For the first time, scientists characterize a promethium coordination complex, which furthers their understanding of elusive lanthanide elements. The rare earth element promethium is unique in that it has no stable isotopes. This means that it is constantly decaying, making it difficult to study.
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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)
Three high school students from the Chicago Math and Science Academy participated in the inaugural Northwestern University Research Program for High Schoolers (NURPH) developed by Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering (MSE) graduate students.
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Researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a high-pressure liquid seal technique that eliminates bubble formation in PDMS-based PCR chips by proving that water vapor diffusion—not air expansion—is the main cause of bubbles.
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Celera, Alameda, Calif., the leader in fully automated, AI-enhanced analog design, is now sampling the first ever analog IC completely designed by an autonomous software platform.
Using Celera’s ChipHUB platform, the company improved engineering productivity by 10x, allowing the design of a high-performance buck (DC-to-DC) converter from specification to manufacturing release in a matter of days.
“This is a major milestone for Celera and an important breakthrough for our customers,” said Pat Brockett, Celera’s CEO. “Celera has demonstrated that end-to-end automated design of high-performance analog ICs can be done.”
“Using our patented digital twin Nesto technology, we enable our customers to achieve full custom analog IC design in days, at a fraction of the of the cost of current design methods,” said Alberto Viviani, Celera’s COO. “It’s very important to note that the resultant product designs are more than competitive with regard to die size (cost) and performance.”
Ramesh Giri, the head of product definition and applications at Celera highlighted a critical benefit to business managers – “Our design flow integrates an auto-generated behavioral model at the front-end that is tuned to actual silicon behavior. This allows system designers to do a comprehensive virtual bench road test, helping to reliably identify real-world system level issues at the front-end of the design process. This eliminates post-silicon fixes and enables faster time to market.”
“This first customer product is a state-of-the-art high voltage step down converter for industrial and automotive applications,” said Calum MacRae, CTO and founder at Celera. “Our Nesto technology simplifies analog IC design, enabling even non-IC designers to generate custom silicon. A huge benefit of our Nesto technology is that the same algorithm can be used to quickly produce whole families of buck converters in hours.”
Calum added, “Our IP is all in digital form. This allows us to train machine learning (ML) models, producing AI agents for analog design, layout, and modeling. The ability to generate large amounts of synthetic data positions Celera as the only company able to apply ML to analog design.”
“Celera’s patented technology will revolutionize the analog IC industry by making analog custom design available to all,” said Pat Brockett. “We are already engaged with major customers designing products for consumer, data center, wireless, industrial, solar and automotive applications. This is a real example where AI is changing a hundred-billion-dollar industry and we are proud to say Celera is leading that change.”
For more information:
Celera
https://www.celeratechnologies.com
Siemens, Germany, opened its $190 million electrical equipment manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas. A part of the company’s Smart Infrastructure business, the site is responsible for creating reliable and efficient electrical equipment such as low-voltage switchboards necessary to meet the demand from the booming data center market and America’s AI growth.
The 500,000-square-foot facility has already introduced 480 new jobs and is on track to add a total of 800 roles by 2026. Tapping talent from the education sector to develop the critical manufacturing workforce of tomorrow, previous schoolteachers and principals are critical to Fort Worth facility’s employee training team. Their unique skillset has helped create curriculum that better serves different learning styles with innovative methods for both in and outside the classroom – resulting in quicker turnaround time of new employees from the classroom to the shop floor. Siemens brings new employees from the classroom through to a physical-learning lab before placing them on the production floor.
“Texas is the epicenter of innovation, where businesses and entrepreneurs can cast a vision and know they live in a state where they can achieve it,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Siemens’ $190 million investment in an electrical equipment manufacturing facility in Fort Worth will create jobs for 800 Texans and help build critical infrastructure to meet Texas’ growing data center demand. Siemens will also provide critical job training to prepare Texans for these in-demand, good-paying jobs. By working together with companies like Siemens, Texas will continue to lead the world in manufacturing and innovation as we build a stronger, more prosperous state.”
Meeting Siemens’ goal to maintain assets that are net-zero carbon in operation by 2030, the Fort Worth facility is carbon-neutral and is setting the standard for sustainable manufacturing. Featuring an all-electrical powder-coat paint line, electric forklifts, low-energy-consuming HVAC systems, photovoltaic streetlights, advanced energy monitoring, and Breakthrough Energy-backed energy-efficient LuxWall windows, the Fort Worth facility is an archetype for the future of manufacturing – lowering cost and energy usage wherever possible.
