Robotic probe quickly measures key properties of new materials

MIT researchers have developed a fully autonomous robotic system designed to accelerate the discovery of new semiconductor materials for solar cells and electronics. The system uses a robotic probe to automatically measure photoconductance—an essential property that indicates how a material responds electrically to light. By automating this process, the technology aims to overcome a major bottleneck in materials research, significantly speeding up the pace of innovation.

The researchers inject materials-science-domain knowledge from human experts into the machine-learning model that guides the robot’s decision making. This enables the robot to identify the best places to contact a material with the probe to gain the most information about its photoconductance, while a specialized planning procedure finds the fastest way to move between contact points.

During a 24-hour test, the fully autonomous robotic probe took more than 125 unique measurements per hour, with more precision and reliability than other artificial intelligence-based methods.

By dramatically increasing the speed at which scientists can characterize important properties of new semiconductor materials, this method could spur the development of solar panels that produce more electricity.

“I find this paper to be incredibly exciting because it provides a pathway for autonomous, contact-based characterization methods. Not every important property of a material can be measured in a contactless way. If you need to make contact with your sample, you want it to be fast and you want to maximize the amount of information that you gain,” says Tonio Buonassisi, professor of mechanical engineering and senior author of a paper on the autonomous system.

His co-authors include lead author Alexander (Aleks) Siemenn, a graduate student; postdocs Basita Das and Kangyu Ji; and graduate student Fang Sheng

Since 2018, researchers in Buonassisi’s laboratory have been working toward a fully autonomous materials discovery laboratory. They’ve recently focused on discovering new perovskites, which are a class of semiconductor materials used in photovoltaics like solar panels.

In prior work, they developed techniques to rapidly synthesize and print unique combinations of perovskite material. They also designed imaging-based methods to determine some important material properties.

But photoconductance is most accurately characterized by placing a probe onto the material, shining a light, and measuring the electrical response.

“To allow our experimental laboratory to operate as quickly and accurately as possible, we had to come up with a solution that would produce the best measurements while minimizing the time it takes to run the whole procedure,” says Siemenn.

Doing so required the integration of machine learning, robotics, and material science into one autonomous system.

To begin, the robotic system uses its onboard camera to take an image of a slide with perovskite material printed on it.

Then it uses computer vision to cut that image into segments, which are fed into a neural network model that has been specially designed to incorporate domain expertise from chemists and materials scientists.

“These robots can improve the repeatability and precision of our operations, but it is important to still have a human in the loop. If we don’t have a good way to implement the rich knowledge from these chemical experts into our robots, we are not going to be able to discover new materials,” Siemenn adds.

The model uses this domain knowledge to determine the optimal points for the probe to contact based on the shape of the sample and its material composition. These contact points are fed into a path planner that finds the most efficient way for the probe to reach all points.

The adaptability of this machine-learning approach is especially important because the printed samples have unique shapes, from circular drops to jellybean-like structures.

“It is almost like measuring snowflakes — it is difficult to get two that are identical,” Buonassisi says.

Once the path planner finds the shortest path, it sends signals to the robot’s motors, which manipulate the probe and take measurements at each contact point in rapid succession.

Key to the speed of this approach is the self-supervised nature of the neural network model. The model determines optimal contact points directly on a sample image — without the need for labeled training data.

The researchers also accelerated the system by enhancing the path planning procedure. They found that adding a small amount of noise, or randomness, to the algorithm helped it find the shortest path.

“As we progress in this age of autonomous labs, you really do need all three of these expertise — hardware building, software, and an understanding of materials science — coming together into the same team to be able to innovate quickly. And that is part of the secret sauce here,” Buonassisi says.

Once they had built the system from the ground up, the researchers tested each component. Their results showed that the neural network model found better contact points with less computation time than seven other AI-based methods. In addition, the path planning algorithm consistently found shorter path plans than other methods.

When they put all the pieces together to conduct a 24-hour fully autonomous experiment, the robotic system conducted more than 3,000 unique photoconductance measurements at a rate exceeding 125 per hour.

In addition, the level of detail provided by this precise measurement approach enabled the researchers to identify hotspots with higher photoconductance as well as areas of material degradation.

“Being able to gather such rich data that can be captured at such fast rates, without the need for human guidance, starts to open up doors to be able to discover and develop new high-performance semiconductors, especially for sustainability applications like solar panels,” Siemenn says.

The researchers want to continue building on this robotic system as they strive to create a fully autonomous lab for materials discovery.

For more information: Science Advances

Pattern Materials makes its mark in Houston

Alex Lathem, a graduate student at Rice University, has launched Pattern Materials, a startup focused on revolutionizing graphene production by making it faster, more affordable, and scalable. The company leverages Lathem’s proprietary laser-induced and flash graphene technologies, which enable the rapid creation of graphene and carbon nanotube-like patterns in a single step. These advanced materials, known for their exceptional conductivity, flexibility, and strength, have the potential to significantly enhance electronic devices such as sensors. Pattern Materials is already gaining traction, earning $134,500 and fourth place at the Rice Business Plan Competition, along with third place at Energy Venture Day during CERAWeek.

The technology was developed in the lab of Rice’s James Tour, professor of materials science and nanoengineering and the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, who discovered and has been innovating with graphene for more than a decade. He’s also an advisor to Pattern Materials.

“There’s a lot of graphene research out there now and it should be ready for commercialization – that’s the kind of bet that we’re making,” Lathem said.

To prepare for the pitch competitions, Lathem utilized Rice’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie). Lilie is the home of experiential learning and co-curricular activities in entrepreneurship and innovation at Rice.

“We were still thinking too much like it was a thesis, and got a whole lot of feedback from investors saying ‘make it more clear what you’re doing,” Lathem said. “‘Focus on the product, focus on the solution.’”

Pattern Materials’ next focus is on working with sensor manufacturers to create pilot programs.

“Those are the key people we want to be working with, because our patterns basically could serve as the template or the backbone for those sensors,” he said. “In a sensor, there’s always some component that’s the actual sensitive material – that’s what graphene is really good for. Our intention is to replace that piece with our material, and so that will involve working with these manufacturers pretty closely to know what properties they need.”

The company plans to be based in Houston and work toward vertical integration. The city has a lot of interest in new technology and new manufacturing, Lathem said.

“The ceiling is very high for what we can do, the potential. We want to see how far we can take it, not just on domestic usage, but packaging,” he continued. “We believe in the material. We love the potential and we want to see how far we can take it and what impact we can have on not just domestic manufacturing, but sensor usage and making the world kind of a better, safer place in all the ways that sensors are used nowadays. And hopefully as well, it will be a great sort of example for what’s possible in Houston.”

For more information: Rice University

AI system helps researchers unlock hidden potential in newly discovered materials

Researchers at the University of Toronto Engineering have developed a new multimodal AI tool that could significantly accelerate the application of newly discovered materials. Led by Professor Seyed Mohamad Moosavi, the team’s study introduces an AI system capable of predicting how a material might perform in real-world conditions from the moment it is created—helping ensure that promising innovations reach their full potential.

The system focuses on a class of porous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Moosavi says that last year alone, materials scientists created more than 5,000 different types of MOFs, which have tunable properties that lead to a wide range of potential applications.

For example, MOFs can be used to separate CO2 from other gases in a waste stream, preventing the carbon from reaching the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. They can also be used to deliver drugs to particular areas of the body, or to add new functions to advanced electronic devices.

According to Moosavi, one major challenge facing the field is that a MOF created for one purpose often turns out to have the ideal properties for a completely different application.

For example, in one of their previous studies, it was found that a material originally synthesized for photocatalysis was instead very effective for carbon capture — but this discovery was only made seven years later.

