Browse Articles

Coupling programmable shape morphing and solvent-fueled propulsion in a soft bicontinuous composite

Coupling excitation of electromagnetic and topological wave in quantum conformal subspace based on geometric scaling control

This present theoretical study investigates the geometric control of quantum conformal field theories through radius compression-induced quantum critical phenomena. It reveals an intrinsic relationship between the Berry connection and variations in both the radial component, δR, and spin components, Sa, within the quantum conformal subspace. Radius compression in such systems can generate a Berry curvature analogous to magnetic fields, which releases topological waves via quantum tunneling mechanisms. External electric fields offer effective control over spin S, while laser techniques enable precise modulation of the radial variation δR. Within the context of conformal space compression, tunneling effects may couple with Berry magnetic fields that possess topological protection. These findings demonstrate that geometric quantum bits (such as arbitrary control of anyons in topological quantum computing) and directional transport designs for novel transistors can be realized through radius-compression-induced Berry fields. For a quantum anomalous Hall insulator to maintain its Chern number (C = 1) and chiral edge state conduction within the topologically protected regime, the compression of its radius may lead to the observation of Berry-curvature-induced magnetic fields by strong external electric field.

Evaluating LLMs' divergent thinking capabilities for scientific idea generation with minimal context

Partial beam stalling as an alternative source of intercepted current in ionic-liquid electrospray thrusters

The standard interpretation of intercepted current in electrospray thrusters is direct impingement of the plume on any downstream electrodes as the plume leaves the thruster. In this paper, we propose and analyze partial beam stalling as an alternative source of intercepted current in ionic-liquid electrospray thrusters. We show in simulation that low-energy ions created by the dissociation of heavy ion clusters are reflected by a potential barrier downstream of the thruster created due to the lack of explicit plume neutralization. These reflected ions impact the downstream surface of the extractor grid and are recorded as intercepted current, but may not contribute to key life-limiting mechanisms such as emitter–extractor propellant bridging. Simulation predictions of the intercepted current under this mechanism are consistent with trends in prior laboratory testing, which suggests that partial beam stalling may provide an alternative mechanism for the measured intercepted current in ionic-liquid electrospray thrusters.

Reversible On/Off Switching of Ferroelectricity in a Molecular FeCo Prussian Blue Analogue with Multiple Control

Abstract Polar molecule-based magnetic materials capable of multistate switching have garnered significant interest for their potential applications in next-generation memory devices, sensors, and energy conversion. Among such materials, Prussian blue analogs that exhibit electron transfer–coupled spin transition (ETCST) behavior stand out due to their unique switching properties. In this study, we report a trinuclear cyanide-bridged FeCo compound ( 1 ) that exhibits photo- and thermo-induced ferroelectric phase transition via ETCST mechanism. Notably, this FeCo complex also demonstrates a quenching effect, whereby a non-polar state is trapped as a metastable state at low temperature, allowing the polarization control via the cooling rate variations. In addition, reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation via the desorption and absorption of solvent molecules are observed. The EtOH-removed FeCo compound ( 1’ ) loses its ferroelectricity, revealing that the ferroelectric phase transition can be modulated by dynamic desorption/adsorption of the guest molecule. These findings advance the design of functional ferroelectric materials with multistate switching capabilities, offering potential for future applications in contactless memory devices and beyond.

Large flexoelectric-like response of SrTiO3 ceramics sintered in the reducing atmosphere

The relatively low flexoelectric coefficient of SrTiO3 (STO) ceramics severely restricts their effectiveness in practical applications. Treatment under reducing conditions or low oxygen pressure is an effective way to increase their flexoelectric coefficients. In this work, STO ceramics with a large flexoelectric coefficient (reaching 1300 μC/m) were prepared by sintering under N2/H2 reducing atmosphere. We demonstrated that there is inhomogeneity of oxygen vacancies in the surface layer of the reduced ceramics. The surface layer may be transformed into a ferroelectric phase and polarized due to the existence of inhomogeneously distributed oxygen vacancies. These research findings provide an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of the flexoelectric response and a feasible strategy to improve the response of STO ceramics.

