Featured
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Layer Hall effect in a 2D topological axion antiferromagnet
A new type of Hall effect—the layer Hall effect—is produced in a 2D antiferromagnet that does not exhibit any net magnetization.
- Anyuan Gao
- , Yu-Fei Liu
- & Su-Yang Xu
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Article |
Pauli-limit violation and re-entrant superconductivity in moiré graphene
A large violation of the Pauli limit and re-entrant superconductivity in a magnetic field is reported for magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene, suggesting that the spin configuration of the superconducting state of this material is unlikely to consist of spin singlets.
- Yuan Cao
- , Jeong Min Park
- & Pablo Jarillo-Herrero
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Article |
Extreme flow simulations reveal skeletal adaptations of deep-sea sponges
High-performance hydrodynamic simulations show that the skeletal structure of the deep-sea sponge Euplectella aspergillum reduces the hydrodynamic stresses on it, while possibly being beneficial for feeding and reproduction.
- Giacomo Falcucci
- , Giorgio Amati
- & Sauro Succi
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Article |
A natively flexible 32-bit Arm microprocessor
Flexible electronic platforms would enable the integration of functional electronic circuitry with many everyday objects; here, a low-cost and fully flexible 32-bit microprocessor is produced.
- John Biggs
- , James Myers
- & Scott White
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Perspective |
Designing the next generation of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells
This Perspective reviews the recent technical developments in the components of the fuel cell stack in proton-exchange membrane fuel cell vehicles and outlines the road towards large-scale commercialization of such vehicles.
- Kui Jiao
- , Jin Xuan
- & Michael D. Guiver
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Research Highlight |
A graphene cloak keeps artworks’ colours ageless
A layer of carbon atoms preserves a painting’s vibrant hues — and can be applied and removed without damage.
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Article |
Bifunctional nanoprecipitates strengthen and ductilize a medium-entropy alloy
Increased strength and ductility in a medium-entropy alloy of Fe, Ni, Al and Ti is demonstrated using nanoprecipitates that simultaneously hinder phase transformation and block dislocation motion.
- Ying Yang
- , Tianyi Chen
- & Easo P. George
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Article |
Optical manipulation of electronic dimensionality in a quantum material
Two-dimensional electronic states are observed at the induced domain walls of a three-dimensional charge density wave material by manipulating the periodic lattice distortion via femtosecond infrared pulses.
- Shaofeng Duan
- , Yun Cheng
- & Wentao Zhang
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Nature Video |
Why leaky pipes can be better for moving water
Tiny 3D printed structures let water flow through them despite being open to the air
- Ellie Mackay
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Research Highlight |
Supersonic strikes leave just a dent in this super-light material
Honeycomb-like structure thwarts a projectile travelling as fast as a speeding bullet.
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Nature Index |
Materials science shows strength
Stuff of hope in the search for solutions to intractable problems.
- Catherine Armitage
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Nature Index |
Machines learn to unearth new materials
Materials genome initiatives sift big data.
- Neil Savage
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Nature Index |
Birds of paradise reveal a dark secret
Super-black feathers at the interface of biology, photonics and materials science.
- Katharine Sanderson
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Nature Index |
Makers and shakers
Three researchers making a material difference.
- Catherine Armitage
- , Sandy Ong
- & Sian Powell
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Nature Index |
High-performing places in the materials world
Four heavyweights and a rising star, in highlights.
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Nature Index |
Ferroelectric materials prompt a rethink of matter
Surprising qualities point to next-generation electronics.
- Chris Woolston
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Nature Index |
High-entropy alloys expand their range
New metal mixes create more efficient catalysts and better jet engines.
- Neil Savage
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Nature Index |
How nanotechnology can flick the immunity switch
Nano immuno-engineering shows promise against autoimmune conditions, cancer and allergies.
- Bianca Nogrady
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News & Views |
Programmable capillary action controls fluid flows
A technological platform has been developed in which millimetre-scale cubes are assembled into 3D structures that control capillary action — enabling programmable fluid flows and modelling of a range of fluidic processes.