“In materials discovery, the typical question is, ‘What is the best material for this application?’” says Moosavi.

“We flipped the question and asked, ‘What’s the best application for this new material?’ With so many materials made every day, we want to shift the focus from ‘what material do we make next’ to ‘what evaluation should we do next.’”

This approach aims to reduce the time lag between discovery and deployment of MOFs.

To help make this possible, ChemE PhD student Sartaaj Khan developed a multimodal machine learning system trained on various types of data typically available immediately after synthesis — specifically, the precursor chemicals used to make the material, and its powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) pattern.

“Multimodality matters,” says Khan. “Just as humans use different senses — such as vision and language — to understand the world, combining different types of material data gives our model a more complete picture.”

The AI system uses a multimodal pretraining strategy to gain insights into a material’s geometry and chemical environment, enabling it to make accurate property predictions without needing post-synthesis structural characterization.

This can speed up the discovery process and help researchers recognize promising materials before they’re overlooked or shelved.

To test the model, the team conducted a ‘time-travel’ experiment. They trained the AI on material data available before 2017 and asked it to evaluate materials synthesized after that date.

The system successfully flagged several materials — originally developed for other purposes — as strong candidates for carbon capture. Some of those are now undergoing experimental validation in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada.

Looking ahead, Moosavi plans to integrate the AI into the self-driving laboratories (SDLs) at U of T’s Acceleration Consortium, a global hub for automated materials discovery.

“SDLs automate the process of designing, synthesizing and testing new materials,” he says.

“When one lab creates a new material, our system could evaluate it — and potentially reroute it to another lab better equipped to assess its full potential. That kind of seamless inter-lab coordination could accelerate materials discovery.”

For more information: Nature Communications

Image: PhD student Sartaaj Takrim Khan, left, and Professor Seyed Mohamad Moosavi (ChemE) created a multimodal AI tool that can predict how metal-organic frameworks might perform in the real world. (Photo by Tyler Irving)

Solar Atmospheres of Michigan expands thermal processing capabilities with new air tempering and cryogenic systems

Solar Atmospheres, Chesterfield, MI, announced the addition of advanced air tempering and cryogenic equipment to its Michigan facility, marking a significant expansion of its processing capabilities. These upgrades support the company’s commitment to offering high-performance thermal treatments for a broad range of industrial applications.

The newly installed equipment includes a large car-bottom air furnace, manufactured by Heat Treat Equipment Inc., with dimensions of 6’6” wide × 4’ high × 14’ long. It features a 30,000-pound load capacity and maintains temperature uniformity within ±10°F across a range of 300°F to 1400°F, making it well-suited for large and heavy components that demand precise thermal control.

Also added to the facility is a DMP “Cryo/Temper Systems” unit with a 42” wide × 60” deep × 36” high hot/cold zone. The system supports cryogenic treatment and high-temperature tempering in a single integrated solution, with temperature uniformity within ±10°F from -300°F to 1200°F.

Bob Hill, president of Solar Atmospheres of Michigan, stated that the new systems are part of a strategic effort to provide customers with greater processing flexibility and to meet the evolving demands of various industries.

These installations represent the initial phase of a broader expansion within Solar Michigan’s new 50,000-square-foot facility, which currently houses 12 production vacuum furnaces. Additional equipment investments are planned as the company continues to grow its footprint and capabilities.

Read further here

TESCAN expands its presence in Asia

Czech-based electron microscope manufacturer TESCAN plans to establish a local subsidiary in Taiwan in 2025 to meet rising demand from semiconductor clients across the Asia-Pacific region.

Founded in Brno, the Czech Republic’s second-largest city, TESCAN built its reputation over three decades in fields like materials science and geoscience. In recent years, however, the company has pivoted toward the semiconductor industry, with a particular focus on the rapidly expanding advanced packaging segment.

TESCAN’s advanced packaging FA solution is built around a hybrid workflow that integrates scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB), and other inspection tools into a seamless, cross-platform system. The setup aims to reduce testing time, cut labor requirements, and speed up R&D while improving yield outcomes.

Described as a “full-body checkup” for chips, the solution uses a suite of diagnostic tools—much like a team of medical specialists—to identify failure points across materials and structures. This approach has proven essential for OSAT providers, foundries, and IC design houses alike.

According to TESCAN Taiwan country manager Robert Feng, FA begins with non-destructive testing to locate potential defects without damaging the sample. The next phase involves destructive analysis using laser cutting for speed, followed by dual-beam systems to isolate and expose the faulty regions.

The process continues with SEM imaging via the dual-beam system to analyze interfaces and defect signatures. To address the rising need for structural stress and material composition analysis, TESCAN also provides a 4D STEM-enabled platform that measures internal stress fields and compositional shifts, supporting both process refinement and next-gen packaging evolution.
TESCAN’s semiconductor strategy—centered on failure analysis and advanced packaging—is gaining momentum thanks to integrated technologies and region-specific applications.

According to APAC managing director Sean Lee, the semiconductor business in Asia-Pacific contributed nearly 50% of the company’s global revenue in 2024. “There’s still plenty of room to grow,” he said.

For 2025, Lee projects a 40% revenue surge in APAC, fueled largely by Chinese demand, with semiconductor-related sales expected to account for about half of that growth.

As a challenger in the semiconductor equipment space, TESCAN is still trailing global leaders in market share. To gain ground, the company is leaning into product flexibility and differentiation.

Lee highlights technologies such as CoWoS, 2.5D/3D, and heterogeneous integration as major drivers of increased FA complexity. TESCAN’s strategy focuses on large-format and customized inspection demands, delivering broader and deeper coverage tailored to client-specific requirements.
TESCAN’s edge, Lee says, lies in its singular focus: “We only do electron microscopes.” Unlike competitors with sprawling product portfolios, the company offers more streamlined and responsive collaboration.

Most equipment vendors favor standardized models to maximize cost and production efficiency. TESCAN, however, starts with the unmet needs of leading customers and gradually scales into more price-sensitive segments—a strategy built on flexibility and differentiation.

Across the region, Lee says, packaging customers want FA tools that are faster, more precise, and competitively priced. TESCAN has targeted sample preparation, the bottleneck in the testing workflow, and introduced AI and machine learning to streamline it. The result: faster output, fewer manual errors, and relief for an industry plagued by skilled labor shortages.

Feng notes that training an operator in sample preparation and analysis typically takes six to twelve months. But with product lifecycles shrinking, delays are no longer acceptable. TESCAN’s solution reduces prep time from four hours to under one, even for first-time users.

Lee points out that Taiwan and China together account for over 70% of the global advanced packaging market. Many Chinese customers are Taiwan-owned or managed by Taiwanese executives, making Greater China the most critical hub for packaging technology and a core driver of TESCAN’s APAC expansion.

Although Lee concedes that launching the Taiwan office in 2025 is “a beat late” and would have been better timed two years earlier, he believes conditions remain favorable. As client technologies mature and US-China chip tensions intensify, China’s localization drive makes this an opportune moment.

Following the acquisitions of TESCAN Korea and anti-vibration system maker Daeil Microanalysis Laboratory (DML), the company will open new subsidiaries in Taiwan and Singapore in 2025. Moving away from agent-based distribution marks a major step in strengthening brand visibility and service capabilities across the APAC semiconductor market.

In the past, Taiwan clients relied on local agents for sales and service, which created delays in communicating feedback to TESCAN’s R&D hub in the Czech Republic, slowing development and impeding local adaptation.

To avoid missing out on co-innovation opportunities, TESCAN opted to establish its subsidiaries, enabling technical teams to work directly with clients. This move shortens communication loops, accelerates market responsiveness, and enhances local support across key APAC markets—including Taiwan, China, South Korea, and Malaysia—while deepening regional collaboration.

