/ en-us Â鶹ÒùÔº internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ÒùÔºics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Newly developed DNA nanostructures can form flexible, fluid, and stimuli-responsive condensates without relying on chemical cross-linking, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo and Chuo University, in the journal JACS Au. /news/2025-08-dna-nanostructures-mimic-molecular-chemical.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:10:06 EDT news673690201 A joint research team from Japan has observed "heavy fermions," electrons with dramatically enhanced mass, exhibiting quantum entanglement governed by the Planckian time—the fundamental unit of time in quantum mechanics. This discovery opens up exciting possibilities for harnessing this phenomenon in solid-state materials to develop a new type of quantum computer. The findings are published in npj Quantum Materials. /news/2025-08-heavy-fermions-entangled-discovery-planckian.html Condensed Matter Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:25:03 EDT news673608301 In a major step toward next-generation electronics, researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have discovered a way to manipulate the direction of charge flow in ultrathin metallic films at room temperature using light. This discovery opens the door to more energy-efficient optical sensors, detectors, and quantum information devices. /news/2025-08-ultrathin-metallic-tunable-room-temperature.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:40:02 EDT news673529870 Researchers at Kumamoto University and Nagoya University have developed a new class of two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) using triptycene-based molecules, marking a breakthrough in the quest to understand and enhance the physical properties of these promising materials. The work is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. /news/2025-08-high-quality-crystals-enable-insights.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 01 Aug 2025 09:41:04 EDT news673260062 Solar cells and computer chips need silicon layers that are as perfect as possible. Every imperfection in the crystalline structure increases the risk of reduced efficiency or defective switching processes. /news/2025-07-cosmic-chips-cooling-triggers-phase.html Condensed Matter Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:30:05 EDT news672386224 Many displays found in smartphones and televisions rely on thin-film transistors (TFTs) made from indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) to control pixels. IGZO offers high transparency due to its large bandgap (the gap existing between the valence and conduction bands), high conductivity, and can operate even in an amorphous (non-crystalline) form, making it ideal for displays, flexible electronics, and solar cells. /news/2025-07-defects-crystal-indium-gallium-zinc.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 09 Jul 2025 12:17:04 EDT news671282221 Adatoms are single atoms that get adsorbed onto the surface of a solid material and are known to hop randomly from one spot to another. In a recent study published in Nature Communications, a group of scientists from Germany demonstrated that single atoms can be steered in a chosen direction at near absolute zero temperatures (4 Kelvin), provided the surface being used is magnetic in nature—a discovery that can open up new possibilities for precise control of atomic motion, a sought-after ability in the field of nanotechnology, data storage and functional materials. /news/2025-06-magnetic-surface-enables-precise-atomic.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 05 Jun 2025 09:40:03 EDT news668334908 A research team led by Associate Prof. Wang Anting from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed a method for multidimensional manipulation of polarization and phase based on a single geometric phase element. They managed to generate and control high-order vector vortex beams (VVBs). /news/2025-05-method-enables-flexible-generation-high.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 29 May 2025 15:37:02 EDT news667751821 Kirigami is a traditional Japanese art form that entails cutting and folding paper to produce complex three-dimensional (3D) structures or objects. Over the past decades, this creative practice has also been applied in the context of physics, engineering, and materials science research to create new materials, devices and even robotic systems. /news/2025-05-intuitive-geometric-method-inverse-kirigami.html General Â鶹ÒùÔºics Sun, 25 May 2025 09:00:01 EDT news667223147 Ferroelectrics are a class of materials that exhibit so-called spontaneous electric polarization, which is the separation of electric charges that can be reversed when an external electric field is applied to them. The dipole moments (i.e., pairs of equal and opposite charges) in these materials can sometimes be arranged in complex configurations known as topological textures. /news/2025-05-ferroelectric-topology-nanomembranes-enables-field.html Nanophysics Fri, 09 May 2025 10:30:02 EDT news666004601 Polarization, along with intensity, wavelength, and phase, is a fundamental property of light. It enhances contrast and resolution in imaging compared to traditional intensity-based methods. On-chip polarization devices rely on complex four-pixel arrays or external polarizers. /news/2025-04-torsion-unipolar-barrier-heterojunction-device.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:30:03 EDT news665249402 Quasicrystals, exotic states of matter characterized by an ordered structure with non-repeating spatial patterns, have been the focus of numerous recent physics studies due to their unique organization and resulting symmetries. Among the quasicrystals that have sparked significant interest among the physics community are so-called quantum quasicrystals, which are comprised of bosons (i.e., subatomic particles that have spin in integer values, such as 0, 1, 2, and so on, and can occupy the same quantum state simultaneously). /news/2025-04-physics-theory-energy-quantum-quasicrystals.html Condensed Matter Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Fri, 25 Apr 2025 06:50:01 EDT news664708518 In a recent study, researchers made a significant observation of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) phase transition in a 2D dipolar gas of ultracold atoms. This work marks a milestone in understanding how 2D superfluids behave with long-range and anisotropic dipolar interactions. The researchers are an international team of physicists, led by Prof. Jo Gyu-Boong from the Department of Â鶹ÒùÔºics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). /news/2025-04-secrets-superfluid-dipolar-interactions-dimensional.html Soft Matter Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Thu, 17 Apr 2025 12:31:03 EDT news664111861 The Andromeda galaxy is surrounded by a constellation of dwarf galaxies that are arranged in a highly lopsided manner. Analysis of cosmological simulations