SLAC Scientists Complete Terahertz Experiment
Using a pump-probe technique, scientists at SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source used terahertz frequencies of light to change the magnetic state of a sample and…
Materials Science
Medusoid, A Tissue-Engineered Jellyfish with the Ability to Swim
After thoroughly studying jellyfish propulsion, including the arrangement of their muscles, how their bodies contract and recoil, and how fluid-dynamic effects help or hinder their…
Highly Transparent Polymer Solar Cell Produces Energy by Absorbing Near-Infrared Light
Using a photoactive plastic that converts infrared light into an electrical current, scientists developed a new kind of polymer solar cell that produces energy by…
Nanomaterials Actively Self-Regulate in Response to Environmental Change
A newly published study from a team of engineers describes a strategy for building self-thermoregulating nanomaterials called SMARTS, which may be able to be tailored…
Using X-Ray Imaging to Help Improve Lithium-Sulfur Battery Technology
In an effort to improve the cycle life of lithium-sulfur batteries and to find new ways to develop commercially viable lithium-sulfur batteries for electric vehicles,…
Self-Assembling Polymer Molecules Create Complex Microchip Structures
Using tiny posts to guide the patterning of self-assembling polymer molecules, researchers at MIT developed a new technique to create perfect square and rectangular patterns…
Macroporous Silicon and Pyrolyzed Polyacrylonitrile form High Performance Anodes
By detaching a freestanding macroporous silicon film from the underlying bulk silicon and combining it with pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile, researchers have found a way to make…
Converting Waste into Useful Energy by Improving Microbial Fuel Cells
In an effort to provide a sustainable system for waste treatment and energy production, scientists at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute are working microbial fuel…
Repeating Patterns Dictate Optical Properties of Nanoparticle Arrays
A newly published study from scientists at Rice University found patterns in the way that surface plasmons influence each other in chains of gold nanoparticles….
Optically Switchable Chiral THz Metamolecules
Using terahertz metamaterials engineered from nanometer-sized gold strips with air as the dielectric, a team of scientists have created the first artificial molecules whose chirality…
SOFC that Converts Hydrogen into Electricity Also Capable of Battery-Like Storage
Using a bilayer of platinum and VOx for the anode, Harvard scientists have demonstrated a solid-oxide fuel cell that converts hydrogen into electricity and can…
Spray Paint Battery Can be Painted on Virtually Any Surface
By using spray-painted layers, each representing the components in a traditional battery, researchers at Rice University have developed lithium-ion batteries with consistent capacities that can…
Nano-Sandwich Design Results in Slimmer Solar Cells with Decreased Costs
Using a “nanoscale sandwich” design with an ultra-thin active layer, scientists at NC State University have developed a technique to create slimmer thin-film solar cells…
SLIPS Prevents Ice from Sticking on Metal Surfaces
A team of material science engineers from Harvard developed SLIPS (Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces), a technology that can prevent ice sheets from developing on…
3-D Self-Assembling Polymer Materials Could Lead to New Microchips
As computer chips continue to shrink, developers are reaching the limits on how small they can make patterns for wires. A team of researchers at…
LCLS Low-Energy Test Just Shy of the 284-Electronvolt Carbon Edge
A recent low energy test with SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source proved that the X-ray laser could dip more deeply into the so-called “water window,”…
Crowding Causes Internal Cell Structure Alignment
By mimicking the crowded environment in actual cells, a team of researchers found that certain molecules organize as they would in the body, inducing a…
High-Energy Radiation is Refracted Setting the Stage for Gamma Optics
New research into gamma rays has led to a discovery that will make many new applications possible in medicine and materials research. Physicists at the…