 

Image – Sean Lee (L) and Robert Feng (R). Courtesy of: DIGITIMES.

 

For more information:
TESCAN
https://www.tescan.com/

 

Seeing inside next-generation microelectronics using x-rays

As electronics shrink, researchers are turning to nanoscale materials like ultra-thin nanosheets for next-generation devices. Studying these tiny structures without damaging them is challenging, but scientists used a 12-nanometer-wide X-ray beam to examine them safely. This revealed two competing mechanisms behind how these nanosheets deform, offering insights crucial for advancing microelectronics.

Consumers want electronics that are ever smaller and faster. But the fabrication methods industry and researchers use to create tiny, high-power electronics are complex and can cause the nanostructures to have unwanted defects and deformations. Understanding these inner details—and doing so in a way that doesn’t cause further damage—is essential to determining how to use nanostructures in real-world applications. This study provides a non-destructive method for studying materials that yields insights into the structure of these devices at the nanoscale. It also opens a new avenue for developing novel nanoscale structures for electronics applications.

Nanosheets are used in tiny next-generation electronic components called Gate-All-Around Field Effect Transistors (GAAFETs). These components form the basis of computer microprocessors at the heart of smartphones and computers. In this study, a team of researchers from IBM collaborated with scientists from the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), a Department of Energy Office of Science user facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory, to map the deformations within nanosheets. The researchers investigated these structures using the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) beamline at the NSLS-II light source.

By exploiting the brilliant source of X-rays and the resolving power provided by a nanofocusing optics setup called a multilayer Laue lens, the researchers were able to identify two competing mechanisms at different length scales that contribute to the deformation. The first, which is long-range and previously known, is due to the mismatch of lattice constant between the different elements and a relaxation effect near edges. The second, a much shorter-range effect, is associated with the layering itself and is dominant within a length scale of the nanosheet thickness from the edge. These new insights could help researchers predict essential performance parameters of future devices, such as the carrier mobility.

For more information: Nature Communications

Image: Artist’s impression of how X-rays make it possible to study the distortions of the layers in the microelectronics material. The atoms at the edges of the layers are either squished tighter or pulled apart, creating a bend along the different layers.

UC Irvine to lead use of AI in solving grand challenges below Earth’s surface

The University of California Office of the President has awarded $6 million over three years to a UC Irvine-led initiative called Geophysicist.AI, which aims to apply artificial intelligence to major geophysical challenges within Earth’s crust. The project focuses on advancing sustainable geothermal energy, underground carbon dioxide sequestration, and the safe, long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel, among other critical environmental goals.

“Tapping into Earth’s abundant but hard-to-reach deep geothermal energy and better understanding and potentially predicting induced seismicity, as well as other subsurface capabilities, will take new technologies and novel approaches, and we think AI and machine learning will help us in a substantial way,” said Geophysicist.AI lead principal investigator Mohammad Javad Abdolhosseini Qomi, UC Irvine associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and materials science and engineering.

“We intend to design Geophysicist.AI with the attributes of a skilled geophysicist, including the ability to integrate and analyze heterogeneous data and models, solve mathematical representations of coupled processes across scales, and formulate and test hypotheses to provide a deeper understanding and explanation of observed geophysical processes,” he added.

With UC Irvine researchers in the lead, the project will tap the expertise of civil and environmental engineers, geoscientists, mathematicians and computer scientists at UC campuses in Riverside, San Diego, Berkeley and Santa Cruz. Also participating will be scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“Our goal is to develop a scalable artificial intelligence ecosystem that integrates large language and physics-informed models with massive amounts of real-world data to transform geophysicists’ ability to solve the most difficult subsurface challenges,” said co-principal investigator Eric Mjolsness, UC Irvine professor of computer science. “Also, we believe that the development of Geophysicist.AI will require us to employ novel methods, so both the project and its outcome will be useful more broadly in scientific applications beyond geophysics.”

Russ Detwiler, UC Irvine associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, said that as co-principal investigator, he envisions the team using Geophysicist.AI to address two main grand challenges of geoengineering. The first is to help humanity tap into enhanced geothermal systems, which entails circulating fluid through low-permeability rock as much as 2.5 miles deep to extract heat and drive turbines. Detwiler said that this endeavor – aided by AI and machine learning – is complex due to the interplay of thermal, mechanical and chemical processes at multiple scales.

The second goal is to use AI and machine learning to help predict induced seismicity from engineering pursuits beneath Earth’s surface. The researchers think a problem of this intricacy is a good match for AI since it involves terabytes of seismic data being generated continuously.

A key source of data will be the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. Geophysicist.AI scientists will join with counterparts at the Center for Understanding Subsurface Signals and Permeability, a U.S. Department of Energy Earthshot center managed through the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to gain access to this resource.

In addition, the team will take advantage of the Department of Energy’s multiphysics simulators, which run on DOE supercomputers. UC Irvine also has substantial high-performance computing capabilities and deep, interdisciplinary AI expertise that will benefit the project, Mjolsness said.

“Working with our principal investigators here at UC Irvine, scientists at the other UC campuses and collaborators at the national laboratories will enable us to generate sufficient preliminary proof-of-concept results, publish as a team and [promote] synergistic activities much like a full-blown research center,” Qomi said. “Our work over the next few years should put us in a good position to compete for future federal funding.”

For more information: University of California, Irvine
Image: Mohammad Javad Abdolhosseini Qomi (left), UC Irvine associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and materials science and engineering, is lead principal investigator on the Geophysicist.AI project, while colleagues Eric Mjolsness (center), professor of computer science, and Russ Detwiler (right), associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, are co-principal investigators.

Comet-catching NASA technology enables exotic works of art

Aerogel, composed of 99% air, is the lightest solid on Earth and has been used in diverse fields ranging from NASA missions to high fashion. Greek artist Ioannis Michaloudis, inspired by a dream to create a 3D cloud, spent over 25 years exploring aerogel as an artistic medium. His journey led him through institutions like MIT, Shivaji University in India, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Introduced to aerogel by a researcher at MIT, Michaloudis was captivated by its ethereal properties. The material is created by forming a gel from a polymer and solvent, then flash-drying it under pressure to produce a solid filled with microscopic pores.

Scientists at JPL chose aerogel in the mid-1990s to enable the Stardust mission, with the idea that a porous surface could capture particles while flying on a probe behind a comet. Aerogel worked in lab tests, but it was difficult to manufacture consistently and needed to be made space-worthy. NASA JPL hired materials scientist Steve Jones to develop a flight-ready  aerogel, and he eventually got funding for an aerogel lab.

The Stardust mission succeeded, and when Michaloudis heard of it, he reached out to JPL, where Jones invited him to the lab. Now retired, Jones recalled, “I went through the primer on aerogel with him, the different kinds you could make and their different properties.” The size of Jones’ reactor, enabling it to make large objects, impressed Michaloudis. With tips on how to safely operate a large reactor, he outfitted his own lab with one.

In India, Michaloudis learned recipes for aerogels that can be molded into large objects and don’t crack or shrink during drying. His continued work with aerogels has created an extensive art portfolio.

Michaloudis has had more than a dozen solo exhibitions. All his artwork involves aerogel, drawing attention with its unusual qualities. An ethereal, translucent blue, it casts an orange shadow and can withstand molten metals.

In 2020, Michaloudis created a quartz-encapsulated aerogel pendant for the centerpiece of that year’s collection from French jewelry house Boucheron. Michaloudis also captured the fashion and design world’s attention with a handbag made of aerogel, unveiled at Coperni’s 2024 fall collection debut.

NASA was a crucial step along the way. “I am what I am, and we made what we made thanks to the Stardust project,” said Michaloudis.