Showcasing the future of industrial automation, the facility team utilized Siemens’ Digital Industries Software to optimize the production flow. Siemens Technomatix’s 3D models were used to simulate, validate, and commission the production process so the shop floor could be designed for higher production quality.
For more information:
Siemens Corporation
Master Bond Inc., Hackensack, N.J., released its newest product, Master Bond EP29LPSPND-3, a two component, non-drip epoxy compound with a paste consistency that can be used for bonding and sealing applications.
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University of Michigan engineers developed a modified manufacturing process for electric vehicle batteries—using a stabilizing electrode coating and microscale channels—that could enable high ranges and fast charging in cold weather, solving problems that are turning potential EV buyers away.
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Minnesota-based startup Maxwell Labs has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with Sandia and the University of New Mexico to demonstrate laser-based photonic cooling for computer chips that may help save energy and water.
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Fort Wayne Metals, Fort Wayne, IN, announced that it has received the 2025 Moving the Needle Award and Bronze-Level honors from the Women’s Fund of Greater Fort Wayne. The recognition was presented at the annual Women in the Workplace Luncheon held on March 12 at the Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation.
The Moving the Needle Award is given to the organization that demonstrates the most notable progress across four areas: leadership, compensation, benefits and policies, and recruitment and retention. The selection is based on data collected through the Women’s Fund’s annual Compass Survey, which evaluates local employers’ efforts toward achieving gender equity.
This year, a record 75 organizations participated in the survey, reflecting growing engagement across the community. Fort Wayne Metals’ recognition underscores its focused efforts to foster equitable workplace practices and support the advancement of women in its workforce.
Enovis Corporation, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, announced the publication of its 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, underscoring the company’s ongoing dedication to ethical practices, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.
The report details Enovis’ initiatives aimed at fostering a positive global impact. Key highlights include the implementation of energy-efficient technologies across manufacturing facilities, resulting in a measurable reduction in the company’s carbon footprint. Additionally, Enovis has expanded its community outreach programs, partnering with local organizations to support health and education initiatives.
The CSR report also emphasizes Enovis’ commitment to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, showcasing programs designed to promote equitable opportunities and a supportive work environment for all employees. By aligning its business strategies with sustainable and socially responsible practices, Enovis aims to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of its stakeholders and the broader community.
For a comprehensive overview of Enovis’ CSR initiatives and achievements, the full 2024 report is available on the company’s website.
Integer Holdings Corporation, Plano, Texas, showcased the company’s capabilities and solutions to enable cardiac rhythm management and neuromodulation products in addition to its recent acquisition of Precision Coating in MD&M West 2025.
Integer highlighted its global rapid prototyping services, which offer direct access to engineering and R&D experts with turnaround times as short as two weeks. These services focus on specialized cardiovascular markets and include components such as catheter shafts, guidewires, steerable sheaths, introducers, braiding and textiles, and machined parts.
Payman Khales, president of cardio and vascular at Integer, emphasized the company’s focus on anticipating customer needs through strategic investments. He noted that Integer remains committed to innovation and collaborative partnerships that accelerate speed to market and reduce development risk for its medical technology clients.
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.
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.
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
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.
Pyromaitre, Lévis, Québec, announced the completion of assembly for its P-208E oven system for GKN Driveline Mexico, marking a total of four systems delivered to the client. The company developed a fully integrated solution that includes a high-speed tempering furnace, a post-treatment cooling chamber, automated loading and unloading systems, and a smoke collection unit. Each component was configured to meet the customer’s specific production requirements.
Pyromaitre specializes in resolving convective heat transfer challenges with precision and efficiency. The company focuses on driving innovation and operational performance, aiming to be a recognized leader in stress relief and tempering solutions. Its core values—integrity, innovation, customer satisfaction, and teamwork—guide its approach to delivering high-performance thermal processing systems.
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Confluent Medical Technologies, Scottsdale, AZ, announced the release of Ultra Polyimide, a new high-performance polymer tubing that offers approximately double the strength of conventional polyimide. This innovation is aimed at enabling next-generation medical devices that demand both durability and miniaturization.
