SkyWater Technology, Blooington, Minn., completed its acquisition of Infineon Technologies AG’s 200 mm semiconductor fab in Austin, Texas (“Fab 25”), adding approximately 400,000 wafer starts per year in foundry capacity, to enhance its advanced technology services.
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Researchers from UConn and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory have outlined new ways to accurately track and manage heat in ultrawide bandgap semiconductors, a challenge that has become increasingly important as these materials drive the future of high-performance electronics.
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A team from the Center for Optics, Photonics and Lasers at Laval University, Quebec, Canada, has come up with an optical chip that can transfer massive amounts of data at ultra-high speed, offering unrivaled energy efficiency.
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Norman Noble, Highland Heights, Ohio, has been honored with the National Tooling & Machining Association’s (NTMA) 2024 Superior Safety Award for the second year in a row. The accolade recognizes member firms achieving exceptional workplace safety performance, and Norman Noble earned this distinction by keeping its incident rate well below the industry average across all advanced manufacturing sites.
The company uses a daily management system to track key performance indicators—such as lost-time claims, recordable injuries, first-aid incidents, near misses, days of restricted work activity, and streaks without a lost-time claim—to monitor progress toward its health, safety and environmental objectives. Julie Bennett Lowry, director of facilities and environmental health and safety, explained that integrating safety observations into daily gemba walks and immediately logging any issues ensures rapid follow-up. Thanks to this proactive process, the firm recorded zero lost-time claims in 2024 and, as of May 1, 2025, has surpassed 1092 consecutive days without a lost-time incident.
Operating over 275,000 square feet of manufacturing space with more than 500 employees, Norman Noble produces precision components for life-saving medical vascular and orthopedic implants. The company said its continued focus on safety underpins both employee well-being and its commitment to maintaining rigorous quality standards.
Tokamak Energy and Furukawa Electric Group, Tokyo, Japan announced that they will establish a joint operational base in Japan to manufacture high-temperature superconducting magnets critical for fusion power plants. The facility will support the Fusion Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (FAST) development project, which aims to demonstrate electricity generation from fusion by the 2030s, under a private-sector collaboration led by Starlight Engine Ltd.
The partnership leverages Tokamak Energy’s network of government, commercial, scientific and academic collaborators in Japan alongside Furukawa Electric’s expertise in REBCO-coated HTS tape production through its SuperPower subsidiary. Beyond fusion, the companies plan to explore applications of their HTS magnet technology in sectors such as data-centre cooling, zero-emission electric motors, power generation and propulsion systems for land, air, water and space.
Warrick Matthews, chief executive of Tokamak Energy, explained that scaling up magnet manufacturing will be pivotal to translating the promise of clean, limitless fusion into commercial reality and will unlock new performance levels across multiple industries. Hideya Moridaira, president of Furukawa Electric Group, added that deepening the collaboration reflects Furukawa’s long-standing commitment to superconducting research and its ambition to support energy and healthcare innovations.
The agreement follows a UK-Japan government fusion partnership announced during ministerial talks in London, underscoring both nations’ strategic push for sustainable, safe and abundant fusion energy.
Johnson Matthey, London, England announced that the platinum market will remain in deficit in 2025 while palladium moves back into balance, according to its 2025 PGM Market Report released ahead of London Platinum & Palladium Market week. The company forecasts a 3% decline in primary platinum output due to operational restructuring, extreme weather and maintenance in South Africa, with secondary supplies subdued globally except in China, where a renewed trade-in incentive scheme is boosting scrap returns. Industrial platinum demand is expected to grow modestly, driven by capacity expansions in chemicals, fibreglass, biofuels and synthetic fuels, even as automotive use declines 5% amid the shift to battery electric powertrains.
Palladium, which faced structural deficits from 2012 to 2024, should reach equilibrium in 2025 as stronger recycling in China offsets reduced primary output from South Africa and the U.S., despite weaker scrap flows elsewhere, and a 5% drop in automotive palladium use.
The rhodium market is forecast to stay in deficit after South African supply falls and auto consumption dips, while industrial demand rebounds with normalized glass-industry purchasing. Ruthenium demand is set to climb 2% on data-centre expansions and robust chemical catalyst use, likely resulting in a significant shortfall without further inventory drawdowns. A slight rise in iridium production should help balance that market, as lower chemical usage is offset by increased crucible demand.