For more information: NASA

Image: The Jet Propulsion Laboratory perfected aerogel for the Stardust mission. Under Stardust, bricks of aerogel covered panels on a spacecraft that flew behind a comet, with the microporous material “soft catching” any particles that might strike it and preserving them for return to Earth.

Smart phonon control boosts efficiency in eco-friendly thermoelectric material

Researchers have significantly improved the efficiency of β-Zn₄Sb₃, a thermoelectric material that converts waste heat into electricity, without using rare or costly elements. This tellurium-free compound was studied using advanced neutron scattering techniques, revealing that tiny heat vibrations—called phonons—were being disrupted by “rattling” atoms within the crystal structure. This effect, known as phonon avoided crossing, greatly reduces heat transfer through the material, enhancing its energy-harvesting capabilities.

Thanks to this effect, the material’s thermal conductivity dropped to extremely low levels—great news for thermoelectric performance. Even better, the researchers found that the single-crystal version of this material also conducts electricity better than its polycrystalline counterpart, reaching a high power conversion efficiency of 1.4%.

These results show that smart phonon control can lead to high-performance, eco-friendly materials for converting heat into power.

In thermoelectric materials, avoided crossing refers to the interaction between propagating phonons and localized vibrational modes, where their energy dispersions repel each other rather than intersect. This phenomenon occurs under specific conditions, such as crystal symmetries or vibrational mode couplings.

However, when researchers developed the single-crystal β-Zn4Sb3, they observed an unexpected, avoided crossing, revealing unique phonon behavior that deviated from conventional thermoelectric materials.

The article explores the thermoelectric performance of single-crystalline β-Zn4Sb3, a tellurium-free material, by uncovering the microscopic mechanisms that lead to its ultralow lattice thermal conductivity (κL).

Using inelastic neutron scattering (INS), the researchers provide the first experimental observation of avoided crossing between longitudinal acoustic phonons and low-energy rattling modes. This interaction causes a significant reduction in phonon group velocity—from over 4000 m/s to about 591 m/s—and shortens phonon lifetimes to under 1 picosecond, both of which contribute to strongly suppressed heat transport.

The β-Zn4Sb3 single crystal achieves a κL of approximately 0.36 W/m·K in the 300–600 K range and a peak thermoelectric figure of merit (zT) of 1.0 at 623 K. Additionally, device-level testing shows a conversion efficiency (η) of 1.4% in a single-leg thermoelectric module—one of the highest reported for undoped Zn4Sb3.

Structural characterizations via TEM reveal a grain-boundary-free lattice with uniformly distributed moiré fringes, attributed to Zn concentration variations.

These nanoscale features further enhance phonon scattering without degrading electronic performance. Compared to polycrystalline samples, the single crystal exhibits significantly better electrical conductivity due to fewer defects and optimized carrier mobility.

“This discovery shows how heat flow can be engineered to design more efficient and sustainable energy technologies—without depending on scarce resources,” says Prof. Hsin-Jay Wu.

For more information: Advanced Science

Image: Phonon dispersion map single crystalline β-Zn4Sb3 of at 300 K, measured in the longitudinal scan along [hh0]. Credit: National Taiwan University

US scientists discover new 2D material that could be used in electrochemical energy tech

Nearly a decade ago, scientists predicted that boron atoms would bond too tightly to copper to form borophene—a promising, flexible, metallic 2D material with potential in electronics, energy, and catalysis. New research led by Rice University’s Boris Yakobson confirms this prediction, but in an unexpected way, offering fresh insights into the elusive material. Yakobson emphasized that since borophene remains on the edge of existence, every new discovery about it significantly advances our understanding of materials science, physics, and electronics.

“Our very first theoretical analysis warned that on copper, boron would bond too strongly, and even if borophene did form, it would be hopelessly attached to the substrate. Now, more than a decade later, it turns out we were right ⎯ and the result is not borophene, but something else entirely,” said Yakobson.

Researchers revealed that unlike systems such as graphene on copper, where atoms may diffuse into the substrate without forming a distinct alloy, the boron atoms in this case formed a defined 2D copper boride ⎯ a new compound with a distinct atomic structure. The finding sets the stage for further exploration of a relatively untapped class of 2D materials, according to researchers.

The research reveals that since the first realization of borophene on Ag(111), two-dimensional (2D) boron nanomaterials have attracted substantial interest because of their polymorphic diversity and potential for hosting solid-state quantum phenomena.

“Here, we use atomic-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and field-emission resonance (FER) spectroscopy to elucidate the structure and properties of atomically thin boron phases grown on Cu(111). Specifically, FER spectroscopy reveals charge transfer and electronic states that strongly differ from the decoupled borophene phases observed on silver, suggesting that the deposition of boron on copper results in strong covalent bonding characteristic of a 2D copper boride,” said researchers.

Earlier, studies synthesized borophene on metals like silver and gold, but copper remained an open ⎯ and contested ⎯ case. Some studies also highlighted that the boron might form polymorphic borophene on copper, while others suggested it could phase-separate into borides or even nucleate into bulk crystals.

Researchers revealed that resolving these possibilities required a uniquely detailed investigation combining high-resolution imaging, spectroscopy and theoretical modeling.

Yakobson underlined that what experimentalists first saw were rich patterns of atomic resolution images and spectroscopy signatures, which required a lot of hard work of interpretation.

These efforts revealed a periodic zigzag superstructure and distinct electronic signatures, both of which deviated significantly from known borophene phases. A strong match between experimental data and theoretical simulations helped resolve a debate about the nature of the material that forms at the interface between the copper substrate and the near-vacuum environment of the growth chamber, according to a press release.

“2D copper boride is likely to be just one of many 2D metal borides that can be experimentally realized,” said Mark Hersam, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University and a co-corresponding author on the study.

“We look forward to exploring this new family of 2D materials that have broad potential use in applications ranging from electrochemical energy storage to quantum information technology.”

For more information: Science Advances

Image: Calculated charge redistribution in copper boride (Cu8B14), where teal represents charge depletion and yellow represents charge accumulation.

These contacts let you see in the dark with your eyes closed

Scientists have developed innovative contact lenses that allow both humans and mice to see infrared light by converting it into visible colors—without the need for bulky equipment or batteries. These transparent lenses enable users to perceive both regular and infrared light simultaneously and can detect multiple infrared wavelengths at once. Remarkably, the lenses perform even better with eyes closed due to infrared light’s superior penetration. In tests, mice avoided infrared light, and humans could interpret flickering codes and light directions, showcasing the lenses’ potential for practical applications.

“Our research opens up the potential for non-invasive wearable devices to give people super-vision,” says senior author Tian Xue, a neuroscientist at the University of Science and Technology of China. “There are many potential applications right away for this material. For example, flickering infrared light could be used to transmit information in security, rescue, encryption or anti-counterfeiting settings.”

The lenses use specially engineered nanoparticles that absorb invisible infrared light and convert it into light our eyes can see, typically in the 400 to 700 nanometer range. More specifically, the technology targets near-infrared light, which lies just beyond human vision, in the 800 to 1600 nanometer range.

In earlier studies, the team showed these particles could give mice infrared vision when injected directly into the eye. This time, they’ve achieved similar results using a much less invasive approach—by building the particles right into soft contact lenses.

To create the contact lenses, the team combined the nanoparticles with flexible, non-toxic polymers that are used in standard soft contact lenses. After showing that the contact lenses were non-toxic, they tested their function in both humans and mice.

They found that contact lens-wearing mice displayed behaviors suggesting that they could see infrared wavelengths. For example, when the mice were given the choice of a dark box and an infrared-illuminated box, contact-wearing mice chose the dark box whereas contact-less mice showed no preference. The mice also showed physiological signals of infrared vision: the pupils of contact-wearing mice constricted in the presence of infrared light, and brain imaging revealed that infrared light caused their visual processing centers to light up.

