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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Few-layered black phosphorus offers an infrared bandgap, complementing that of graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides. Here, the authors investigate the thickness- and strain-dependent electronic structure of black phosphorus using polarised infrared spectroscopy.

    • Guowei Zhang
    • , Shenyang Huang
    •  & Hugen Yan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Light-matter interaction in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides is dominated by excitonic effects and hot-carrier relaxation/extraction mechanisms. Here, the authors report that the C exciton in two-dimensional MoS2exhibits a slower hot-carrier cooling than band-edge excitons.

    • Lei Wang
    • , Zhuo Wang
    •  & Hong-Bo Sun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Vanishing Chern numbers usually mean that a system is topologically trivial, but this rule may be violated for periodically driven systems. Here, Maczewskyet al.report topologically protected edge modes in a periodically driven photonic lattice with all bands of zero Chern number.

    • Lukas J. Maczewsky
    • , Julia M. Zeuner
    •  & Alexander Szameit

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Low thermal conductivities in nanomeshes have been attributed to both wave-like and particle-like behaviour of phonons. Here, the authors use periodicity-controlled silicon nanomeshes to show that the particle backscattering effect dominates for periodicities above 100 nm and temperatures above 14 K.

    • Jaeho Lee
    • , Woochul Lee
    •  & Peidong Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Traditional metallic communication elements suffer from substantial losses in the visible and near-infrared. Here, Barredaet al. show in a proof of principle in the microwave regime that a pair of high-index dielectric spheres can operate as a perfect switch in a beam-splitter configuration.

    • Ángela I. Barreda
    • , Hassan Saleh
    •  & Fernando Moreno

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetoelectric coupling allows switching of magnetic states via gate voltage pulses. Here the authors propose and demonstrate a purely antiferromagnetic magnetoelectric random access memory based on Cr2O3, reporting 50-fold reduction of writing threshold compared to ferromagnetic counterparts.

    • Tobias Kosub
    • , Martin Kopte
    •  & Denys Makarov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    There has been disagreement on the properties of the ST12 phase of germanium due to the purity and size scale of samples synthesized so far. Here authors demonstrate a method for making pure, bulk samples and measure properties in agreement with computational predictions.

    • Zhisheng Zhao
    • , Haidong Zhang
    •  & Timothy A. Strobel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model describes a system that supports topological excitations. Here the authors simulate this model using87Rb atoms in a momentum-space lattice, observing the localized topological soliton state via quench dynamics, phase-sensitive injection and adiabatic preparation.

    • Eric J. Meier
    • , Fangzhao Alex An
    •  & Bryce Gadway

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors demonstrate how ultra-short bunches of relativistic electrons produce coherent transition radiation at the tip of a thin wire. The radiation then propagates as a powerful surface plasmon polariton along the wire, illustrating the potential of this technique for terahertz plasmonics.

    • W.P.E.M. op ‘t Root
    • , G.J.H. Brussaard
    •  & O.J. Luiten

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Looped trajectories of photons in a three-slit interference experiment could modify the resulting intensity pattern, but they are experimentally hard to observe. Here the authors exploit surface plasmon excitations to increase their probability, measuring their contribution and confirming Born’s rule.

    • Omar S Magaña-Loaiza
    • , Israel De Leon
    •  & Robert W. Boyd

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Stacking faults in nanocrystals are generally considered unwelcome structural defects. Here, the authors find that stacking fault tetrahedra in Au exhibit quantized, particle-in-a-box electronic behaviour, revealing a potential synthetic route to decoupled nanoparticles in metal films.

    • Koen Schouteden
    • , Behnam Amin-Ahmadi
    •  & Chris Van Haesendonck

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recombinations govern losses in solar cells. Here, Richteret al. use transient spectroscopy to evaluate how re-absorption and re-emission of photons in perovskite absorbers affect intrinsic recombination coefficients, and to differentiate between external and internal photoluminescence quantum yields.

    • Johannes M. Richter
    • , Mojtaba Abdi-Jalebi
    •  & Richard H. Friend

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Normal-mode splitting in the spectrum of cavity coupled atoms is normally observed in the strong coupling regime. Here the authors demonstrate the existence of avoided crossings in the spectrum of an overdamped system of cavity coupled 87Rb atoms that arise due to dressing-induced transparency.

    • Y. -H. Lien
    • , G. Barontini
    •  & E. A. Hinds

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electron-electron interactions in many-body systems may manifest themselves through the fractional quantum Hall effect. Here, the authors perform transport measurements in bilayer graphene, and observe particle-hole symmetric fractional quantum Hall states in theN=2 Landau level.