Rupen Raithatha, market research director, noted that uncertainty over U.S. import tariffs could weaken vehicle output and scrap volumes, posing downside risks. Margery Ryan, advocacy and market development manager, added that increased defence spending may drive additional PGM demand given their vital role in military and aerospace technologies.
Cirtec Medical, Alajuela, Costa Rica announced that it is more than doubling its manufacturing footprint in the Coyol Free Zone to meet rising needs in neuromodulation, interventional, electrophysiology and structural heart markets. The 50,000-plus square foot expansion will add extrusion, braiding, coil winding, device assembly and packaging capabilities alongside the company’s existing facility.
The move is expected to accelerate customers’ time-to-market, optimize costs through greater vertical integration and broaden the company’s end-to-end product-lifecycle services, which span research and development in the U.S. through production in Costa Rica.
Cirtec’s chief executive explained that Costa Rica has evolved into a vital hub for high-quality medical device manufacturing, and the enlarged site will deliver faster turnaround and expanded offerings while preserving quality standards.
Costa Rica’s minister of foreign trade noted that the investment underscores the country’s appeal for foreign direct investment, reflecting confidence in its institutional framework, investment promotion policies and stability to host complex global operations. The foreign trade agency’s general manager added that the expansion demonstrates the maturity of Costa Rica’s industrial ecosystem, access to specialized talent and competitive conditions that attract medical-technology leaders.
Cirtec’s local general manager said the additional capacity will allow the team to leverage a highly educated workforce to shorten development timelines and enhance flexibility for customers worldwide.
Against the backdrop of towering smokestacks and steel-laden history, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Birmingham, Ala., became a portal into the inner workings of modern metallurgy with the opening of the Symphony of Elements: Art and Science of Metals exhibition on May 23. This innovative showcase, running through August 2025, offers a rare and compelling fusion of technical achievements, advanced materials science, and visual art.
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The comparison of the change in length, e.g. after hardening and tempering, is the next step in the model validation. The figure shows the comparison in the change in length of the cylinder. In the left part the change in length after hardening with nitrogen and additional tempering is shown; in the right part one can see the effect of a more rapid hardening with helium and additional tempering. More important is the fact that the model very well describes the tendency of distortion with a maximum in the center of the cylinder and higher values for the helium quenching.
For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 17. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014 https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980
Air Products, Allentown, PA, announced that it will exit three U.S.-based projects as part of a strategic review initiated by its newly elected board of directors and chief executive officer. The decision, intended to sharpen the company’s project portfolio and resource allocation, is expected to result in a pre-tax charge of up to $3.1 billion in its fiscal second quarter of 2025. The charge, which covers asset write-downs and the termination of contractual commitments, will not affect the company’s adjusted earnings per share for the fiscal year.
The canceled projects include:
Air Products also reaffirmed its focus on two major initiatives: the NEOM green hydrogen project in Saudi Arabia, which is nearing 80% completion and targeting green ammonia production by late 2026; and the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, expected to start operations in 2028. The company is actively seeking equity partners for the Louisiana project to optimize capital deployment, particularly in the ammonia loop and carbon sequestration segments.
An international team of scientists headed by Prof. Marco Salvalaglio from TUD–Dresden University of Technology in Germany discovered that internal stresses—not just interface energy—play a key role in shaping the microstructure of crystalline materials. These findings challenge classical theories and may improve how we design materials for engineering and technology.
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When producing ultra-strong steel parts for vehicles, military gear, and heavy manufacturing, even minor cracks or distortions during heat treatment can cause significant delays and material waste. Dr. Kingsley Amatanweze, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, has developed new methods to reduce these costly issues by improving the induction melting, pouring, and cooling processes of steel.
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Thermoelectric materials like germanium telluride (GeTe) can convert waste heat into electricity, offering a promising energy solution. To better harness this potential, researchers used a novel “neutron camera” technique to study GeTe’s structure. They found that while GeTe maintains its overall crystalline form—essential for conducting electricity—it also exhibits dynamic disorder, where parts of the structure move and slow heat conduction. This unique combination enhances thermoelectric efficiency, making GeTe a strong candidate for advanced solid-state devices like heat pumps and generators. The study also resolved previous inconsistencies in structural measurements.
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Scientists worldwide are striving to scale quantum technologies, which hinges on reliably generating qubits—the basic units of quantum information. One promising material for this is hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), a two-dimensional substance known for hosting solid-state single-photon emitters (SPEs). These atomic structures can emit individual photons, making them strong candidates for building scalable quantum systems.