In humans, the infrared contact lenses enabled participants to accurately detect flashing morse code-like signals and to perceive the direction of incoming infrared light. “It’s totally clear cut: without the contact lenses, the subject cannot see anything, but when they put them on, they can clearly see the flickering of the infrared light,” said Xue.

“We also found that when the subject closes their eyes, they’re even better able to receive this flickering information, because near-infrared light penetrates the eyelid more effectively than visible light, so there is less interference from visible light.”

An additional tweak to the contact lenses allows users to differentiate between different spectra of infrared light by engineering the nanoparticles to color-code different infrared wavelengths. For example, infrared wavelengths of 980 nm were converted to blue light, wavelengths of 808 nm were converted to green light, and wavelengths of 1,532 nm were converted to red light. In addition to enabling wearers to perceive more detail within the infrared spectrum, these color-coding nanoparticles could be modified to help color blind people see wavelengths that they would otherwise be unable to detect.

“By converting red visible light into something like green visible light, this technology could make the invisible visible for color blind people,” says Xue.

Because the contact lenses have limited ability to capture fine details (due to their close proximity to the retina, which causes the converted light particles to scatter), the team also developed a wearable glass system using the same nanoparticle technology, which enabled participants to perceive higher-resolution infrared information.

Currently, the contact lenses are only able to detect infrared radiation projected from an LED light source, but the researchers are working to increase the nanoparticles’ sensitivity so that they can detect lower levels of infrared light.

“In the future, by working together with materials scientists and optical experts, we hope to make a contact lens with more precise spatial resolution and higher sensitivity,” says Xue.

For more information: Cell

Robotic touch sensors are not just skin deep

Researchers at Northwestern University and Tel Aviv University have addressed a key challenge in developing affordable robotic touch by identifying a flaw in the materials used for robotic skin. They discovered that inexpensive silicone rubber composites form insulating layers on their surfaces, which block electrical contact between the sensing polymer and electrodes, leading to inaccurate readings. By eliminating this issue, the team has paved the way for low-cost robotic skins capable of mimicking human touch—enabling robots to detect curves and edges for more precise object handling.

“A lot of scientists misunderstand their sensor response because they lump together the behavior of the contacts with the behavior of the sensor material, resulting in inconsistent data,” Grayson said. “It turns out, if you are not aware of this problem, you can publish papers which no one can reproduce. Our work identifies the exact problem, quantifies its extent both microscopically and electrically, and gives a clear step-by-step trouble-shooting manual to fix the problem.”

The rubber that can be used for typical robotic skin, called an elastomer, is flexible, lightweight and inexpensive, and when electrically conducting fillers like carbon nanotubes are added to the mix, the resulting composite becomes an ideal candidate for a touch sensor, whose resistance changes locally when pressed. But to receive electrical signals, the sensors need to be electrically contacted, and the researchers detected a thin insulating layer ever-present in such composites which could drastically change the behavior of the contacts. Just by sanding down the ultrathin insulation layer, the team was able to achieve a much stronger electrical contact and calibrate the thickness of the insulating layer both electrically and microscopically.

“All interesting things happen at the interface,” said co-author and professor at Tel Aviv University Noa Lachman. “This publication not only shows the importance of sensor interfaces, but also the importance of working at the nexus between two different disciplines: materials science and electrical engineering. Materials experts suspected the presence of this insulating external layer in conductive polymer composites for years but couldn’t understand its electrical effects. Each of us has one piece of the puzzle, but only together can we get the whole picture.”

Robotics in particular can be tricky in part because it requires so many types of expertise. The polymer materials scientist designing the functional electronic material for a robot, for example, does not have the same training and skills as the electrical engineer whose electronics will process the sensor signals. Grayson said the “contact preparation” challenge was precisely where the conversation about this research began.

“That’s why our collaboration with Tel Aviv is essential – they know the materials science that we don’t know,” Grayson said. “We rely on them to prepare the materials we are studying, then we take and study the material before turning around to help the Tel Aviv materials scientists characterize their materials better.”

Producing new materials — and then reproducing them — requires consistency across many different variables that are often difficult or even impossible to control. In exposing the question of reproducibility in much of the literature on touch sensing, Grayson challenges the research community to hold itself to a higher standard with the quality check described in the paper. As awareness of this problem spreads among researchers, new publications can be more rigorously relied upon to advance the field with new capabilities.

For more information: Journal of Advanced Electronic Materials

New spectroscopy technique extends device lifespan

High-resolution, full-color display devices like foldable smartphones and ultrathin televisions use organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) due to their flexibility, self-illumination, lightweight construction, ultra-thin profiles, high contrast ratios, and low-voltage operation. An OLED consists of multiple ultrathin organic film layers between two electrodes, each layer playing a specific role in the device’s operation. When voltage is applied, electrical charges accumulate and emit light at the interfaces between these layers. While this multilayer structure allows precise control of charge accumulation, transport, and light generation, it also leads to degradation of the organic layers over time, limiting the lifespan and efficiency of OLED devices.

Understanding how the electronic structure at these interfaces behaves during operation remains a significant challenge. To tackle this issue, Professor Takayuki Miyamae, together with Mr. Tatsuya Kaburagi and Dr. Kazunori Morimoto from Chiba University in Japan, employed a second-order nonlinear spectroscopic method known as sum-frequency generation (SFG). This technique enabled them to investigate the vibrational and electronic properties at the interfaces within operating OLEDs, offering new insights into their behavior under real-world conditions.

When voltage is applied to an OLED system, light is emitted via the recombination of charges at the organic interfaces. This alters the SFG output, allowing researchers to study how charge accumulates and what electronic structural changes occur at the interfaces under different operating conditions.

three different multilayer OLEDs with different types and combinations of organic layers were used. Electronic SFG (ESFG) spectroscopy was conducted on three OLED devices to examine spectral changes induced by the charge behavior and electronic structure at the interfaces. “We examined the differences in the electric field intensities inside the OLED devices based on the applied voltage dependence of the ESFG spectra. This clarifies the role of field strength differences that affect the ease of internal charge flow and the light emission characteristics for the first time,” explains Prof. Miyamae about the team’s study.

ESFG spectral bands corresponding to each organic layer were identified by comparing the absorption spectra and layer configurations among the three OLED devices. The researchers observed changes in spectral signal intensities when applying voltages to the OLED devices, which were related to the changes in the electric field and charge behavior inside the OLEDs.

Upon voltage application, the spectral signal intensity increased at the absorption band of the hole transport material (positive charge carriers inside the OLED), and signal intensity decreased at the absorption band of the light-emitting layer. This shows that internal charge flow across the organic layers within the OLEDs is different, leading to changes in spectra.

The team also applied square-wave pulse voltages on these devices to study how electric fields formed within these devices varied with time. They found that adding BAlq (a material used for electron transport in OLEDs) changes the position where the light is emitted in OLEDs. This shift in emission affects both the color and shape of the emitted light and how efficiently the device converts electricity into light.

“ESFG technique represents a novel, highly effective, nondestructive, and non-invasive spectroscopic approach for examining the electric field generation caused by injected charges in solid-state thin-film devices,” notes Prof. Miyamae about this innovative research work.

With this technique, material scientists can now design OLEDs with improved device lifetimes, energy efficiency, and cost reductions, eventually increasing the use of ultrathin organic devices in our everyday lives. “Moreover, this research can greatly shorten and rationalize materials development research, which now performs trial-and-error processes and long periods of degradation verification to assess device efficiency and lifetime,” adds Prof. Miyamae.