    • Georgi Diankov
    • , Chi-Te Liang
    •  & David Goldhaber-Gordon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Graphene has so far demonstrated remarkable properties, making it increasingly interesting for ultrafast electronic applications. Here, the authors show that, when probed by a highly charged ion, freestanding graphene is able to provide dozens of electrons for ion neutralization within a few femtoseconds.

    • Elisabeth Gruber
    • , Richard A. Wilhelm
    •  & Friedrich Aumayr

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic fusion reactors with higher ratio of plasma kinetic pressure to magnetic pressure are economically desirable. The authors demonstrate a path to such a reactor in a field reversed configuration that can attain microstability and reduced particle and thermal fluxes by manipulating the shear flow.

    • L. Schmitz
    • , D. P. Fulton
    •  & L. C. Steinhauer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The dynamics of actin cytoskeleton is essential to the function of living cells. Here, Foffanoet al. describe a nonequilibrium filament model to mimic the formation of cytoskeleton and pinpoint the key role played by the actin entanglement during the transition from homogeneous to bundled networks.

    • Giulia Foffano
    • , Nicolas Levernier
    •  & Martin Lenz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The polysaccharide xylan binds to cellulose microfibrils in the plant cell wall, but the nature of this interaction remains unclear. Here Simmonset al. show that while xylan forms a threefold helical screw in solution it forms a twofold screw to bind cellulose microfibrils in the plant cell wall.

    • Thomas J. Simmons
    • , Jenny C. Mortimer
    •  & Paul Dupree

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Frustration in lattices of interacting spins can lead to rich and exotic physics, such as fractionalized excitations and emergent order. Here, the authors demonstrate a low-temperature transition from a disordered spin-ice-like phase to an emergent charge ordered phase in the bulk kagome Ising magnet Dy3Mg2Sb3O14.

    • Joseph A. M. Paddison
    • , Harapan S. Ong
    •  & S. E. Dutton

  • Article
    | Open Access

    To determine the topological character of a magnetic structure, one has to rely on techniques based on spin magnetism. Here, the authors study chirality-driven orbital moment physics and propose a new experimental protocol for the identification of topological magnetic structure, based on soft X-ray spectroscopy.

    • Manuel dos Santos Dias
    • , Juba Bouaziz
    •  & Samir Lounis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Differentiation of quantum interactions in correlated materials is ambiguous in measurements of the single particle self-energy. Here, Rameau et al. employ a combined theoretical and experimental time domain treatment to separate electron-boson interactions from electron-electron interactions in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x.

    • J. D. Rameau
    • , S. Freutel
    •  & U. Bovensiepen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Whether an actual Mott insulator phase exists in iron pnictides remains elusive. Here, Songet al. demonstrate an antiferromagnetic insulator phase persisting above the Néel temperature in NaFe1−xCuxAs, indicative of a Mott insulator, highlighting the role of electron correlations in high-Tcsuperconductivity.

    • Yu Song
    • , Zahra Yamani
    •  & Pengcheng Dai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A large spin-splitting is essential for spintronic devices. Here, the authors observe a spontaneous spin-splitting energy of between 31.7 and 50 millielectronvolts in n-type indium iron arsenide at temperatures up to several tens of Kelvin, challenging the conventional theory of ferromagnetic semiconductors.

    • Le Duc Anh
    • , Pham Nam Hai
    •  & Masaaki Tanaka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Spontaneous polarization leads to various functionalities promising for future information storage and electronics. Here, the authors propose the concept of ferrovalley material with spontaneous valley polarization in monolayer 2H-VSe2.

    • Wen-Yi Tong
    • , Shi-Jing Gong
    •  & Chun-Gang Duan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Materials with ordered magnetic spiral phases can exhibit ferroelectricity and magnetoelectric effects, but applications are restricted by low magnetic-order temperatures. Here, the authors stabilize the magnetic spiral phase of YBaCuFeO5at room temperature by controlling the iron–copper chemical disorder.

    • Mickaël Morin
    • , Emmanuel Canévet
    •  & Marisa Medarde

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The interplay between the low-energy carriers in Dirac materials and magnetism is likely to reveal many novel physical phenomena. Here, the authors use two-magnon Raman scattering to determine the exchange energies of two prototypical magnetic Dirac systems, CaMnBi2 and SrMnBi2.

    • Anmin Zhang
    • , Changle Liu
    •  & Qingming Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here Razaet al. use using scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with electron energy-loss spectroscopy to provide detailed characterization of gap surface plasmon modes supported by a freely suspended silver nanoslit of 25 nm width.

