Cooper pairs found above superconducting critical temperature in pair density waves
Physicists with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Grainger College of Engineering have identified a new form of superconducting behavior. Experiments on the metal uran…
Changes to platinum surface chemistry boost solar hydrogen production in organic photocatalysts
Researchers from the LIMNO laboratory at EPFL have uncovered how different halides modify the surface chemistry of organic semiconductor nanoparticle photocatalysts. By controllin…
Scientists discover first type I superconductor that breaks time-reversal symmetry
Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with no resistance and expel magnetic fields when cooled to ultralow temperatures. And depending on their quantum structure,…
Ultrafast X-rays reveal how the light-responsive molecular switch azobenzene changes shape
Azobenzene is one of the best-known molecules that can be switched between two forms by light. However, the question of how the molecule moves in the first few picoseconds (trilli…
Q&A: How will quantum computers change society?
Once called a "pipe dream," quantum computers are now approaching practical use. Companies and research institutes around the world are in fierce competition to develop this techn…
Physicists who uncovered the first particle accelerator were honored with a Nobel Prize 75 years ago
While scientists are known for their dedication to their research, crawling on the floor to avoid electrocution for the sake of a measurement seems a little excessive. But this is…
Fluorescent test speeds screening of thousands of enzyme variants that modify plant compounds
Many natural plant compounds have promising health-related properties, but their poor water solubility can limit how effectively they are absorbed and used. In previous work, rese…
Enzymes become sturdy beads that could support more sustainable chemical production
Thanks to enzyme-based biocatalysis, an enormous range of pharmaceutical active ingredients and other complex molecules can be synthesized in an environmentally friendly manner. R…
Uranium forms rare triple bond with carbon in newly isolated compound
In a study published in Nature Chemistry, an international team of researchers from Germany and the U.K., including chemists from The University of Manchester, has synthesized and…
Protons ride moving waves to reach record energy with long-pulse lasers
Imagine a proton catching a wave and surfing it to gain speed. While the imagery may seem wild, the premise of laser-driven ion acceleration has promise as an alternative to conve…
A laser that stays locked without active control
EPFL researchers have developed a chip-based laser that keeps a very stable frequency across its tested operating range, without needing active electronic control. Their research …
Counteranions reshape molecular packing to tune magnetism in copper complexes
Magnetic properties in molecular materials depend not only on the molecular components themselves but also on their solid-state organization. In charged π-electronic systems, elec…
Ions help electrons hop through porous material with potential for brain-inspired computing
Next-generation computing technologies could be one step closer to emulating how neurons respond and communicate with each other, thanks to research examining how electrons and io…
New method generates nearly indistinguishable photons for quantum communication
Working in close collaboration, researchers from Paderborn University, the University of Basel and Ruhr University Bochum have made a breakthrough in quantum communication. In the…
AI method predicts retention times of small molecules more reliably
Whether in drug discovery, environmental analysis or metabolomics: anyone analyzing complex biological samples often needs to identify the small molecules they contain. Researcher…
Crystals thinner than human hair can move or partly dissolve when exposed to chloroform
Many of the common materials we encounter in our daily lives are crystalline, including ice, salt and sugar. The crystal structures of some solids are formed from molecules arrang…
Hidden 'funnels' let complex systems slip between stable states
Many systems in nature can settle into several different stable states, with the final state depending on their starting conditions. However, the boundaries separating these state…
Trehalose analog provides a new platform for designing water-soluble glycopolymers
Sugars are attractive building blocks for functional materials because of their high water affinity and diverse biological properties. Incorporating sugars into synthetic polymers…
Stable salts unlock alternative to potentially explosive reagents in carbene chemistry
Many useful reactions in chemistry come with a trade-off: the reactive reagents that make them effective can also present practical and safety challenges. Carbene chemistry is one…
Exploring the shapes of exotic nuclei
In the conventional diagram of an atom, the center depicts a nucleus—a spherical cluster of protons and neutrons. But that sphere is a simplification: nuclei can deform into exoti…
Device detects 'Devil's Breath' in beverages in just 10 minutes
Assault facilitated by drugs such as scopolamine (popularly known as Devil's Breath) is a serious public health and forensic concern. This drug is especially hazardous due to its …
Letting light wander through milk—a surprising approach to better imaging
Light scattered in tissue usually ceases to be a useful source of information. But what if, instead of forcing it to travel along a single path, we allowed it to wander a little d…
New parallel gate entangles diamond qubits 10 times faster at room temperature
Quantum technologies rely on qubits, units of information that can exist in combinations of the states 0 and 1 instead of being limited to one or the other like conventional bits.…
Why do pickles glow? Researcher investigates explosive answer
If you mount a pickle on two metal forks and plug it into a socket, one end will light up in a brilliant orange glow. It's a classic K–12 science demonstration, but the exact phys…