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

Machine learning powers new approach to detecting soil contaminants

Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have developed a novel method to detect hazardous soil pollutants, including previously unstudied compounds, using a combination of light-based imaging, theoretical predictions of molecular light signatures, and machine learning algorithms. This technique enables the identification of toxic substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives (PACs)—common combustion by-products linked to cancer and developmental issues—without the need for physical reference samples or advanced lab facilities, overcoming a major limitation in traditional soil contamination analysis.

“This method makes it possible to identify chemicals that have not yet been isolated experimentally,” said Naomi Halas, University Professor and the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice.

The new method uses a light-based imaging technique known as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, which analyzes how light interacts with molecules, tracking the unique patterns, or spectra, they emit. Spectra serve as “chemical fingerprints” for each compound. The technique is refined through the use of signature nanoshells designed to enhance relevant traits in the spectra.

Using density functional theory ⎯ a computational modeling technique that can predict how atoms and electrons behave in a molecule ⎯ the researchers calculated what the spectra of a whole range of PAHs and PACs look like based on the compounds’ molecular structure. This allowed them to generate a virtual library of “fingerprints” for PAHs and PACs.

Two complementary ML algorithms ⎯ characteristic peak extraction and characteristic peak similarity ⎯ were used to parse relevant spectral traits in real-world soil samples and match them to compounds mapped out in the virtual library of spectra.

“We are using PAHs in soil to illustrate this very important new strategy,” Halas said. “There are tens of thousands of PAH-derived chemicals and this approach ⎯ calculating their spectra and using machine learning to connect the theoretically calculated spectra to those observed in a sample ⎯ allows us to identify chemicals that we may not, or do not, have any experimental data for.”

The method addresses a critical gap in environmental monitoring, opening the door to identifying a much broader range of hazardous compounds ⎯ including those that have changed over time. This is especially important given that soil is a dynamic environment where chemicals are subject to transformations that can render them harder to detect.

Thomas Senftle, Rice’s William Marsh Rice Trustee Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, compared the process to using facial recognition in order to find an individual in a crowd.

“You can imagine we have a picture of a person when they’re a teenager, but now they’re in their 30s,” Senftle said. “In my group what we do is, on the theory side, we can predict what the picture will look like.”

The researchers tested the method on soil from a restored watershed and natural area using both artificially contaminated samples and a control sample. Results showed the new approach reliably picked out even minute traces of PAHs using a simpler and faster process than conventional techniques.

“This method can identify lesser-known and largely unstudied PAH and PAC pollutant molecules,” said Oara Neumann, a Rice research scientist who is a co-author on the study.

In the future, the method could enable on-site field testing by integrating the ML algorithms and theoretical spectral library with portable Raman devices into a mobile system, making it easier for farmers, communities and environmental agencies to test soil for hazardous compounds without needing to send samples to specialized labs and wait days for results.

Ankit Patel, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice and assistant professor of neuroscience at BCM, is a corresponding author on the study alongside Halas.

Other Rice co-authors include computer science doctoral alum Yilong Ju; doctoral students Sarah Denison, Peixuan Jin and Andres Sanchez-Alvarado; Peter Nordlander, the Wiess Chair in Physics and Astronomy and professor of electrical and computer engineering and materials science and nanoengineering; and Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

For more information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Image: Naomi Halas and Ankit Patel

Tapping a new toolbox, engineers buck tradition in high-performing heat exchanger

Engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a high-performance, twisty high-temperature heat exchanger using a combination of topology optimization and advanced 3D metal printing. This innovative design significantly outperforms traditional straight-channel heat exchangers in terms of heat transfer, power density, and overall effectiveness. These heat exchangers are critical in industries such as aerospace, power generation, and aviation, where efficient heat dissipation is essential.

“Traditionally, heat exchangers flow hot fluid and cold fluid through straight pipes, mainly because straight pipes are easy to manufacture,” says Xiaoping Qian, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison. “But straight pipes are not necessarily the best geometry for transferring heat between hot and cold fluids.”

Additive manufacturing enables researchers to create structures with complex geometries that can yield more efficient heat exchangers. Given this design freedom, Qian set out to discover a design for the hot and cold fluid channels inside a heat exchanger that would maximize heat transfer.

