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Researchers from the Faculty of S&T at the University of Twente have shown a novel approach for the design of efficient solar fuel devices. Research performed by graduated PhD candidate Kaijian Zhu shows that reducing the light-induced twisting of molecules can turn hydrogen generation on. Photoelectrochemical cells are promising for the production of solar fuels, for example, the conversion of water into hydrogen or CO2 into organic molecules.

Newly discovered role of phase separation can help develop memory devices for energy-efficient AI computing Study: Thermodynamic origin of nonvolatility in resistive memory (DOI: 10.1016/j.matt. Phase separation, when molecules part like oil and water, works alongside oxygen diffusion to help memristors-electrical components that store information using electrical resistance-retain information even after the power is shut off, according to a University of Michigan led study recently published in Matter.

Physicists from Würzburg present a nanometre-sized light antenna with electrically modulated surface properties - a breakthrough that could pave the way for faster computer chips. Today's computers reach their physical limits when it comes to speed. Semiconductor components usually operate at a maximum usable frequency of a few gigahertz - which corresponds to several billion computing operations per second.

Publication of the Chemistry Laboratory in Nature Photonics on September 2, 2024. CNRS press release on September 4, 2024. A scintillating aerogel enabling real-time measurements with excellent sensitivity to certain radioactive gases, essential to monitoring the proper functioning of nuclear power plants, has just been developed by a group of physicists, chemists, and metrologists from the CNRS, the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, the CEA, and the ENS de Lyon.

Publication of the Physics Laboratory in the Physical Review Materials on July 9, 2024. Communication by CNRS Physics on September 5, 2024. Using an innovative measurement technique, researchers at the Physics Laboratory of ENS de Lyon (LPENSL, CNRS / ENS de Lyon) have succeeded in precisely tracking the steps characterizing the transformation of milk into cheese, which could deepen our understanding and help optimize the mechanisms at work in the manufacture of the many cheeses that happily garnish our plates.

Publication of the Physics Laboratory in the Physical Review Letters on July 31, 2024. Communication by CNRS Physics on September 2, 2024. Experiments on a classical microscopic system show that, while the second principle of thermodynamics is still valid on average, it can be circumvented experimentally in 95% of cases! A study conducted at the Physics Laboratory of ENS de Lyon, published in Physical Review Letters .

Publication of the RDP in PNAS on May 30, 2024. Communication by CNRS Physics on July 8, 2024. What principles govern the layout of living organisms? By combining physical models and experimental analysis, an international collaboration involving RDP scientists has identified a generic law linking the spatial organization of cells to their ability to faithfully transmit their specific characteristics during cell division.

The first crystal structure of an alternative DNA shape from the insulin gene has been revealed by a UCL-led research team. DNA is widely accepted to be formed of two strands that wind around one another, known as a double helix, but it is possible for DNA to change shape and structure. The new study, published in Nature Communications , reveals the detail in the structure of a type of DNA called i-motif, by crystallising it for the first time.

Using neutrons, TU/e scientists visualize the internal processes of a redox flow battery. At the beginning of the 20th century, the invention of X-ray imaging provided a leap of knowledge in medical science. Since then, we can see how our body's bones work, bringing numerous new treatments to light. Now, a similar approach using neutron imaging makes it possible to visualize the internal functioning of redox flow batteries - a type of battery mainly used for large-scale storage in solar and wind energy systems.

A team of scientists from the University of Manchester has achieved a significant breakthrough in understanding lithium-ion storage within the thinnest possible battery anode - composed of just two layers of carbon atoms. Their research, published in Nature Communications , shows an unexpected 'in-plane staging' process during lithium intercalation in bilayer graphene, which could pave the way for advancements in energy storage technologies.

Researchers create a one-dimensional gas out of light Researchers create a one-dimensional gas out of light Joint experiment by the University of Bonn and the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau Physicists at the University of Bonn and the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) have created a one-dimensional gas out of light.

Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime. The phenomenon can be compared to ripples on a sheet when a heavy ball is placed on it and spun around. In the universe, these "balls" are massive objects such as black holes and neutron stars, which vibrate spacetime as they orbit and eventually merge. These gravitational waves are emitted through space and, although very subtle, can be detected on Earth with the correct equipment.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have managed to make sound waves travel only in one direction. In the future, this method could also be used in technical applications with electromagnetic waves. Be it water, light or sound: waves usually propagate in the same way forwards as in the backward direction. As a consequence, when we are speaking to someone standing some distance away from us, that person can hear us as well as we can hear them.

Physicists capture images of ultracold atoms flowing freely, without friction, in an exotic "edge state." Typically, electrons are free agents that can move through most metals in any direction. When they encounter an obstacle, the charged particles experience friction and scatter randomly like colliding billiard balls.

A scintillating aerogel enabling real-time measurements with excellent sensitivity to certain radioactive gases, essential to monitoring the proper functioning of nuclear power plants, has just been developed by a group of physicists, chemists, and metrologists from the CNRS, the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, the CEA, and the ENS de Lyon.

Atomic clocks have been used for decades - but now, even greater precision has become possible: TU Wien (Vienna) and JILA/NIST are presenting the world's first nuclear clock. For many years, scientists all'around the world have been working towards this goal, now suddenly things are happening very fast: it was only in April that a team led by Prof Thorsten Schumm (TU Wien, Vienna) announced a major success.

Lightwave electronics aim to integrate optical and electronic systems at incredibly high speeds, leveraging the ultrafast oscillations of light fields. Imagine how a phone call works: Your voice is converted into electronic signals, shifted up to higher frequencies, transmitted over long distances, and then shifted back down so it can be heard clearly on the other end.

An international team of researchers led by Maximilian Weißflog, with the participation of researchers from Jena, Canberra and with support from Darmstadt, has made a significant advance in quantum optics. In their latest publication in the renowned journal "Nature", the team presents a novel method for generating entangled photon pairs using two-dimensional (2D) materials.

Researchers create an "imprint" on a super photon Researchers create an "imprint" on a super photon A method developed at the University of Bonn could have potential applications for tap-proof communication Thousands of light particles can merge into a type of "super photon" under certain conditions.

Johns Hopkins team uses X-ray technology to observe what occurs when the top layer of an asteroid-like object is hit with extreme external force Johns Hopkins engineers have uncovered new details about how granular materials such as sand and rock behave under extreme impacts-findings that could someday help protect the Earth from dangerous asteroids.