    • Søren Raza
    • , Majid Esfandyarpour
    •  & Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Van der Waals heterostructures offer a platform for harnessing the spin-valley degree of freedom for information processing. Here, the authors transfer optically generated spin-valley polarization from one layer to another in a two-dimensional molybdenum diselenide–tungsten diselenide heterostructure.

    • John R. Schaibley
    • , Pasqual Rivera
    •  & Xiaodong Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Performing computation on encrypted data is a power tool for protecting a client’s privacy, but the best solutions achieved by classical approaches are only computationally secure. Here authors present and experimentally demonstrate a quantum protocol to achieve this using continuous variables.

    • Kevin Marshall
    • , Christian S. Jacobsen
    •  & Ulrik L. Andersen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    High power lasers can produce electron-positron pairs at GeV energies, but doing so through laser–laser collisions would require exceedingly high intensities. Here the authors present an all-optical scheme for pair production by irradiating near-critical-density plasmas with two counter-propagating lasers.

    • Xing-Long Zhu
    • , Tong-Pu Yu
    •  & Alexander Pukhov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymorph selection by synthesis conditions is common, important and mechanistically undercharacterized. Here authors show viaab initio calculations that surface energy effects on nucleation rate can explain how solution pH selects dominant forms of FeS2during hydrothermal synthesis.

    • Daniil A. Kitchaev
    •  & Gerbrand Ceder

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Dissipative systems may provide another platform towards adaptive electronics beyond adaptive biological systems. Here, Leeet al. report a non-volatile memristive microwave device based on adaptive tuning of the dissipative magnetic domains of a driven ferromagnetic system.

    • Hanju Lee
    • , Barry Friedman
    •  & Kiejin Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It has been a challenge to characterize microscopic origins of friction at high velocities. Here authors extend atomic force microscopy to develop a dynamic technique combining force sensitivity and spatial resolution and able to probe, at each image pixel, frictional forces at velocities up to several cm per second.

    • Per-Anders Thorén
    • , Astrid S. de Wijn
    •  & David B. Haviland

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Radiative cooling relies on the atmosphere’s transparency window. Here the authors achieve up to 42 °C drops in temperature for low thermal loads under diffuse sunlight by improving the selectivity of the emissivity and the thermal management of their devices.

    • Zhen Chen
    • , Linxiao Zhu
    •  & Shanhui Fan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Back reaction of coronal magnetic fields on the solar surface may help to understand the coronal reconfiguration during a solar flare. Here the authors report observation of reversal of the rotation of a sunspot during a X1.6 flare with data from HMI.

    • Yi Bi
    • , Yunchun Jiang
    •  & Zhe Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Atom interferometers in microgravity environments can reach precisions unattainable on Earth. Here the authors report the operation of a dual species interferometer onboard a zero-G aircraft, testing universality of free fall in microgravity and providing a test bed for future moving inertial sensors.

    • Brynle Barrett
    • , Laura Antoni-Micollier
    •  & Philippe Bouyer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Superconductivity has not been observed in any antiperovskite oxide up to now. Here Oudahet al. report superconducting transition around 5 K in antiperovskite oxide Sr3−xSnO, making it a new class of oxide superconductors.

    • Mohamed Oudah
    • , Atsutoshi Ikeda
    •  & Yoshiteru Maeno

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photochemical reactions can limit the efficiency of organic solar cells. Here the authors show that strong coupling of organic molecules to a confined light mode can effectively suppress such reactions and convert normally unstable molecules into photostable forms.

    • Javier Galego
    • , Francisco J. Garcia-Vidal
    •  & Johannes Feist

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molecular magnets are molecules with an inherent non-zero spin that can exhibit magnetic ordering. Here, the authors show that such molecules can change the many-body ground state of nonmagnetic metals at a functional scale with magnetic phthalocyanines.

    • A. Atxabal
    • , M. Ribeiro
    •  & L. E. Hueso

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The good thermoelectric figures of merit of p-type tin selenide single crystals are actively studied. Here, the authors show that n-type SnSe can also reach a figure of merit of around 2, at high temperatures, when doped with bismuth.

    • Anh Tuan Duong
    • , Van Quang Nguyen
    •  & Sunglae Cho

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The spin Peltier effect produces a temperature difference along the direction of a spin current. Here, the authors use an active thermography technique to visualize the temperature modulation induced by a spin current injected into a magnetic insulator from an adjacent metal.

    • Shunsuke Daimon
    • , Ryo Iguchi
    •  & Ken-ichi Uchida

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