He harnessed his expertise in topology optimization, a computational design approach used to study the distribution of materials in a structure to achieve certain design goals. He also incorporated a patented technique, called projected undercut perimeter, that considers manufacturability constraints for the overall design.

With an optimized design in hand, Qian worked with colleague Dan Thoma, a professor of materials science and engineering at UW–Madison, who led the 3D printing of the heat exchanger using a metal additive manufacturing technique called laser powder bed fusion.

From the outside, the optimized heat exchanger looks identical to a traditional version with a straight channel design—but their internal core designs are strikingly different. The optimized design has intertwining hot and cold fluid channels with intricate geometries and complex surface features. These complex geometric features guide fluid flow in a twisting path that enhances the heat transfer.

Collaborator Mark Anderson, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison, conducted thermal-hydraulic tests on the optimized heat exchanger and a traditional heat exchanger to compare their performance.

The optimized design was not only more effective in transferring heat but also achieved a 27% higher power density than the traditional heat exchanger. That higher power density enables a heat exchanger to be lighter and more compact—useful attributes for aerospace and aviation applications.

While previous research has used topology optimization to study two-fluid heat exchanger designs, Qian says this work is the first to harness topology optimization and impose manufacturability constraints to ensure the design can be built and tested.

“Optimizing design on the computer is one thing, but to actually make and test it is a very different thing,” Qian says.

“It’s exciting that our optimization method worked. We were able to actually manufacture our heat exchanger design. And, through experimental testing, we demonstrated the performance enhancement of our optimized design. The excellent work performed by the students, postdoctoral researchers and scientists in the three research groups made this advance possible.”

Sicheng Sun, a recent Ph.D. graduate from Qian’s research group, is the first author on the paper. Additional co-authors include Tiago Augusto Moreira, Behzad Rankouhi, Xinyi Yu and Ian Jentz, all from UW–Madison.

The researchers patented their projected undercut perimeter technique through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

For more information: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.

Image: A rendering of a topologically optimized unit cell for a heat exchanger core. The optimized design has hot and cold fluid channels with intricate geometries and complex surface features.

Fujitsu and RIKEN develop world-leading 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer

Fujitsu Limited and RIKEN have developed a cutting-edge 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer at the RIKEN RQC-FUJITSU Collaboration Center, building on the 64-qubit version launched in October 2023 with support from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). This advancement incorporates high-density implementation techniques, marking a significant step toward practical applications of superconducting quantum computers to address complex global issues. Starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, the 256-qubit quantum computer will be integrated into a hybrid quantum computing platform and offered to companies and research institutions worldwide, enabling more complex analyses and sophisticated error correction algorithms.

Moving forward, both organizations will further enhance the platform’s usability by working to enable seamless collaboration between quantum and classical computers, enabling the efficient execution of hybrid quantum-classical algorithms.

Fujitsu and RIKEN’s 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer overcomes some key technical challenges, including appropriate cooling within the dilution refrigerator which is achieved through the incorporation of high-density implementation and cutting-edge thermal design. Other key features include:

1. Scalable 3D connection structure

  • Enables efficient scaling of qubit count without requiring complex redesigns by arranging 4-qubit unit cells in a 3D configuration
  • The 256-qubit machine utilizes the same unit cell design established in its 64-qubit predecessor, effectively demonstrating the scalability of this architectural approach

2. Quadrupled implementation density within dilution refrigerator

  • Quadrupled implementation density achieved within the dilution refrigerator, allowing the 256-qubit machine to operate within the same cooling unit as the 64-qubit system
  • Highly optimized design that carefully balances heat generation from control circuits with the cooling capacity of the refrigerator, while maintaining the necessary ultra-high vacuum and extremely low temperatures

Fujitsu is committed to accelerating the practical application of quantum computers from both hardware and software perspectives. Through its platform for hybrid quantum computing, Fujitsu will provide larger-scale quantum computers to global companies and research institutions conducting joint research in various fields, including finance and drug discovery.

Fujitsu and RIKEN will continue R&D efforts toward the launch of a 1,000-qubit computer, which is scheduled to be installed in a new building at Fujitsu Technology Park in 2026. In addition, the two organizations will extend the installation period of their Collaboration Center from March 2025 to March 2029, and will continue to work on the long-term R&D of technologies that will enable the realization of even larger superconducting quantum computers.

