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Category: materials

Super strain-resistant superconductors

Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity with zero resistance, usually only at very low temperatures. Most superconductors behave according to well-established rules, but strontium ruthenate, Sr₂RuO₄, has defied clear understanding since its superconducting properties were discovered in 1994. It is considered one of the cleanest and best-studied unconventional superconductors, yet scientists still debate the precise structure and symmetry of the electron pairing that gives rise to its remarkable properties.

One powerful way to identify the underlying superconducting state is to measure how the superconducting transition temperature, or Tc, changes under strain, since different superconducting states respond differently when a crystal is stretched, compressed, or twisted.

Many earlier experiments, especially ultrasound studies, suggested that Sr₂RuO₄ might host a two-component superconducting state, a more complex form of superconductivity that can support exotic behaviors such as internal magnetic fields or multiple coexisting superconducting domains. But a genuine two-component state is expected to respond strongly to shear strain.

Scientists Identify Promising New Magnetic Material for the AI Era

A newly validated magnetic state could open a path toward ultra-fast, high-density memory for future AI and data-center technologies. A collaborative team of researchers from NIMS, the University of Tokyo, Kyoto Institute of Technology, and Tohoku University has shown that thin films of ruthenium

Unveiling the Role of Graphene in Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Electrodeposited Ni Composites

Graphene holds significant promise as an ideal reinforcing phase. However, its tendency to irreversibly aggregate and its unclear impact on electrodeposition mechanisms have hindered the full exploitation of its advantages for enhancing material mechanical properties. In this study, we produced a graphene/Ni composite reinforced with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via a simple, scalable, and cost-effective electrodeposition approach. The incorporation of graphene not only raised the cathodic polarization potential but also enhanced the transport of ions. As a result, the presence of rGO significantly influenced the grain size, grain distribution, and the proportion of growth twins-3(111). Compared with Ni, the graphene/Ni composite exhibited improvements of 14.8% in strength and 16.8% in fracture elongation.

Subtle twist in materials prompts surprising electromagnetic behavior

Materials react differently to electric and magnetic fields, and these reactions are known as electromagnetic responses. In many solid materials, unusual electromagnetic responses have been known to only emerge when specific symmetries are broken.

Researchers at Rutgers University, Pohang University of Science and Technology, National Taiwan University and University of Michigan recently observed new electromagnetic effects in ferro-rotational materials, which they reported in a paper in Nature Physics. These are solid materials in which individual crystals collectively rotate, and form ordered rotational domains, without breaking spatial inversion (I) or time-reversal (T) symmetry.

“Twisting is ubiquitous in nature, appearing in DNA structures, climbing vines, and even in quartz crystals that exhibit piezoelectricity. Such twisting is typically three-dimensional and is described by chirality, characterized by left-or right-handedness,” Sang-Wook Cheong, senior author of the paper told Phys.org.

Quality control: Neatly arranging crystal growth to make fine thin films

Table salt and refined sugar look white to our eyes, but that is only because their individual colorless crystals scatter visible light. This feature of crystals is not always desirable when it comes to materials for optical and electrical devices, however.

Metal-organic frameworks are one such material. Crystalline with micropores, thin films of these nanomaterials have been attracting attention as a next-generation material that could also have an impact on environmental issues such as hydrogen storage and carbon dioxide capture.

An Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Engineering team has found a way to control the growth of crystals on such thin films so that light scattering is reduced significantly.

New way to read data in antiferromagnets unlocks their use as computer memory

Scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) investigators have made a significant advance in developing alternative materials for the high-speed memory chips that let computers access information quickly and that bypass the limitations of existing materials.

They have discovered a way that allows them to make sense of previously hard-to-read data stored in these , known as antiferromagnets.

Researchers consider antiferromagnets to be attractive materials for making because they are potentially more energy efficient than traditional ones made of silicon. Memory chips made of antiferromagnets are not subject to the size and speed constraints nor corruption issues that are inherent to chips made with certain .

Engineers develop real-time membrane imaging for sustainable water filtration

CU Boulder researchers have introduced a solution to improving the performance of large-scale desalination plants: stimulated Raman scattering (SRS).

Published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the laser-based imaging method allows researchers to observe in real-time membrane fouling, a process where unwanted materials such as salts, minerals and microorganisms accumulate on filtration membranes.

Worldwide, 55% of people experience water scarcity at least one month a year, and that number is expected to climb to 66% by the end of the century.

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