For more information: Journal of Materials Chemistry C

OU and Oak Ridge National Laboratory launch strategic collaboration in additive manufacturing

The University of Oklahoma and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have partnered to create an advanced additive manufacturing center in Norman, OK, leveraging OU’s Sooner Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory and ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. This center aims to develop innovative metal additive manufacturing solutions for aerospace and national defense. The collaboration, involving OU’s Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute (OADII) and ORNL, will enhance research, training, and workforce development in metal additive manufacturing, hybrid manufacturing, machining, and data analytics.

“This long-term partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory fully aligns with the recently published update of OU’s strategic plan,” said Gen Robin Rand (USAF, ret.), OADII’s executive director. “Our deliberate push to advance additive manufacturing research is fueling innovation and economic prosperity in Oklahoma and reducing risk to our nation’s defense.”

Through OADII and the Gallogly College of Engineering, the University of Oklahoma supports Department of Defense priorities such as sustainment and modernization, and ORNL brings unparalleled technical capabilities in materials science and advanced manufacturing, providing the partnership with the tools and talent to drive innovation.

“Our college is thrilled to enter into this partnership,” said Zahed Siddique, associate dean for research at the Gallogly College of Engineering. “Collaborating on cutting-edge manufacturing technology will enrich the student educational experience, expand research impact and enhance economic development opportunities in Oklahoma.”

The center is expected to play a key role in supporting sustainment and mission readiness at Tinker Air Force Base and other critical centers across the region, including the Air Force Sustainment Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

“This partnership between OU and ORNL will have substantial impact on our national security, particularly by advancing qualified additive manufacturing processes for the sustainment and readiness of U.S. Air Force assets,” said Moe Khaleel, ORNL associate laboratory director for National Security Sciences. “When the great people at our two institutions get together, with our collective resources, we will do big things for the nation.”

ORNL will leverage the capabilities and lessons learned in establishing the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, the nation’s foremost advanced manufacturing research environment.

“By combining ORNL’s deep expertise in advanced manufacturing with OU’s strong academic and research foundation, we are creating a dynamic ecosystem for innovation,” said Craig Blue, ORNL’s chief manufacturing officer and director of Defense Manufacturing Programs. “This collaboration is not only about advancing technology—it’s about accelerating the transition of breakthrough solutions into real-world defense applications where speed, precision, and readiness matter most.”

For more information: Oklahoma Aerospace and Defence Innovation Institute

Image: Moe Khaleel, associate laboratory director, National Security Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, shakes hands with Carol L. Silva, interim vice president for research and partnerships, University of Oklahoma, during the signing ceremony. 

Bringing powerful 3D X-ray microscopy to smaller labs

Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a technique that allows the study of microstructures inside metals, ceramics, and rocks using X-rays in a standard laboratory, eliminating the need to travel to a particle accelerator. This advancement makes 3D X-ray diffraction (3DXRD) more accessible, enabling rapid analysis of samples and prototypes in both academic and industrial settings, and providing more opportunities for student involvement. 3DXRD works by reconstructing 3D images from X-rays taken at multiple angles, similar to a CT scan, but with the material sample rotating in front of a powerful beam that emits about a million times more X-rays than a medical X-ray.

The huge X-ray concentration produces a micro-scale image of the tiny fused crystals that make up most metals, ceramics and rocks, known as polycrystalline materials.

Results help researchers understand how materials react to mechanical stresses by measuring thousands of individual crystals’ volume, position, orientation and strain. For example, imaging a sample from a steel beam under compression can show how crystals respond to bearing the weight of a building, helping researchers understand large-scale wear.

Synchrotrons were once the only facilities able to produce enough X-rays for 3DXRD as electrons spit off scads of X-rays as they travel through circular particle accelerators, which can then be directed into a sample.

While synchrotron X-ray beams produce state-of-the-art detail, there are only about 70 facilities worldwide. Research teams must put together project proposals for “beam time.” Accepted projects often must wait six months to up to two years to run their experiments, which are limited to a maximum of six days.

In an effort to make this technique more widely available, the research team worked with PROTO Manufacturing to custom build the first laboratory-scale 3DXRD. As a whole, the instrument is about the size of a residential bathroom, but could be scaled down to the size of a broom closet.

“This technique gives us such interesting data that I wanted to create the opportunity to try new things that are high risk, high reward and allow teachable moments for students without the wait-time and pressure of synchrotron beam time,” said Ashley Bucsek, U-M assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering and co-corresponding author of the study published in Nature Communications.

Previously, small-scale devices could not produce enough X-rays for 3DXRD because at a certain point, the electron beam pumps so much power into the anode—the solid metal surface that the electrons strike to make X-rays—that it would melt. Lab-3DXRD leverages a liquid-metal-jet anode that is already liquid at room temperature, allowing it to take in more power and produce more X-rays than once possible at this scale.

The researchers put the design to the test by scanning the same titanium alloy sample using three methods: lab-3DXRD, synchrotron-3DXRD and laboratory diffraction contrast tomography or LabDCT—a technique used to map out crystal structures in 3D without strain information.

Lab-3DXRD was highly accurate, with 96% of the crystals it picked up overlapping with the other two methods. It did particularly well with larger crystals over 60 micrometers, but missed some of the smaller crystals. The researchers note that adding a more sensitive photon-counting detector, which detects the X-rays that are used to build the images, could help catch the finest-grained crystals.

With this technique available in-house, Bucsek’s research team can try new experiments, honing parameters to prepare for a larger experiment at a synchrotron.

“Lab-3DXRD is like a nice backyard telescope while synchrotron-3DXRD is the Hubble Telescope. There are still certain situations where you need the Hubble, but we are now well prepared for those big experiments because we can try everything out beforehand,” Bucsek said.

Beyond enabling more accessible experiments, lab-3DXRD allows researchers to extend projects past the synchrotron six day limit, which is particularly helpful when studying cyclic loading—how a material responds to repeated stresses over thousands of cycles.

For more information: The Michigan Center for Materials Characterization

Image: Members of Professor Ashley Bucsek’s lab group are able to use three-dimensional X-ray diffraction to study polycrystalline materials on campus, a technique previously only available in specialized synchrotron facilities. Left to right: Ashley Bucsek, Sangwon Lee, Wenxi Li, Abdulhamit Sarac, Janice Moya and Yuefeng Jin. Image credit: Marcin Szczepanski, Michigan Engineering

New material gives copper superalloy-like strength

Researchers from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Lehigh University have developed a nanostructured copper alloy (Cu-Ta-Li) with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical strength, potentially redefining high-temperature materials for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. This groundbreaking alloy is one of the most resilient copper-based materials ever created. The research, supported by a $25 million cooperative agreement and Lehigh’s Presidential Nano-Human Interfaces Initiative, highlights the decade-long partnership between Lehigh and ARL in advancing materials science.

“This is cutting-edge science, developing a new material that uniquely combines copper’s excellent conductivity with strength and durability on the scale of nickel-based superalloys,” said Martin Harmer, the Alcoa Foundation Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering at Lehigh and a co-author of the study. “It provides industry and the military with the foundation to create new materials for hypersonics and high performance turbine engines.”

The ARL and Lehigh researchers collaborated with scientists from Arizona State University and Louisiana State University to develop the alloy, which can withstand extreme heat without significant degradation.

This and other innovative alloys will continue to be studied in Lehigh’s newly outfitted high-tech research labs, the Nanoalloy Lab and Nanoceramics Lab, which include high-pressure torsion systems, nanoindentation equipment and specialized high-temperature furnaces.

The breakthrough comes from the formation of Cu₃Li precipitates, stabilized by a Ta-rich atomic bilayer complexion, a concept pioneered by the Lehigh researchers. Unlike typical grain boundaries that migrate over time at high temperatures, this complexion acts as a structural stabilizer, maintaining the nanocrystalline structure, preventing grain growth and dramatically improving high-temperature performance.