For more information: Fujitsu

Image: Newly developed 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer

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

Flawed fillers in polymers boost heat transfer

A team of researchers, led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, made an important discovery in their quest to design the next generation of materials for modern devices—ones that are lightweight, flexible, and excellent at dissipating heat: imperfection has its upsides.

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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)

Strange behavior in ultra-thin materials

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, led by Ph.D. student Nofar Fridman and Prof. Yonathan Anahory, have discovered unexpected behavior in superconductivity within extremely thin materials. Superconductors, which allow electric current to flow without resistance, typically exhibit predictable changes when thinned. However, the team found surprising results when studying thin films of niobium diselenide (NbSe2), a layered superconducting material. Using advanced magnetic imaging techniques, they measured the material’s response to magnetic fields as its thickness decreased, revealing new insights into superconductivity at the nanoscale.

Typically, scientists expect the ability of a superconducting material to expel magnetic fields to become stronger as the material becomes thicker. Here, this length is gauged by a physical property called the Pearl length. This study confirmed that rule for samples thicker than ten atomic layers. However, when the films became extremely thin—just three to six layers (2-4 nm) —the researchers observed something unexpected: the Pearl length sharply increased and became thickness independent, breaking the expected pattern.

“Our findings reveal something completely unexpected that could be ubiquitous in superconducting materials,” explained Nofar Fridman, the Ph.D. student leading the study. “In very thin samples, superconductivity behaves differently from what we’ve known. It seems that below a certain thickness, superconductors host current mostly at their top and bottom surfaces, rather than throughout their volume. This finding opens up exciting new questions about superconductivity in ultra-thin materials.”

The team’s supervisor, Prof. Yonathan Anahory, emphasized the importance of their method, saying, “Our high-resolution magnetic imaging allowed us to see details that previous methods couldn’t detect. By finding this unique surface superconductivity, we’ve expanded our understanding of how superconducting materials behave at extremely small scales. This could have significant implications for future research and technologies.”

This discovery sheds new light on superconductivity in very thin films and challenges previously held theories. It also highlights how specialized measurement techniques can uncover surprising new physical phenomena, potentially opening avenues for innovative applications in quantum technology.

For more information: Nature Communications

Image: A schematic illustration of the experimental setup shows a scanning magnetic microscope positioned above two different samples. One sample exhibits only surface superconductivity, while the other displays conventional superconductivity.

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.

Chance discovery improves stability of bioelectronic material used in medical implants, computing and biosensors

A chance discovery by scientists from Rice University, University of Cambridge, and Stanford University has streamlined the production of PEDOT:PSS, a material widely used in medical research and computing. For over two decades, a chemical crosslinker was used to stabilize this conductive polymer in water. However, while experimenting with patterning techniques for biomedical optics, Stanford doctoral student Siddharth Doshi, collaborating with Rice’s Scott Keene, found that heating the material at a higher temperature without the crosslinker resulted in a stable sample, eliminating the need for the crosslinker.

“It was more of a serendipitous discovery because Siddharth was trying out processes very different to the standard recipe, but the samples still turned out fine,” Keene said. “We were like, ‘Wait! Really?’ This prompted us to look into why and how this worked.”

What Keene and his team found was that heating PEDOT:PSS beyond the usual threshold not only makes it stable without needing any crosslinker, but it also creates higher quality devices. This method could make bioelectronic devices easier and more reliable to manufacture with potential applications in neural implants, biosensors and next-generation computing systems.

PEDOT:PSS is a blend of two polymers: one that conducts electronic charge and does not dissolve in water and another that conducts ionic charge and is water-soluble. Because it conducts both types of charges, PEDOT:PSS bridges the gap between living tissue and technology.

“It allows you to essentially talk the language of the brain,” said Keene, who researches advanced materials for smaller, high-resolution electrodes capable of both recording and stimulating neural activity with precision.

The human nervous system relies on ions—charged particles like sodium and potassium—to transmit signals, while electronic devices work with electrons. A material that can handle both is crucial for neural implants and other bioelectronic devices that need to translate biological activity into readable data and send signals without damaging sensitive tissue.