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Chirality, or “handedness,” is a fundamental property where an object differs from its mirror image, seen across nature from molecules to DNA. In a breakthrough, Princeton University researchers have discovered a hidden chiral quantum state in a material previously believed to be non-chiral. This finding not only challenges existing assumptions in physics but also deepens our understanding of quantum phenomena, potentially opening new avenues in quantum research.
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Daido Steel Co. Ltd., Nagoya, Japan, announced the successful start of operations at its new vacuum arc remelting (VAR) plant at the company’s Chita site. Developed in collaboration with ALD Vacuum Technologies, the plant is designed to increase production capacity for high-purity stainless steels and nickel alloys used in high-performance applications, particularly within the semiconductor industry.
The first VAR plant became operational in December 2024, with finished ingots now undergoing downstream processing. A second remelting unit is scheduled to begin operation in March 2025, with additional capacity expansions planned over the coming years.
The custom-designed VAR plant, supplied by ALD, enables the production of ultra-clean steel with a homogeneous microstructure, meeting the stringent quality standards required for semiconductor components. VAR-processed materials are known for their durability, purity, and consistency, making them ideal for critical industries.
Daido Steel’s investment reflects a strategic move to support the growing global demand for advanced materials in next-generation technologies. The company continues to position itself as a key supplier in the global supply chain for high-performance alloys.
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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.
Consarc Corporation, Rancocas, NJ, and Vulcan Elements, Durham, NC, announced the successful delivery and commissioning of a Vacuum Induction Melting Strip Casting Furnace (VIM-SC) at Vulcan’s facility in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. This collaboration represents a key step in strengthening domestic capabilities for rare earth magnet production and bolstering U.S. national security and supply chain resilience.
Engineered and manufactured by Consarc in New Jersey, the state-of-the-art VIM-SC furnace is now fully operational and will enable the rapid solidification of Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) alloys. These materials are essential for producing high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, advanced electronics, and defense applications.
Jai Narayan, president of Consarc Corporation, emphasized the company’s role in supporting critical domestic manufacturing. He noted that Consarc’s vacuum induction melting technology is central to reestablishing a secure U.S. base for rare earth magnet production. John Maslin, chief executive officer of Vulcan Elements, highlighted the importance of domestic equipment partners like Consarc in building a resilient and traceable magnet supply chain.
Consarc, the only U.S. supplier of both pilot and production-scale strip casting furnaces, was selected to provide the VIM-SC furnace as Vulcan scales its operations. The partnership reflects a shared mission to revitalize American manufacturing and reinforce supply chain independence in strategic sectors.
Consarc Corporation is part of the Inductotherm Group and brings over 60 years of experience in vacuum and controlled atmosphere furnace technology. Vulcan Elements specializes in the manufacture of permanent sintered NdFeB magnets and is dedicated to advancing innovation and supply chain security for critical U.S. industries.
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Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy found two competing mechanisms that contribute to the deformation of nanosheet materials used in cutting-edge computer components.
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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.
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.
Nuclear fusion, the process powering the sun and stars, offers a promising path to carbon-free electricity without long-lasting nuclear waste, but it requires materials that can endure extreme heat, stress, and neutron damage. Researchers are exploring advanced metal alloys and ceramic composites as potential solutions to these challenges. At Stony Brook University, Assistant Professor David Sprouster is leading several research projects focused on overcoming the materials science and engineering hurdles critical to making fusion energy a practical reality.
“My research is really about stress testing these different materials to see how we can improve their function when exposed to different combinations of extremes,” said Sprouster. “It’s also fun to design them, to fabricate them in the lab, and then to break them.”
Sprouster and his team have received three multi-million dollar recent grants that focus on materials for fusion energy, with two from the Department of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives.
In a recent study, Sprouster’s group compared two steels with similar alloy compositions, but fabricated in two different ways: one by traditional casting and the other through direct current sintering. In direct current sintering, both heat and pressure are used to rapidly convert powders into a solid monolithic material. As compared to conventional casting, this process allows the relatively complicated and graded structures of fusion chamber walls to be formed. Both fabricated steels are designed to resist deformation under heat and stress over time, a phenomenon known as “creep.”
“Creep is a very slow process — it happens over days, weeks, months and years — and depends on the applied stress and temperature,” said Sprouster. “It’s a tough moving target, but we have had success in designing the least ‘creepy’ materials, and to engineer the movement of dislocations, the defects within materials that allow plastic deformation to occur to improve our overall fundamental understanding of creep.”