Neuroimaging subtypes of adolescent sleep insufficiency stratify natural short sleepers from comorbidity or environment driven insufficiency

Numerical ellipsometry: Advancements in artificial intelligence methods to obtain accuracy, speed, and ease of use for a wider range of thin film optical properties

Ellipsometry is a surface, film, and interface analytical technique based on measuring the change in the polarization state of incident light interacting with a sample. The measured change contains information about the sample. Ellipsometry advantages include being fast, nondestructive, and performable in air. A very useful technique is to solve by numerical iteration using spectral measurements and fitting spectral functions to ɛ (or n) to achieve computational data sufficiency. The artificial intelligence (AI) method presented here achieves data sufficiency by using measurements at two different thicknesses. For either method, there must be a measurable intensity of reflection or transmission, sufficient sensitivity of the desired parameter to the measurements, and mathematical independence expressed as the condition of the equations comprising the applied mathematical model. The focus here is to further develop AI methods of function approximation to perform data processing with the goal of greatly increasing the speed and ease of data processing. Application of rapidly evolving AI methods to ellipsometry is showing a speedup of a factor of nearly 1000 and simplifies the process by eliminating initial estimates and stopping conditions. This qualitative speedup factor differs for sample choices as well as user solving choices and is based on experience and so will vary. This does not obviate the restrictions presented by the physics of the light–material interaction and the associated mathematics. In this work, AI methods are applied to extract the desired reflecting surface parameters from the measurements on homogeneous isotropic materials.

Built-in tandem catalysis in hierarchical pores for efficient vinyl chloride production

Thermomechanical model of solar cells

This paper considers a model for the solar cell as a mechanical open-cycle thermodynamic engine where chemical potential is produced in an isochoric process corresponding to the thermalization of electron–hole pairs. Expansion of the beam under one-sun illumination and the current generation are described as lost isothermal work. More generally, voltage produced in an open-cycle process corresponds to availability, leading to a correction to the Shockley–Queisser detailed balance limit.

Recurrent and novel evolutionary pathways drive in vitro HIV-1 lenacapavir resistance with diverse phenotypic consequences

Theoretical research on an optically and thermally tunable terahertz absorber based on epsilon-near-zero mode

In this paper, we propose a tunable terahertz (THz) absorber with optical and thermal modulation capabilities. The absorber employs photoconductive silicon in the top resonant structure to excite plasmon modes, while an indium antimonide (InSb) thin film inserted between the resonator and dielectric layer enables epsilon-near-zero mode excitation. The mutual coupling of these two modes achieves high-efficiency absorption. Separate control of optical illumination and environmental temperature allows flexible manipulation of the absorption. Simulation results demonstrate that at room temperature, the device exhibits >90% absorption spanning from 1.52 to 1.80 THz. When the temperature decreases to 240 K, the >90% absorption band redshifts to 0.93–1.71 THz. Optical modulation enables the suppression of absorption within this range, reducing it from over 90% to below 15%. Comprehensive theoretical frameworks, including equivalent circuit modeling and multiple interference theory, were employed to elucidate the working mechanism and assess the reliability. This work demonstrates significant potential for applications in thermal management, plasmonic devices, and fundamental physics research.

Dynamic bond-driven encapsulation of enzymes in metal–organic frameworks beyond pore size constraints

Ge as an orbitronic platform: Giant in-plane orbital magneto-electric effect in a two-dimensional hole gas

Increasing demand for computational power has initiated the hunt for energy efficient and stable memory devices. This is the overarching motivation behind the recent rise of orbitronics, which looks to harness the orbital angular momentum of charge carriers in computing devices. Orbitronic devices require materials with efficient generation of orbital angular momentum (OAM). In 2D materials, OAM can be electrically generated via the orbital magneto-electric effect (OME). In this paper, we report the calculation of the OME in two-dimensional hole gases (2DHGs). We show that the OME in Ge holes is very large; for an applied electric field of the order of 104 V/m, the OAM density is of the order of 1012 ℏ/cm2. Furthermore, we find the OME to be an order of magnitude larger than the Rashba–Edelstein effect in 2DHGs. The OME we calculated in 2DHGs generates OAM aligned in the plane and arises due to transitions between heavy and light hole states, which is unique to this system. Our results put Ge, as well as other p-type semiconductors, forward as strong candidates for building future orbitronic devices.