In contrast, the higher heat stabilizes PEDOT:PSS by causing a phase change in the material. When heated beyond a certain temperature, the water-insoluble polymer reorganizes internally, pushing the water-soluble components to the surface, where they can be washed away. What remains is a thinner, purer and more stable conducting film.

“This method pretty much simplifies a lot of these problems that people have working with PEDOT:PSS,” Keene said. “It also essentially eliminates a potentially toxic chemical.”

Margaux Forner, a doctoral student at Cambridge who is a first author on the paper along with Doshi, said that heat-treated bioelectronic devices such as transistors, spinal cord stimulators and electrocorticography arrays — implanted grids or strips of neuroelectrodes used to record brain activity — were easier to fabricate, more reliable and equally high performing to those fabricated using the crosslinker.

“The devices made from heat-treated PEDOT:PSS proved to be robust in chronic in vivo experiments, maintaining stability for over 20 days postimplantation,” Forner said. “Notably, the film maintained excellent electrical performance when stretched, highlighting its potential for resilient bioelectronic devices both inside and outside the body.”

The finding may help explain why previous efforts to use PEDOT:PSS in long-term neural implants, including those by Neuralink, ran into stability issues. By making PEDOT:PSS more reliable, this discovery could help advance neurotechnology, including implants to restore movement after spinal cord injuries and interfaces that link the brain to external devices.

Beyond simplifying fabrication, the team found a way to pattern PEDOT:PSS into microscopic 3D structures — a breakthrough that could further improve bioelectronic devices. Using a high-precision femtosecond laser, the researchers can selectively heat sections of the material, creating custom textures that enhance how cells interact with the devices.

By eliminating the crosslinker, the research findings not only streamline the PEDOT:PSS fabrication process but also improve its performance. The new method produces a material with three times higher electrical conductivity and more consistent stability between batches — key advantages for medical applications.

The crosslinker worked by chemically bonding the two types of polymer strands in PEDOT:PSS together, creating an interconnected mesh. However, it still left some of the water-soluble strands exposed — a likely cause for the stability issues. Moreover, the crosslinker introduced variability and potential toxicity in the material.

This technique could be used to design neural interfaces that encourage better integration with surrounding tissue, improving signal quality and longevity.

Keene had also previously researched PEDOT:PSS in the context of neuromorphic memory devices used to accelerate artificial intelligence algorithms. Neuromorphic memory is a type or artificial memory that mimics how the brain retains information.

“It basically emulates the synaptic plasticity of your brain,” Keene said. “We can modify the connection between two terminals by controlling how conductive this material is; this is very similar to how your brain learns by strengthening or weakening synaptic connections between individual neurons.”

By unseating a long-standing assumption, the research not only made PEDOT:PSS easier to work with but also more powerful — a shift that could accelerate the development of safer, more effective neural implants and bioelectronic systems.

For more information: Rice University

Image: Implantable electrocorticography device (left) made using the heat treatment method (Photo courtesy of Margaux Forner); Rice University logo (right) patterned into PEDOT:PSS using a femtosecond laser

Scientists merge two “impossible” materials into new artificial structure

An international team led by Rutgers University-New Brunswick researchers has created a synthetic quantum structure by merging two lab-synthesized materials, previously thought impossible to combine. This exotic structure, developed through four years of experimentation, could provide new insights for quantum computing. The structure consists of distinct atomic layers: dysprosium titanate, used in nuclear reactors to trap radioactive materials and magnetic monopoles, and pyrochlore iridate, a magnetic semimetal known for its unique electronic, topological, and magnetic properties.

Individually, both materials are often considered “impossible” materials due to their unique properties that challenge conventional understanding of quantum physics.

The construction of the exotic sandwich structure sets the stage for scientific explorations in what is referred to as the interface, the area where the materials meet, in the atomic scale.

“This work provides a new way to design entirely new artificial two-dimensional quantum materials, with the potential to push quantum technologies and provide deeper insight into their fundamental properties in ways that were previously impossible,” said Jak Chakhalian, the Claud Lovelace Endowed Professor of Experimental Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences and a principal investigator the study.