The alloy holds its shape under extreme, long-term thermal exposure and mechanical stress, resisting deformation even near its melting point, noted Patrick Cantwell, a research scientist at Lehigh University and co-author of the study.

By merging the high-temperature resilience of nickel-based superalloys with copper — which is known for exceptional conductivity — the material paves the way for next-generation applications, including heat exchangers, advanced propulsion systems and thermal management solutions for cutting-edge missile and hypersonic technologies.

This new Cu-Ta-Li alloy offers a balance of properties not found in existing materials:

  • Nickel-based superalloys (used in jet engines) are extremely strong but lack the high thermal conductivity of copper alloys.
  • Tungsten-based alloys are highly heat-resistant but dense and difficult to manufacture.
  • This Cu-Ta-Li alloy combines copper’s exceptional heat and electrical conductivity while remaining strong and stable at extreme temperatures.
  • While not a direct replacement for traditional superalloys in ultra-high temperature applications, it has the potential to complement them in next-generation engineering solutions.

The team synthesized the alloy using powder metallurgy and high-energy cryogenic milling, ensuring a fine-scale nanostructure. They then subjected it to:

  • 10,000 hours (over a year) of annealing at 800°C, testing its long-term stability.
  • Advanced microscopy techniques, revealing the Cu₃Li precipitate structure.
  • Creep resistance experiments, confirming its durability under extreme conditions.
  • Computational modeling using density functional theory (DFT), which validated the stabilizing role of the Ta bilayer complexion.

A project such as this takes years of careful work and collaboration, said Christopher Marvel ’12 ’16 Ph.D., an author of the paper and professor of mechanical engineering at Louisiana State University.

“Lehigh has such a strong reputation for electron microscopy, and that is what interested the ARL in working with us on this material. It was our microscopy that was really key to understanding the material,” said Marvel, who helped lead that portion of the research over a six-year period. “The Lehigh faculty have worked on many high-level research projects over the years, and they’ve all taught me different things that I apply now as an academic.”

The ARL was awarded a U.S. patent (US 11,975,385 B2) for the alloy, highlighting its strategic significance, particularly in defense applications like military heat exchangers, propulsion systems and hypersonic vehicles.

Further research will include direct measurements of the alloy’s thermal conductivity compared to nickel-based alternatives, work to ready it for potential applications, and the development of other high-temperature alloys following a similar design strategy.

For more information: Science

Image: This groundbreaking nanostructured copper alloy that could redefine high-temperature materials for aerospace, defense and industrial applications.

LIFT launches Advanced Metallic Production and Processing (AMPP)

LIFT, a Department of Defense-supported national advanced materials manufacturing innovation institute, has opened the Advanced Metallic Production and Processing (AMPP) Center in Detroit’s Corktown district. This facility will enhance the U.S. industrial base by accelerating the design, development, and deployment of novel metallic materials, addressing a critical gap in defense manufacturing. By producing metals across all alloy classes and processing them into high-quality feedstocks, AMPP will expedite materials development, particularly for additive manufacturing, ensuring manufacturers have access to essential materials for next-generation defense and commercial technologies.

Advanced materials are critical across industries. According to a recent report from Siemens Digital Industries Software, ”Innovation is key to the survival and growth of all companies. Product and materials inno­vation are closely linked, with product innovation relying on materials innovation by almost 70 percent. Therefore, it’s clear that developing new materials or innovative applica­tions of existing materials are of paramount importance for the manufacturing industry.”

This capability de-risks materials development investment for our domestic manufacturers and unlocks faster time to market and overall reduced cost of development.

A National Collaboration to Drive Innovation
The AMPP Center will serve as a hub for collaboration between LIFT’s nearly 400-member network and key industry stakeholders, including:
– Original Equipment Manufacturers
– Systems Manufacturers
– Materials Producers & Developers
– Application Developers & Part Manufacturers
– Academia & Startups

LIFT’s new Advanced Metallics Production and Processing Center exemplifies the mission of the Department of Defense’s Manufacturing Innovation Institutes: to close critical advanced manufacturing gaps in the U.S. defense industrial base and ensure we remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world,” said Keith DeVries, Director of Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)).

Advancing American Manufacturing & Security
Nigel Francis, CEO & Executive Director of LIFT, emphasized the importance of AMPP in maintaining America’s competitive edge:
“The pace of advanced manufacturing innovation is accelerating, and the development of novel materials is crucial to keeping the U.S. ahead of global competitors. With AMPP, we can now rapidly move new materials from concept to prototype, feasibility testing, and full-scale production—all within our borders. This capability is a game-changer for both our warfighters and manufacturers across industries.”

“A decade ago, we welcomed LIFT to Detroit to research and develop the next generation of advanced materials for commercial and defense uses,” said Mike Duggan, Mayor, City of Detroit. “This expansion into the production and processing of these materials demonstrates the success of their work and is a great example of how Detroit is very much a national center for innovation.”

Key Capabilities of the AMPP Center
– Low to Medium Volume Material Production
– Accelerated Material Delivery & Availability
– Toll Processing & Contract Manufacturing
– Domestic Production Through a Nonprofit Public-Private Partnership

Bringing Next-Generation Materials to Market and Scaling-Up Additive Manufacturing

As LIFT celebrates its 11th year as a national manufacturing innovation institute, it continues to expand its impact and technologies across the country, recently opening a facility in Puerto Rico and exploring new expansion opportunities.

For more information: LIFT

Exploring quantum materials for a new generation of technology

Today’s technology, from computer chips to camera image sensors, relies heavily on silicon semiconductors, which have been shrinking for decades. However, physical limitations will soon halt further advancements. Consequently, scientists and engineers are developing a new generation of technology based on quantum mechanics. Electrons in “quantum materials” exhibit unique behaviors, such as magnetism and superconductivity, which are crucial for future quantum technologies.

“Our piece of the puzzle is understanding how these materials function as a prerequisite for using them in engineering devices,” said Mark Dean, a physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and leader of the Dynamics and Control Group in Brookhaven’s Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department.

Dean characterizes quantum materials using a technique called resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, or RIXS. RIXS is particularly suited for probing samples as thin as one atomic layer and material states that change very rapidly. And with recent technological developments, researchers expect this technique to enable studies that were unthinkable only five years ago.

This progress gave Dean and three colleagues — Matteo Mitrano, Steven Johnston, and Young-June Kim — the impetus to chart where the field is going as a whole. So, they summarized the technique’s state of the art and how they expect the field to progress in a Perspective paper.

For more information: Physical Review X

Image: The graphic illustrates an ultrabright X-ray striking a quantum material’s electrons (gray circles) and scattering off the sample. In this example, the X-ray’s energy change will provide insight into an electron property called spin, represented by the arrows. (Brad Baxley/Part to Whole LLC)

Scientists observe exotic quantum phase once thought impossible

Rice University researchers have directly observed a superradiant phase transition (SRPT), a quantum phenomenon predicted over 50 years ago, which could revolutionize quantum computing, communication, and sensing. This occurs when quantum particles fluctuate collectively without external triggers, forming a new state of matter. The discovery was made in a crystal of erbium, iron, and oxygen, cooled to minus 457°F and exposed to a magnetic field of up to 7 tesla.

“Originally, the SRPT was proposed as arising from interactions between quantum vacuum fluctuations — quantum light fields naturally existing even in completely empty space — and matter fluctuations,” said Dasom Kim, a Rice doctoral student in the Applied Physics Graduate Program who is a lead author on the study. “However, in our work, we realized this transition by coupling two distinct magnetic subsystems — the spin fluctuations of iron ions and of erbium ions within the crystal.”