- Tammi L. van Neel
- & Ashleigh B. Theberge
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Article |
Signatures of Wigner crystal of electrons in a monolayer semiconductor
The signature of a Wigner crystal—the analogue of a solid phase for electrons—is observed via the optical reflection spectrum in a monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide.
- Tomasz Smoleński
- , Pavel E. Dolgirev
- & Ataç Imamoğlu
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Article |
Cellular fluidics
Cellular fluidics provides a platform of unit-cell-based, three-dimensional structures for the deterministic control of multiphase flow, transport and reaction processes.
- Nikola A. Dudukovic
- , Erika J. Fong
- & Eric B. Duoss
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Article |
Bilayer Wigner crystals in a transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructure
Optical signatures reveal correlated insulating Wigner crystals—electron solids—in a bilayer of a two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide, MoSe2, with hexagonal boron nitride between the layers.
- You Zhou
- , Jiho Sung
- & Hongkun Park
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Editorial |
Lithium-ion batteries need to be greener and more ethical
Batteries are key to humanity’s future — but they come with environmental and human costs, which must be mitigated.
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Outlook |
Solar cells that make use of wasted light
The start-up Cambridge Photon Technology is developing photovoltaic materials that take full advantage of the Sun’s spectrum.
- Neil Savage
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Outlook |
Better catalysts from super-fast heating
Start-up company HighT-Tech has developed a technique to make alloys that could improve catalysts or be used to build better batteries. The company is the winner of The Spinoff Prize 2021.
- Neil Savage
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News & Views |
Ion dynamics in battery materials imaged rapidly
An imaging method has been developed that tracks ion transport in functioning battery materials in real time, at submicrometre scales — offering insights into how to design batteries that charge in minutes.
- Aashutosh Mistry
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News & Views |
Plasmons dragged by drifting electrons
Plasmons are combinations of light and collective electron oscillations. The demonstration that plasmons can be dragged by drifting electrons in the 2D material graphene could lead to advances in optical physics.
- Hugen Yan
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Article |
Efficient Fizeau drag from Dirac electrons in monolayer graphene
Fizeau drag of plasmon polaritons by an electron flow in strongly biased monolayer graphene is directly observed by exploiting the high electron mobility and slow plasmon propagation of Dirac electrons.
- Wenyu Zhao
- , Sihan Zhao
- & Feng Wang
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Article |
Fizeau drag in graphene plasmonics
Direct infrared nano-imaging of plasmonic waves in graphene carrying high current density reveals the Fizeau drag of plasmon polaritons by fast-moving quasi-relativistic electrons.
- Y. Dong
- , L. Xiong
- & D. N. Basov
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Article |
Operando optical tracking of single-particle ion dynamics in batteries
The dynamics of ions within a working lithium-ion battery are examined using optical interferometric scattering microscopy, which allows ion transport to be related to phase transitions and microstructural features.
- Alice J. Merryweather
- , Christoph Schnedermann
- & Akshay Rao
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Perspective |
The rise of intelligent matter
Inanimate matter is beginning to show some signs of basic intelligence—the ability to sense, actuate and use memory, as controlled by an internal communication network in functional materials.
- C. Kaspar
- , B. J. Ravoo
- & W. H. P. Pernice
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News & Views |
From the archive
Nature’s pages review a book of scientific smorgasbord from 1971 and report an account of hearing Einstein lecture in 1921.
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Research Highlight |
Snap and trap: DNA panels click together to form tiny virus catchers
Modular materials can be programmed to self-assemble into hollow shells with a wide variety of shapes.
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Matters Arising |
Reply to: Perovskite decomposition and missing crystal planes in HRTEM
- Zhijun Ning
- , Xiwen Gong
- & Edward H. Sargent
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Editorial |
Google’s AI approach to microchips is welcome — but needs care
Artificial intelligence can help the electronics industry to speed up chip design. But the gains must be shared equitably.