High-efficiency electrochemical air capture enabled by thiadiazole redox carrier with tunable gas-selective channels

Thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional topological insulators TlBi and TlSb

A comprehensive investigation into the thermoelectric (TE) properties of the two-dimensional TlBi and TlSb topological insulators has been conducted by means of first-principles calculations and nonequilibrium Green’s function methods. The TlBi (TlSb) monolayers of bandgap 0.413 eV (0.127 eV) show the high (moderate) TE figure of merit ZT≈2.6 (0.6) along the armchair and zigzag directions. In addition, the two ZT peaks along the two directions of the TlSb are almost identical, which are different from the case of the TlBi with the right ZT peak appearing at different chemical potentials. In the TlBi (TlSb) nanoribbons, the influences of the edge states and the bulk states on the TE properties have been fully revealed. The appearance of the edge states in the bulk bandgap enables the nanoribbons to behave as metals, which seriously suppresses the Seebeck coefficients and then the ZTs. As a consequence, the total ZTs become much smaller than the separate ZTs contributed by the edge and bulk states and smaller than the ZTs of the corresponding monolayers. The mechanism by which edge states influence TE properties provides a helpful reference for understanding the TE properties of analogous two-dimensional topological insulators.

Balancing land use for conservation, agriculture, and renewable energy

Abstract Growing demand for food coupled with climate commitments to reduce emissions will result in more land development for agriculture and renewable energy. Simultaneously, conserving land for biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people (NCP) is imperative for achieving international climate, sustainable development, and biodiversity goals. Meeting these interconnected objectives requires efficient land allocation across sectors. Here, we present a flexible, multiple-objective framework for strategically allocating land to mitigate threats to biodiversity and NCP under climate change while supporting development. Application of this framework at a global scale through country-level targets shows that if future development is planned without consideration of nature, demands for land could impact nearly 1 million km 2 of high-priority conservation areas. Multi-sector planning can mitigate potential conflict, reducing carbon loss and species exposure. Our findings underscore the need to conserve critical areas for nature, reduce land demand for food and energy, and intentionally coordinate land use across sectors.

Optical and electrical signatures of charge trapping in hybrid perovskite MAPbBr3 single crystals

Understanding the dynamics of charge trapping and detrapping is essential for improving the optoelectronic performance of hybrid perovskite materials. In this study, we investigate temperature-dependent luminescence and electrical transport in single crystals of methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3). Radioluminescence and photoluminescence spectra collected from 8 to 300 K reveal multiple emission features, with several trap-related peaks disappearing at specific temperatures. These changes correlate with thermoluminescence measurements, which identify two prominent glow peaks corresponding to trap levels with activation energies of 69 and 126 meV, suggesting thermally driven release of carriers. Complementary current–voltage measurements performed at cryogenic temperatures exhibit clear trap-filled-limit and space-charge-limited current regimes, emerging only above 100 K. The absence of trap-filled-limit behavior at lower temperatures supports the presence of traps that hinder charge transport, consistent with the observed luminescence dynamics. Together, these results provide a coherent picture of thermal detrapping and carrier recombination in MAPbBr3, offering insights relevant to perovskite-based optoelectronic applications.

Cyclophilin A stabilizes the capsid protein p72 to facilitate African swine fever virus replication

Harnessing near-field interactions in a perfectly tuned metamaterial selective emitter for high-efficiency InSb thermophotovoltaics

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems are gaining attention as a solid-state route for efficient heat-to-electricity conversion, particularly where compact, high-performance power sources are required. A central challenge is the design of emitters that closely match the photovoltaic (PV) cell’s bandgap while minimizing spectral losses. Conventional emitters often radiate broadly, wasting energy outside the useful range, and rely on complex nanostructures that are difficult to fabricate and thermally unstable. The emergence of near-field (NF) emitters, enabled by the recent advances in hyperbolic metamaterials, has provided a new pathway by harnessing evanescent waves and surface polariton modes to enhance radiative heat transfer far beyond the blackbody limit while enabling highly selective emission, but still they suffer from having complex structures. Here, we propose a structurally simple NF emitter based on a metal–dielectric–metal metamaterial, with tantalum (Ta) as both resonator and ground layers and calcite (CaCO3), a uniaxial hyperbolic metamaterial, as the dielectric spacer. The design is tuned to emit strongly at 6.6 μm, ideally matched to the 0.173 eV bandgap of InSb PV cells, achieving near-unity peak emissivity with narrow spectral selectivity. Combining NF enhancement with fabrication-friendly architecture and thermal robustness, this emitter overcomes the limitations of broadband and geometrically complex designs, positioning it as a practical and scalable solution for next-generation TPV technologies.