Spin describes the magnetic poles of electrons or other particles and can be envisioned as a tiny arrow attached to each particle, constantly twirling and pointing in a given direction. When spins align, they create magnetic patterns across a material. When the pattern of spins ripples across the material like a wave, the resulting collective excitation is known as a magnon.

Until now, whether or not an SRPT could actually take place was subject to debate as it runs against a limitation — called “no-go theorem” in theoretical physics — arising in light-based systems. By staging an SRPT in a magnetic crystal based on the interactions between two spin subsystems, the researchers were able to get around this barrier, creating a magnonic version of the phenomenon. Specifically, the iron ions’ magnons play the role traditionally attributed to vacuum fluctuations, and the erbium ions’ spins represent matter fluctuations.

Using advanced spectroscopic techniques, the researchers observed unmistakable signatures of an SRPT, with the energy signal of one spin mode vanishing and another showing a clear shift or kink. These spectral fingerprints match exactly what theory predicts for entering the superradiant phase, giving the team high confidence that they had indeed coaxed the long-sought state into being.

“We established an ultrastrong coupling between these two spin systems and successfully observed a SRPT, overcoming previous experimental constraints,” Kim said.

Researchers are excited not just because a 50-year-old physics prediction has been confirmed but also because of what this could mean for quantum technology. Collective quantum states at the SRPT have unique properties that could be harnessed for next-generation quantum technologies.

“Near the quantum critical point of this transition, the system naturally stabilizes quantum-squeezed states — where quantum noise is drastically reduced — greatly enhancing measurement precision,” Kim said. “Overall, this insight could revolutionize quantum sensors and computing technologies, significantly advancing their fidelity, sensitivity and performance.”

Sohail Dasgupta, a graduate student at Rice working with Kaden Hazzard, associate professor of physics and astronomy, theoretically modeled the SRPT, building on a model developed by their collaborator and co-author Motoaki Bamba, a professor at Yokohama National University.

“Although the basic mathematical model was already laid out before by Motoaki, we needed to account for some of the specific magnetic properties of the material to obtain the precise results. When your theory matches the experimental data ⎯ which happens rather rarely ⎯ it is the best feeling for a scientist,” Dasgupta said.

Hazzard said the achievement shows that concepts from quantum optics can be translated into solid materials.

“This opens a new way to create and control phases of matter using ideas from cavity quantum electrodynamics,” Hazzard said.

Moreover, the crystal used in this study is one example of a broader class of materials, which means the research paves the way for exploring quantum phenomena in other materials with similarly interacting magnetic components.

For more information: Science Advances

Image: Dasom Kim (Photo by Jorge Vidal/Rice University)

NURPH shows high schoolers top-level science

Three high school students from the Chicago Math and Science Academy participated in the inaugural Northwestern University Research Program for High Schoolers (NURPH) developed by Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering (MSE) graduate students.

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Charging electric vehicles 5x faster in subfreezing temps

University of Michigan engineers developed a modified manufacturing process for electric vehicle batteries—using a stabilizing electrode coating and microscale channels—that could enable high ranges and fast charging in cold weather, solving problems that are turning potential EV buyers away.

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Enovis releases 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility Report highlighting commitment to sustainability and community engagement

Enovis Corporation, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, announced the publication of its 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, underscoring the company’s ongoing dedication to ethical practices, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. ​

The report details Enovis’ initiatives aimed at fostering a positive global impact. Key highlights include the implementation of energy-efficient technologies across manufacturing facilities, resulting in a measurable reduction in the company’s carbon footprint. Additionally, Enovis has expanded its community outreach programs, partnering with local organizations to support health and education initiatives.​

The CSR report also emphasizes Enovis’ commitment to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, showcasing programs designed to promote equitable opportunities and a supportive work environment for all employees. By aligning its business strategies with sustainable and socially responsible practices, Enovis aims to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of its stakeholders and the broader community.​

For a comprehensive overview of Enovis’ CSR initiatives and achievements, the full 2024 report is available on the company’s website.

Read further here

SLAC fired the most intense submicron electron beam in history

Scientists at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have developed an ultrashort electron beam with five times the peak current of any previous beam, addressing a major challenge in particle accelerator and beam physics: generating high-power electron beams without compromising quality. This breakthrough opens new research possibilities in quantum chemistry, astrophysics, and materials science.

“Not only can we create such a powerful electron beam, but we’re also able to control the beam in ways that are customizable and on demand, which means we can probe a much wider range of physical and chemical phenomena than ever before,” said Claudio Emma, a staff scientist at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, who is a researcher at SLAC’s Facility for Advanced Accelerator Experimental Tests (FACET-II) and a lead author on the new study.

One of the field’s longstanding goals has been to develop electron beams that are both extremely powerful and precisely controlled. Until now, increasing a beam’s power often meant degrading its quality, a tradeoff that has limited progress in many advanced experiments.

Traditionally, a microwave field is used to compress and focus the electron beam. The electrons within the field are staggered, so that those further back have more energy than those in the front. It’s sort of like runners staggered at the start of a track race, Emma explained. “We then send them around a bend, so the electrons in back catch up with electrons in front, and then at the end, you have a bunch of electrons together in a focused beam.”

The problem with this approach is that as they accelerate, electrons emit radiation and lose energy, so the quality of the beam deteriorates. That creates a tradeoff between beam energy and quality. “We can’t apply traditional methods to compress bunches of electrons at the submicron scale, while also preserving beam quality,” Emma said.

To solve this issue, SLAC researchers compressed billions of electrons into a length less than one micrometer using a laser-based shaping technique originally developed for X-ray free-electron lasers, such as SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). “The big advantage of using a laser is that we can apply an energy modulation that’s much more precise than what we can do with microwave fields,” Emma said.

But it’s not as simple as just shooting a few lasers down a tunnel. “We have a one-kilometer-long machine, and the laser interacts with the beam in the first 10 meters, so you have to get the shaping exactly right, then you have to transport the beam for another kilometer without losing this modulation, and you have to compress it,” Emma said. “So it wasn’t easy.”

After several months of testing and finessing their laser shaping technique, Emma and his team can now repeatedly produce high energy, femtosecond-duration, petawatt peak power electron beams that are about five times higher in current than what could previously be achieved.

This new beam will allow scientists to probe a whole series of natural phenomena, including testing hypotheses in quantum physics, materials science, and astrophysics.

In astrophysics, for example, this beam can be directed to a solid or gas target to create a filament similar to those seen in stars. “Scientists know that these filaments occur, but now we can test how they occur and evolve in the lab with a level of power we haven’t had before,” Emma said.

Fellow FACET-II researchers pounced on the more powerful beam and have already applied it to advancing plasma wakefield technology. Emma is particularly excited about the prospect of further compressing these beams to make attosecond light pulses, further enhancing LCLS’s current attosecond capabilities and driving even more pioneering science. “If you have the beam as a fast camera, then you also have a light pulse that’s very short, and now suddenly you have two complementary probes,” Emma explained. “That’s a unique capability and we can do a lot of things with that.”

Emma and his colleagues are excited about the prospects this new electron beam will bring. “We have a really exciting and interesting facility at FACET-II where people can come and do their experiments,” he said. “If you need an extreme beam, we have the tool for you, and let’s work together.”

For more information: Physical Review Letters

Image: At the heart of the new study is a laser heater undulator, a device that allows researchers to tightly control electron beams.

One Minute Mentor: Advantages and Limitations of Heat Treatment Simulation

Heat treatment simulation can be a tool for optimization of heat-treatment processes, but at the present this method is still limited. Therefore most HTS is based on rough simplifications of the process. Simplifications can involve the process, number of phases, transformation kinetics, continuums models instead of micro-mechanical models, etc. These simplifications also result in inaccuracies in the calculations.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 16. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980