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Article |
Tomographic reconstruction of oxygen orbitals in lithium-rich battery materials
High-energy X-ray Compton measurements and first-principles modelling reveal how the electronic orbital responsible for the reversible anionic redox activity can be imaged and visualized, and its character and symmetry determined.
- Hasnain Hafiz
- , Kosuke Suzuki
- & Venkatasubramanian Viswanathan
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Article |
Intrinsic toughening and stable crack propagation in hexagonal boron nitride
Single-crystal monolayer hexagonal boron nitride is unexpectedly tough owing to its asymmetric lattice structure, which facilitates repeated crack deflection, crack branching and edge swapping, enhancing energy dissipation.
- Yingchao Yang
- , Zhigong Song
- & Jun Lou
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News & Views |
Charge-carrying films for solar cells made quickly and cleanly
Organic semiconductors used in a promising class of solar cell are processed in a ‘doping’ step to improve the transport of charge carriers. A fast doping method has been developed that might enable mass production of these cells.
- Jianfeng Lu
- & Fuzhi Huang
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Article |
CO2 doping of organic interlayers for perovskite solar cells
CO2 and ultraviolet light are used to initiate the p-type doping of spiro-OMeTAD:LiTFSI films, which show enhanced efficiencies when used as hole-transporting layers in solar cells and have shorter fabrication times compared with interlayers doped using conventional methods.
- Jaemin Kong
- , Yongwoo Shin
- & André D. Taylor
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Article |
Signatures of moiré trions in WSe2/MoSe2 heterobilayers
Optical experiments on WSe2/MoSe2 heterobilayers reveal signatures of moiré trions, including interlayer emission with sharp lines and a complex charge-density dependence, features that differ markedly from those of conventional trions.
- Erfu Liu
- , Elyse Barré
- & Chun Hung Lui
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News & Views |
Nanocrystals form a superfluorescent lattice mimicking the atomic structure of perovskite materials
Nanocrystals with tailored shapes and compositions have been shown to form ‘superlattice’ arrays analogous to the ionic lattices of perovskite compounds. One such superlattice exhibits a phenomenon called superfluorescence.
- Gerd Bacher
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Article |
Long-range nontopological edge currents in charge-neutral graphene
Nanoscale imaging of edge currents in charge-neutral graphene shows that charge accumulation can explain various exotic nonlocal transport measurements, bringing into question some theories about their origins.
- A. Aharon-Steinberg
- , A. Marguerite
- & E. Zeldov
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Article |
Perovskite-type superlattices from lead halide perovskite nanocubes
Through precise structural engineering, perovskite nanocrystals are co-assembled with other nanocrystal materials to form a range of binary and ternary perovskite-type superlattices that exhibit superfluorescence.
- Ihor Cherniukh
- , Gabriele Rainò
- & Maksym V. Kovalenko
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Article |
Evidence of hydrogen−helium immiscibility at Jupiter-interior conditions
Hydrogen and helium mixtures can be compressed to the extreme temperature and pressure conditions found in the interior of Jupiter and Saturn, and the immiscibility revealed supports models of Jupiter that invoke a layered interior.
- S. Brygoo
- , P. Loubeyre
- & G. W. Collins
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News |
First nuclear detonation created ‘impossible’ quasicrystals
Their structures were once controversial. Now researchers have discovered quasicrystals in the aftermath of a 1945 bomb test.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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Obituary |
C. Austen Angell (1933–2021)
Visionary explorer of glasses and the limits of the liquid state.
- Pablo G. Debenedetti
- , Peter H. Poole
- & Francesco Sciortino
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Nature Podcast |
The brain implant that turns thoughts into text
A new neural interface lets people type with their mind, and a crafting journey into materials science.
- Benjamin Thompson
- & Shamini Bundell
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Article |
Ultralow contact resistance between semimetal and monolayer semiconductors
Electric contacts of semimetallic bismuth on monolayer semiconductors are shown to suppress metal-induced gap states and thus have very low contact resistance and a zero Schottky barrier height.
- Pin-Chun Shen
- , Cong Su
- & Jing Kong