for green technologies.

    • Guangcai Tan
    • Han-Qing Yu
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Research Highlights

  • An article in Science presents a method for deep-penetration volumetric printing.

    • Charlotte Allard
    Research Highlight

  • An article in Nature Chemistry discovers that the two light-controlled isomers of azobenzene also have very different rupture forces.

    • Ariane Vartanian
    Research Highlight
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Reviews

  • Broken symmetries at the nanoscale can greatly modify the emergent nanophotonic responses enabled by phonon polaritons. This Review discusses how lowering the degree of symmetry in natural and artificial materials gives rise to a wide spectrum of low-loss, directional, confined light–matter quasiparticles.

    • Emanuele Galiffi
    • Giulia Carini
    • Andrea Alù
    Review Article

  • Mucosal vaccines are critical in the fight against mucosal pathogens because they enable the immune system to directly neutralize these pathogens at their primary site of entry. This Review examines the role of material design in addressing the challenges associated with mucosal vaccine delivery.

    • Behnaz Eshaghi
    • Alex Schudel
    • Ana Jaklenec
    Review Article

  • Advances in photoactive-layer materials have contributed to the increase in the performance of organic solar cells. This Review summarizes the types of materials used in the photoactive layer of solution-processed organic solar cells, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of combinations of different materials and considers molecular design strategies for future development.

    • Jicheng Yi
    • Guangye Zhang
    • He Yan
    Review Article
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Perspectives

  • Carbon nanotubes are used in a growing number of applications, but recent European Union actions propose to ban them. This Perspective highlights gaps in knowledge regarding potential safety and environmental risks throughout the life cycle of carbon nanotubes and provides a framework to inform policy decisions.

    • Mijin Kim
    • Dana Goerzen
    • Daniel A. Heller
    Perspective
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