Chakhalian and his team are exploring a realm that follows the laws of quantum theory, a branch of physics that describes the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level. Central to quantum mechanics is the concept of wave-particle duality where quantum objects can possess both wave-like and particle-like properties – a foundational principle behind technologies such as lasers, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transistors.

Chakhalian highly praised the efforts of three Rutgers students who made major contributions to the research: Michael Terilli and Tsung-Chi Wu, both doctoral students, and Dorothy Doughty, who graduated in 2024 and worked on the study as an undergraduate. In addition, Mikhail Kareev, who is a materials scientist working with Chakhalian, made a main contribution to the new synthesis method, as well as Fangdi Wen, a doctoral student who recently graduated from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Chakhalian said that creating the unique quantum sandwich was so technically challenging that the team had to build a new device to accomplish the feat.

The instrument, called Q-DiP, short for quantum phenomena discovery platform, was completed in 2023. Q-DiP incorporates an infrared laser heater with another laser which enables the construction of materials on an atomic level, layer by layer. The combination allows the scientists to explore the most intricate quantum properties of materials down to ultra cold temperatures near absolute zero.

“To the best of our knowledge, this probe is unique in the U.S. and represents a breakthrough as an instrumental advance,” Chakhalian said.

The half of the experimental sandwich that is dysprosium titanate, also known as spin ice, possesses special qualities. Tiny magnets inside, called spins, are arranged in a way that looks exactly like the pattern of water ice. The unique structure of the tiny magnets in spin ice allows them to emerge as special particles called magnetic monopoles.

A magnetic monopole is a particle that acts like a magnet, but with only one pole – either north or south, but not both. This object, predicted in 1931 by the Nobel prize winner Paul Dirac, does not exist in free form in the universe and yet inside spin ice it emerges as a result of the quantum mechanical interactions within the material.

On the other side of the sandwich, the semimetal pyrochlore iridate is also considered exotic because it contains tiny relativistic particles called Weyl fermions. Again, surprisingly, though predicted by Hermann Weyl in 1929, these exotic particles, discovered in 2015 in crystals, move like light and can spin in different ways – left-handed or right-handed. Their electronic properties are very strong and resist certain types of disturbances or impurities, making them very stable when operated as a part of electronic devices. As a result, pyrochlore iridate can conduct electricity very well, respond in unusual ways to magnetic fields and show special effects when exposed to electromagnetic fields.

Chakhalian said the combined properties of the new material created makes it a promising candidate for use in advanced technologies, including quantum computing and especially for the next-generation quantum sensors.
“This study is a big step forward in material synthesis and could significantly impact the way we create quantum sensors and advances spintronic devices,” he said.

Quantum computing employs the principles of quantum mechanics to process information. Quantum computers use quantum bits or qubits that exist in multiple states simultaneously due to a quantum physical principle called superposition. This allows for complex computations to be performed much more efficiently than by classical computers.

The specific electronic and magnetic properties of the material developed by the researchers can help in creating very unusual and yet stable quantum states, which are essential for quantum computing.

When quantum technology becomes practical, it will significantly impact ordinary life by revolutionizing drug discovery and medical research, markedly improving operations, predictability and cost savings in finance, logistics and manufacturing. It also is expected to revolutionize machine learning algorithms, making artificial intelligence systems more powerful, the scientists said.

For more information: Nano Letters

Image: By building a unique, advanced machine, Rutgers scientists have created a structure with quantum qualities. The green window (right) is the main growth chamber where synthesis of the quantum “sandwiches” occurs. Within the amber window (left) are advanced characterization tools that uncover chemical and electronic properties of the grown quantum thin films without exposing them to air.

Twisting 2D materials creates artificial atoms that could advance quantum computers

Researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered that twisting two atom-thick flakes of special materials at high angles reveals unique optical properties, potentially useful for quantum computers and other quantum technologies. By precisely layering these nano-thin materials, they create excitons—artificial atoms that can function as quantum information bits, or qubits.

“If we had just a single layer of this material we’re using, these dark excitons wouldn’t interact with light,” says Nickolas Vamivakas, the Marie C. Wilson and Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Optical Physics. “By doing the big twist, it turns on artificial atoms within the material that we can control optically, but they are still protected from the environment.”