published in Nature Astronomy reveal that this degree of asymmetry is only found in 0.3% of similar systems, painting Andromeda as a striking outlier in the current cosmological paradigm. /news/2025-04-satellite-galaxies-awry-andromeda-asymmetrical.html Astronomy Fri, 11 Apr 2025 08:48:03 EDT news663580081 Researchers from ICMAB are revolutionizing how we manipulate light at the nanoscale using chiral plasmonic structures—nanomaterials designed to interact with polarized light in extraordinary ways. /news/2025-04-chiral-plasmonic-nanostructures-limits-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:58:03 EDT news663505081 For many years, physics studies focused on two main types of magnetism, namely ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. The first type entails the alignment of electron spins in the same direction, while the latter entails the alignment of electron spins in alternating, opposite directions. /news/2025-04-physicists-uncover-metallic-altermagnet-d.html Condensed Matter Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Mon, 07 Apr 2025 10:59:01 EDT news663242337 Researchers from Hanyang University have developed an innovative micropillar array capable of collective and rapid magnetic oscillations, demonstrating strong potential for advanced applications in robotics, fluid transport, and dynamic surface control. /news/2025-04-synchronized-magnetic-oscillations-enable-micropillar.html Nanomaterials Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:07:04 EDT news662814421 Pioneering new research could help unlock exciting new potential to create ultrafast, laser-driven storage devices. The study, led by experts from the University of Exeter, could revolutionize the field of data storage through the development of laser-driven magnetic domain memories. /news/2025-03-scientists-breakthrough-harnessing-magnetism-2d.html Nanophysics Thu, 27 Mar 2025 12:20:02 EDT news662296600 One of the simplest and most beautiful naturally occurring patterns can be observed when light is shined through a pair of slightly misaligned periodic structures. This phenomenon, known as the moiré effect, is not only pretty to look at, but also has important consequences for the properties of materials. /news/2025-03-physics-art-patterns.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Mar 2025 08:00:01 EDT news662198402 Proteins interacting with cell membranes play a vital role in countless biological processes, from how cells communicate to how they respond to external signals like hormones or medications. Understanding these interactions at a molecular level is crucial for advancing medicine, especially in designing drugs that target these proteins. /news/2025-03-dynamic-density-functional-theory-approach.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:18:04 EDT news662127481 Metals, as most know them, are good conductors of electricity. That's because the countless electrons in a metal like gold or silver move more or less freely from one atom to the next, their motion impeded only by occasional collisions with defects in the material. /news/2025-03-elusive-quantum-particles-bad-metal.html Condensed Matter Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:40:04 EDT news662038802 A research team led by Professor Sun Qing-Feng in collaboration with Professor He Lin's research group from Beijing Normal University has achieved orbital hybridization in graphene-based artificial atoms for the first time. /news/2025-03-graphene-quantum-dots-mimic-orbital.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:43:47 EDT news661776225 As the planet warms, Antarctica's ice sheet is melting and contributing to sea-level rise around the globe. Antarctica holds enough frozen water to raise global sea levels by 190 feet, so precisely predicting how it will move and melt now and in the future is vital for protecting coastal areas. /news/2025-03-ai-reveals-insights-antarctic-ice.html Earth Sciences Environment Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:00:16 EDT news661066442 Recently, a research group led by Prof. Wang Zhenyang and Zhang Shudong from the Hefei Institutes of Â鶹ÒùÔºical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a new type of ceramic fiber aerogel, SiC@SiOâ‚‚, featuring highly anisotropic thermal conductivity and extreme thermal stability through directional bio-inspired design. /news/2025-03-nature-ceramic-fiber-aerogels-advance.html Materials Science Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:20:03 EDT news661087202 Superconductivity, which entails an electrical resistance of zero at very low temperatures, is a highly desirable and thus widely studied quantum phenomenon. Typically, this state is known to arise following the formation of bound electron pairs known as Cooper pairs, yet identifying the factors contributing to its emergence in quantum materials has so far proved more challenging. /news/2025-03-physicists-uncover-superconducting-regimes-kagome.html Condensed Matter Superconductivity Thu, 13 Mar 2025 06:30:01 EDT news660905885 A research team, led by Professor Jimin Lee and Professor Eisung Yoon in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at UNIST, has unveiled a deep learning–based approach that significantly accelerates the computation of a nonlinear Fokker–Planck–Landau (FPL) collision operator for fusion plasma. /news/2025-02-deep-boosts-plasma-nuclear-fusion.html Plasma Â鶹ÒùÔºics Fri, 28 Feb 2025 09:24:04 EST news659957042 In a study that unlocks exciting possibilities for solar cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on materials known as perovskites, RIKEN researchers have refined techniques for controlling the optical and electronic properties of perovskite nanocrystals. /news/2025-02-techniques-aligning-nanocrystals-solar-cell.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:48:03 EST news659875682 Earthquakes occur along fault lines between continental plates, where one plate is diving beneath another. Pressure builds between each plate, called fault stress. When this stress builds enough to release, the plates slip and grind against each other, causing an earthquake. /news/2025-02-properties-fault-zones-contribute-earthquake.html Earth Sciences Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:00:11 EST news659782441 You may recognize graphite as the "lead" in a pencil, but besides helping you take notes or fill in countless bubbles on exam answer sheets, it is helping scientists grapple with the secrets of superconductivity. /news/2025-02-universal-principle-unconventional-superconductivity.html Superconductivity Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:05:04 EST news659624701 Rubidium could be the next key player in oxide-ion conductors. Researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have discovered a rare rubidium (Rb)-containing oxide-ion conductor, Rb5BiMo4O16, with exceptionally high conductivity. /news/2025-02-rubidium-material-exceptional-stability-pave.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:04 EST news659355961