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The electronic band structure in silicon optical fibres can be engineered by continuous laser irradiation during the crystallization of the fibres. A reduction of the bandgap down to 0.59 eV is demonstrated.
Single-molecule force spectroscopy is used to correlate the single-molecule nanomechanical properties of a biomimetic polymer with the bulk mechanical performance of the material by means of the derivation of the potential energy landscape.
Vapour growth of WS2/MoS2 two-dimensional materials at low and high temperature allows the synthesis of in-plane lateral heterojunctions and vertically stacked bilayers, respectively, with atomically sharp interfaces.
Exciton transport in organic materials is negatively affected by molecular disorder. It is now theoretically shown that metalloporphyrin layers support topological edge states that allow exciton currents even in disordered molecular lattices.
Inspired by Boolean binary algebra, an approach to design electromagnetic metamaterials with desired permittivity by using just two elemental building blocks is demonstrated analytically and numerically.
Single-particle-resolution video microscopy of films of colloidal particles shows that solid–solid transitions between square and triangular lattices occur through a two-step nucleation mechanism that involves liquid nuclei.
Investigation of the individual state-of-charge of particles in the phase-separating battery electrode lithium iron phosphate reveals that the fraction of active particles is highly dependent on cycle rate and direction. The findings could lead to enhanced current uniformity and cycle life in other electrode systems.
In situ electron energy-loss spectroscopy in an environmental transmission electron microscope reveals that palladium nanocrystals undergo sharp phase transitions during hydrogen absorption and desorption, and that surface effects dictate the size dependence of the hydrogen absorption pressures.
Aromatic molecules and transition-metal complexes dispersed in hydroxyl steroidal matrices reveal efficient reverse saturable absorption when irradiated with low-power light. These materials extend the range of applications of optical limiters.
Non-optimal electrical contacts can significantly limit the performance of MoS2-based thin-film transistors. Transformation of semiconducting MoS2 into its metallic phase is now shown as a viable strategy to decrease the metal–MoS2 contact resistance.
The use of a gold substrate coated with organic monolayers and a highly viscous immobilizing liquid allows the characterization of the electronic properties of carbon-based materials deposited on the coated substrates at the solid/liquid interface.
A combination of microscopy and spectroscopy techniques are used to directly observe a ferroelectric field effect and screening by oxygen vacancies at the BiFeO3/LaxSr1−xMnO3 interface.
Malignant cells in tumours invade surrounding tissues. Single-cell-resolution measurements of the migration—through micropillar arrays—of a cell population following the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition show intriguing emergent dynamics.
Recent work has proposed that both protein tethering to the extracellular matrix and matrix porosity can regulate stem cell differentiation. It is now shown that differentiation is driven by matrix stiffness independently of tethering and porosity.
The spin Hall effect plays a central role in generating and manipulating spin currents, but its magnitude is ultimately fixed by spin–orbit coupling effects. It is now shown that the spin-Hall-effect angle can be tuned electrically in GaAs.
Non-uniform metal deposition and dendrite formation on negative electrodes during repeated cycling are major hurdles to commercialization of batteries. Electrodeposited lithium in liquid electrolytes reinforced with halogenated salt blends has now been used for lithium cells, and exhibits stable long-term cycling.
Although the Ruddlesden–Popper series of compounds offer a range of appealing properties, their fabrication in thin-film form has been challenging. Using molecular beam epitaxy, layered oxide films of this family are synthesized, and shown to undergo a dynamical rearrangement during the growth process.
A polymer–peptide surface coating that non-covalently binds the natural lubricant hyaluronic acid (HA) is shown to enhance the lubricity of tissue surfaces and to retain HA in articular joints and on ocular tissue surfaces in vivo.