The work builds on the 2010 Nobel Prize–winning discovery that peeling carbon apart until it reaches a single layer of atoms creates a new two-dimensional (2D) material called graphene with special quantum characteristics.

Scientists have since explored how the optical and electrical properties of graphene and other 2D materials change when layered on top of one another and twisted at very small angles—called moiré superlattices. For example, when graphene is twisted at the “magic” angle of 1.1 degrees, it creates special patterns that produce properties such as superconductivity.

But scientists from Rochester’s Institute of Optics and Department of Physics and Astronomy took a different approach. They used molybdenum diselenide, a 2D material that is more fickle than graphene, and twisted it at much higher angles of up to 40 degrees. Still, the researchers found the twisted monolayers produced excitons that were able to retain information when activated by light.

“This was very surprising for us,” says Arnab Barman Ray, an optics Ph.D. candidate. “Molybdenum diselenide is notorious because other materials in the family of moiré materials show better information-retaining capacity. We think that if we use some of those other materials at these large angles, they will probably work even better.”

The team views this as an important early step toward new types of quantum devices.

“Down the line, we hope these artificial atoms can be used like memory or nodes in a quantum network, or put into optical cavities to create quantum materials,” says Vamivakas. “These could be the backbone for devices like the next generation of lasers or even tools to simulate quantum physics.”

For more information: Nano Letters

NREL researchers advance substrate engineering pathways to improve power electronics

As global electricity demand and supply grow, efficient power electronics are crucial for enhancing grid efficiency, stability, integration, and resilience across all energy sources. Advances in wide-bandgap semiconductor materials promise greater power handling capabilities while reducing electrical and thermal losses, enabling the development of smaller, faster, more reliable, and energy-efficient power electronic components compared to current silicon-based technologies.

Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Colorado School of Mines, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory examined a potential route to achieve peak performance of aluminum gallium nitride, AlxGa1–xN, a key material for increasing power electronics’ energy efficiency and performance, through growth on optimized substrate materials.

This work was undertaken with funding support from the microelectronics initiative through the U.S. Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences Office and Advanced Scientific Computing Research program.

The goal of the work is to grow higher-quality materials through the selection of a lattice-matched substrate. Better electron transmission means better device performance, but the growth of AlxGa1–xN on lattice-mismatched substrates leads to dislocation (line defects that distort a lattice due to the misalignment of atoms), resulting in diminished performance.

“Substrate engineering enables the use of high-performing materials in real devices,” said NREL’s Dennice Roberts, a materials science researcher. “If we can engineer lattice-matched substrates to reduce the effect of dislocations, we can widen the range of sufficiently high-quality materials and build better, more energy-efficient power electronics.”

Substrate engineering can improve device performance—but it is complicated. Defects, such as substrate cracking, are common with growth on AlN and GaN. Efforts to reduce dislocation have been effective but often increase device complexity and limit device design and performance. Lattice mismatching, again, leads to device performance issues.

“Lattice matching is critical for high-quality epitaxial growth,” Roberts said. “We hypothesized that substrates from transition metal carbide and nitride families could enable desired conditions for AlxGa1–xN growth, not only because of ideal lattice matching but also because of ideal thermal and electrical conductivity properties. TaC and AlxGa1–xN are closely lattice-matched, TaC is highly conductive, and they display matched growth in size in response to changes in temperature.”

The team grew, prepared, and used TaC thin films as virtual substrates for high-aluminum-content AlxGa1–xN and demonstrated AlxGa1–xN growth on TaC virtual substrates. To precisely and effectively deposit TaC onto the substrate, they used radio frequency sputtering. They formed substrates through high-temperature annealing, a process that increases ductility—the ability of a metal to undergo significant stress before cracking or breaking—and reduces defects.

For more information: PRX Energy

Alloyed raises £37M in funding for metal alloy development

UK-based Alloyed has secured £37 million in Series B funding to expand its manufacturing facilities in Abingdon, UK, and Seattle, USA, and to advance its digital alloy design platforms and product line. Founded in 2017 as an Oxford University spinout, Alloyed specializes in creating advanced, lightweight metallic alloys for additive manufacturing, with clients including Boeing, Microsoft, Anglo American plc, and BMW. Their materials are used in a variety of applications, from antennas and satellite structures to jet engine components, VR headsets, and smartwatches.