Ultra Polyimide addresses the need for thinner-walled tubing that maintains structural integrity, allowing for greater design flexibility and improved device performance. By preserving the inner lumen while reducing material usage, engineers can integrate additional features into delivery devices without compromising mechanical strength.
Jill Ellison, vice president of operations at Confluent’s High Precision Polymer Tubing Center of Excellence, noted that the material enables designers to maintain essential column and tensile strength, which opens up opportunities for innovation in minimally invasive technologies.
The tubing is also manufactured without the use of REACH- or EU MDR-restricted solvents, including NMP (n-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), a substance identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as posing health risks in industrial settings. By eliminating NMP from the production process, Confluent supports regulatory compliance and enhances both workplace and patient safety.
Ultra Polyimide is now available with lead times of three to four weeks, offering a timely solution to the evolving needs of the medical device industry.
Heat treatment simulation can be a tool for optimization of heat-treatment processes, but at the present this method is still limited. Therefore most HTS is based on rough simplifications of the process. Simplifications can involve the process, number of phases, transformation kinetics, continuums models instead of micro-mechanical models, etc. These simplifications also result in inaccuracies in the calculations.
For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 16. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014 https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980
ECM USA, Pleasant Prairie, WI, announced the official launch of its new Mexican subsidiary, ECM Mexico, operating as MEXVAC ECM, S.A. DE C.V. This development marks a significant step in expanding ECM’s presence and service capabilities within the Mexican heat treatment industry.
The ECM Mexico team is led by operations manager Juan Cruz and field service and PLC engineer José López, under the direction of Pierre-Loic Rousset and Dennis Beauchesne. The team will work closely with ECM USA to provide localized support, reflecting ECM’s long-term commitment to strengthening service infrastructure for customers across Mexico.
The new entity will serve as a dedicated supplier of vacuum furnace technologies and support services, aiming to meet growing demand in the region for high-performance thermal processing equipment.
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Bodycote, Macclesfield, UK, announced its membership with the Energy Industries Council (EIC), a leading global trade association for the energy sector. This move strengthens Bodycote’s strategic alignment with the evolving needs of the industry and reinforces its role as a provider of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services across power generation and energy infrastructure markets.
Through its membership, Bodycote gains broader access to key industry stakeholders, enabling stronger supply chain collaboration and the pursuit of new business opportunities within the energy sector. The company serves a wide range of EIC members, fostering synergies that support innovation and operational excellence.
Bodycote’s engagement with the EIC supports its commitment to sustainability, particularly in nuclear and renewable energy markets. The partnership enhances customer access to Bodycote’s services via EIC platforms and events, further promoting solutions that improve performance, efficiency, and reliability in critical energy applications.
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Solar Atmospheres, Souderton, PA, announced the commissioning of two additional 2-bar vacuum furnaces at its Eastern Pennsylvania facility. The expansion is aimed at supporting increased demand from the aerospace and industrial gas turbine industries, as well as specialized hydride/dehydride processing of reactive metals such as titanium, tantalum, and niobium.
The newly installed furnaces, manufactured by Solar Manufacturing, feature large working hot zones measuring 45 inches wide by 45 inches high by 72 inches deep. They are rated for temperatures up to 2400°F and maintain a temperature uniformity of ±10°F, meeting the stringent requirements of high-performance heat treatment applications.
Mike Moyer, vice president of sales at Solar Atmospheres, noted that the new equipment, outfitted with the latest control systems from Solar Manufacturing, enhances operational efficiency and safety. He added that this expansion supports the company’s commitment to providing reliable service, competitive pricing, and fast turnaround times to its customers.
The additional capacity reflects Solar Atmospheres’ ongoing investment in advanced thermal processing technology to meet the evolving needs of its industrial and aerospace clients.
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Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany, enhanced stimulated emission depletion microscopy by replacing traditional fluorophores with nanographenes, enabling the observation of longer-duration processes, overcoming previous limitations of this type of imaging.
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New research from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Calif., aims to tackle the problem of corrosion, which costs trillions of dollars globally. Their solution is to predict failure and design better materials up front.
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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
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
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
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
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Ill., use Polybot, an AI-driven automated material laboratory, to produce high-conductivity, low-defect electronic polymer thin films.
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Researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science have developed a real-time diagnostic system for semiconductor plasma process parts which is expected to enhance yield, stability, and cost efficiency by preemptively preventing contaminant particles generated from component corrosion.
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