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Variations in the internal conformational dynamics of supramolecular nanostructures may be important for their function, yet such dynamics have been difficult to probe experimentally. Now, the molecular motion through a nanofibre cross-section at subnanometre resolution has been quantified using site-directed spin labelling and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Transitions between stable quantum phases of matter typically involve going through an unstable quantum critical point, the unique properties of which have become a focus of research in the past decade or so. Extensive bulk measurements on the nickel oxypnictide system CeNiAsO uncover heavy-fermion behaviour, suggesting the family of oxipnictides may be ideal materials for examining quantum criticality more broadly.
Fabricating low-temperature solution-processed solar cells with good power-conversion efficiency and stability in ambient conditions has proved challenging. The use of ligands that protect colloidal quantum dots from degradation in air and tune their energy levels is now shown to be a viable approach for the realization of spin-coated solar cells with very high efficiency.
A state of matter known as a three-dimensional Dirac semimetal has latterly garnered significant theoretical and experimental attention. Using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, it is shown that Cd3As2 is an experimental realization of a three-dimensional Dirac semimetal that is stable at ambient conditions.
The surface electronic states associated with topological insulators have attracted considerable attention due to their robust nature. Using low-field susceptibility measurements, a paramagnetic singularity that is common to the (Bi,Sn)2(Se,Te)3 family of topological insulators is observed, and explained in terms of the topological surface states.
The Jahn–Teller distortion is an electronic effect that is known to couple charge, orbital and magnetic ordering phenomena in many complex solids. Using a combination of scattering and microscopy approaches, it is now shown that cooperative Jahn–Teller distortions in Na5/8MnO2 are coupled to an unusual ordering of Na vacancies.
Cerium hexaboride is a canonical heavy-fermion system that has come under scrutiny because of its so-called hidden order phase. Now, detailed inelastic neutron scattering experiments reveal an intense ferromagnetic mode, thus overturning the generally accepted view that antiferromagnetic interactions dominate the low-temperature behaviour of this system.
Trilayer graphene can be realized in two different stacking configurations, known as rhombohedral and Bernal stackings, which display different electronic characteristics. It is now shown that an applied perpendicular electric field can be used to switch between these two configurations.
A strategy to overcome the maximum theoretical efficiency limit of single-junction solar cells is to realize stacked, multi-junction cells that are used under highly concentrated light. Now, a printing-based, scalable approach for the assembly of multi-junction solar cells in concentrator photovoltaic modules that reach a high power conversion efficiency is reported.
Fano resonances have been studied for many resonant optical systems. To fully understand the origin behind this phenomenon it would be necessary to have simultaneous information about the dissipation of stored energy in the near-field and the scattering response in the far-field. This is now shown to be possible in a single semiconductor nanostripe using photocurrent measurements.
Although human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can be used to regenerate neural tissues, inefficient protocols and poorly defined culture conditions have hindered their use. It is now shown that soft, micropatterned culture substrates can induce hPSCs to differentiate into motor neurons with significantly improved yields and purity in comparison to rigid substrates, and that such mechanotransductive process involves the Hippo/YAP pathway and phosphorylation of the intracellular protein Smad.
Self-assembled nanoparticle superlattices, which consist of inorganic cores capped by organic ligands, can show emergent behaviour as a result of the coupling between their nanoscale components. The atom-level structure of a silver nanoparticle superlattice, deduced from X-ray imaging and simulations, is now reported as well as its response to hydrostatic compression, which involves anomalous pressure softening and correlated chiral rotation of the nanoparticles.
Samarium hexaboride has recently come under examination as a possible topological insulator. Transport measurements investigating the effects of magnetic impurities on this system uncover characteristics that are consistent with topologically insulating behaviour, and reveal a strongly suppressed bulk conductivity.
Hybrid halide perovskites have demonstrated promising performance as solar cells. It is now reported that these solution-processed materials are also suited to lasing applications, because of the high optical gain and stable amplified spontaneous emission they show in the visible spectral range.
The electronic properties of bismuth under an applied magnetic field have latterly become a topic of interest. An angle-resolved magnetostriction approach is now used to provide thermodynamic evidence for unusual symmetry-breaking effects.
In addition to controlling the propagation of light, metamaterials have also received attention for controlling sound. Now, a device that can act as a broadband and omnidirectional acoustic cloak is experimentally demonstrated.
The unusual metallic states arising at the surface of topological insulators have generated significant interest. Now, such topologically protected states are observed by means of tunnelling spectroscopy at the solid-state interface between a topological insulator and a conventional semiconductor.
Remarkably stable excitations known as skyrmions have recently garnered significant attention in condensed-matter systems. It is now shown that skyrmions in thin films of MnSi and Cu2OSeO3 can be made to rotate as a result of thermal fluctuations.
Electric-field-induced switching of material’s magnetization is a promising approach for achieving energy-efficient memory devices. By taking advantage of the strong magnetoelectric coupling with a BaTiO3 substrate, a small electric field is used to switch a FeRh thin film from anti- to ferromagnetic above room temperature.
High-resolution atomic force microscopy coupled with a frequency modulation method is used to visualize flexible, monoclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and their interactions with antigens in aqueous solutions. IgG molecules, which individually have Y-shaped structures, self-assemble into hexamers that form crystalline two-dimensional arrangements on a mica substrate, and are observed to retain their immunoactivity within the crystal.