Japanese investment firm SPARX and the Development Bank of Japan led the £37M Series B round. Aviva Investors and Senningerberg-based Future Industry Ventures also provided funding. This adds to Alloyed’s existing backers, Oxford Science Enterprises, JX Advanced Metals, and Anglo American plc.

“We’re excited to welcome this exceptional group of new investors, enabling us to accelerate investment in our digital tools and expand our certified production facilities both in the UK and the US,” explained Alloyed’s CEO, Michael Holmes. “Automated design and manufacturing is an industry where the UK, with our expertise in materials science and world class engineering capability, has the potential to lead on the global stage and Alloyed is at the forefront of this transformation.”

Alloyed claims that its Abingdon HQ features “one of the largest fleets of Additive Manufacturing machines in Europe.” Across its UK and US facilities, it develops advanced metallic alloys optimized for metal 3D printing. The materials developer aims to capitalize on the emerging automated design and manufacturing with its portfolio, which includes copper alloys, alloy steels, stainless steels, and aluminum alloys.

Back in 2022, Alloyed showcased its 3D printed copper cooling plate designed for high-temperature computing systems and general liquid cooling systems. This device featured a complex 3D printed lattice structure that minimizes material usage while enhancing cooling performance. The monolithic plate was reportedly simpler and more efficient at transferring heat than its conventionally manufactured counterparts.

Looking ahead, the metal developer believes high-performance alloys will play a key role in global efforts to transition to sustainable energy. It anticipates that more companies will work to deploy increasingly stronger and lighter materials to develop “next-generation technologies.”

“Additive manufacture has great promise for the energy transition and future products across a range of industries, but has been held back by a range of engineering challenges,” explained Takaki Demichi, Director and Head of Investment for SPARX Asset Management’s Next-Generation Growth Division. He believes these barriers are “directly addressed by Alloyed’s materials, processing, design, and production technologies and its highly data-driven approach.”

Development Bank of Japan’s General Manager of Innovation Promotion Office, Yuki Takemori, added, “Alloyed is at the forefront of innovation in the manufacturing sector and a natural partner for us.” The Tokyo financial institution believes its collaboration with Alloyed will “enhance the sector even further” by creating a “model case for commercialising technology.”

Additive manufacturing is attracting the attention of global investors. According to IDTechEx data, approximately $650 million was invested into 3D printing across 40 deals in 2024. While the state of investing in 3D printing has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, it remains stable amid a shift away from tech hype to disciplined funding.

For more information: Alloyed

Unveiling the role of defects in 2D material dynamics

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have shown that ripples in two-dimensional materials, like graphene, significantly influence fluid interactions, strength, conductivity, and chemical activity. Understanding how rippling and defects interact is essential for advancing technologies such as energy storage, flexible electronics, nanofluidics, and catalysis. Defects can dramatically alter the surface ripples, sometimes causing the material to freeze in place, similar to a still image.

Dr. Fabian Thiemann, the first author of the study, is currently a Research Scientist at IBM. He began this research while pursuing his Ph.D. at UCL, the University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London.

2D materials are central to technological advancements in areas such as water filtration, high-speed electronics, and ultra-thin flexible displays. However, at the atomic level, surfaces that appear flat are never truly flat. These 2D surfaces contain microscopic ripples that influence their properties.

The researchers used machine learning-based computer models to simulate 2D sheets of graphene and other materials. These models allowed them to examine how different materials, both with and without defects, exhibit rippling behavior. They discovered that defects in the material affect how ripples propagate and, more significantly, cause the membrane to freeze and lose its flexibility when defect concentrations are high.

Dr. Camille Scalliet, currently a Permanent Researcher at the Laboratoire de Physique de l’École Normale Supérieure in Paris, conducted this research while serving as a Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cambridge.

The researchers are excited to expand on these findings in the future. Fabian Thiemann and Camille Scalliet discussed their thoughts on the future of their study: “There are great ways to continue this work. Our next steps are to study more complicated situations at the nanoscale, such as membranes in contact with water or other materials. This is just the beginning of this collaboration.”

For more information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Image: Defects in a flexible sheet