Sprouster’s recent work concluded that both the conventionally cast and sintered materials showed equally good creep resistance. But they observed that when temperature increases, dislocations move more easily, which makes the material more prone to deformation. Equipped with this new knowledge, materials engineers can predict how these steels will perform under high-temperature service conditions, such as in fusion reactors.
In a second study, Sprouster’s group fabricated composites of steel with hafnium hydride through direct current sintering for neutron shielding applications within advanced nuclear fusion reactors. “The hydrogen is there to stop the neutrons. It has a very good cross-section for neutron absorption,” said Sprouster. “So, it basically takes most of the neutrons away so that you can shield the critical components that are close to the plasma.”
One of the key findings from this work was that upon heating, hafnium hydride breaks down and releases hydrogen, and the hafnium metal reacts with the iron to produce new intermetallic phases. However, due to the composite nature of this shield, the release is relatively show and at a much higher temperature than anticipated in the fusion reactor application.
These projects serve a shared purpose — to construct safer, more efficient and more durable materials for extreme nuclear environments for future fusion reactors.
“The fusion space has become an enormously attractive research area,” said Lance Snead, research professor in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. “Historically, the Department of Energy was the primary agency funding this future energy source, but with the realization that fusion can be a near-term source of electricity, private investors now dominate the field.”
“Fusion is very exciting right now,” said Sprouster. “There’s a lot of activity and good collaborations across the universities, national labs and within industry. The community is very energetic and focused on materials science solutions to tough engineering problems.”
“Last year over 1.6 billion dollars in private research funding went into fusion, or three times that of the federal contribution,” said Snead. “As a key to the success of any of the current fusion concepts hinges on the ability to develop new and robust fusion chamber materials, Professor Sprouster has positioned his group in a very exciting growth area for research.”
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.”
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.
Scientists at the Raman Research Institute have made a breakthrough in quantum materials by discovering a novel method to identify a key property called a topological invariant—an unchanging characteristic even when a material is deformed. This property is essential for understanding the unusual behaviors of topological materials, which are foundational to future technologies like quantum computing, fault-tolerant electronics, and energy-efficient systems. Historically, detecting these unique traits has been a major challenge, making this advancement a significant step forward in the field.
To grasp the concept of topological invariance, scientists often use the analogy of a “vada” (South Indian snack) and a coffee cup. Both have a single hole, making them topologically equivalent – one can be continuously deformed into the other without cutting or gluing. In contrast, a vada and an “idli” (steamed rice cake) are not topologically equivalent, as they possess different numbers of holes, making continuous deformation impossible. This fundamental idea of “counting holes” is key to unlocking the hidden properties within these exotic materials.
In materials such as topological insulators and superconductors, electrons exhibit unusual behavior directly influenced by the material’s quantum “shape.” These shapes are defined not by their physical appearance but by deeper, intrinsic topological invariants, such as winding numbers in one-dimensional systems or Chern numbers in two-dimensional systems. These numbers act as a kind of hidden code, dictating how particles move through the material.
The RRI team, led by Professor Dibyendu Roy and PhD researcher Kiran Babasaheb Estake, has found an innovative method to detect this hidden code using a property called the spectral function. This function acts as a “quantum fingerprint,” providing insights into how energy and particles behave within the material. Their research specifically focused on analyzing the momentum-space spectral function (SPSF).
Traditionally, researchers relied on techniques like angle-resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES) to study electron behaviour. The groundbreaking new research, recently published in Physical Review B, demonstrates that the same spectral function holds the keys to unlocking a material’s hidden topology. This offers a revolutionary way to “see” the underlying structure without direct observation.
“The spectral function has been used for many years as an experimental tool to probe physical quantities such as the density of states and the dispersion relation of electrons in a system through ARPES. It was not seen as a tool to probe topology or topological aspects of an electronic system,” stated Kiran Babasaheb Estake, a PhD student in theoretical Physics at RRI and the lead author of the study.
He added, “We have demonstrated through various examples that the spectral function also contains signatures about a system’s topology.”
This study potentially offers a universal tool for exploring and classifying topological materials. Its implications could pave the way for new discoveries in condensed matter physics, ultimately benefiting the development of quantum computers,next-generation electronics, and more energy-efficient systems.
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
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.
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
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