Physics
News
21 Sep 2023
A group of researchers have unraveled the mysteries behind a recently identified material—zirconium nitride (ZrN) —that helps power clean energy reactions. Their proposed framework will help future designs for transition metal nitrides, paving a path for generating cleaner energy.
21 Sep 2023
A recent discovery in spintronics could potentially transform future electronics. A group of researchers have revealed the key role of cobalt-tin-sulfur in reducing energy consumption, unlocking new possibilities for high-speed, low-power spintronic devices.
14 Sep 2023
Lab-based studies reveal how carbon atoms diffuse on the surface of interstellar ice grains to form complex organic compounds, crucial to reveal the chemical complexity in the universe.
11 Sep 2023
A research team led by researchers from Osaka University created an aluminum-nitride device that can convert visible light into deep-ultraviolet light through the process of second harmonic generation. This work can lead to the development of practical devices that can sterilize surfaces with ultraviolet radiation while using less energy.
11 Sep 2023
Elusive fundamental particles called neutrinos are predicted to interact unexpectedly with photons under extreme conditions.
08 Sep 2023
Capturing carbon dioxide, Shells go nuclear, Worms surf electric fields, Brain repair & Creating matter from light. Plus from our blog: Monitoring research for further impact. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
06 Sep 2023
Researchers scientists have unlocked a new realm of possibilities for non-volatile phase change memory, a type of electronic memory capable of retaining data even without power. Traditionally, researchers have relied on chalcogenides, materials with reversible electrical properties during transitions between crystalline and amorphous states. But an exciting alternative has emerged in the form of layered nickelates, complex oxide materials composed of nickel ions. These nickelates, with their unique layered structure and thermally reversible switching of room-temperature electrical resistivity, offer superior performance and sustainability potential.
01 Sep 2023
Survey observations with the Subaru Telescope have led to the discovery of 22 quasars in the very distant universe. Their space density indicates the rapid emergence of supermassive black holes soon after the Big Bang, providing strong constraints on models of when, where, and how they formed and grew in cosmic space-time. The results also indicate a small quasar contribution to cosmic reionization, a major phase transition of the early universe.
28 Aug 2023
Solid-state batteries are a safer option that can hold even more energy than current go-to lithium-ion versions, but effectively harnessing their structure-performance relationship has remained a complex barrier to better batteries. Now, however, researchers at Tohoku University’s Advanced Institute for Materials Research in Japan have developed a framework to predict how the structure of solid-state electrolytes can affect the performance of a battery.
24 Aug 2023
DNA and RNA, the two main types of nucleic acid and the building blocks of life, are susceptible to environmental stimuli, which can cause them to deform, bend or twist. These deformations can significantly affect gene regulation and protein functions, but they are extremely difficult to measure using traditional techniques. Recently, a research team co-led by a physicist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) accurately measured the change in a nucleic acid induced by salt, temperature change and stretching force. Their findings help reveal the underlying universal deformation mechanisms of DNA and RNA.
23 Aug 2023
Quantum physicists have found that the outcomes of measurements are shaped by the complex dynamics of measurement interactions, questioning our usual understanding of observable reality.
22 Aug 2023
Researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) at Osaka University and two other universities used topological data analysis to improve the predictions of physical properties of amorphous materials by machine-learning algorithms. This may allow for cheaper and faster calculations of material properties.
09 Aug 2023
A team led by researchers at Osaka University and University of California, San Diego has conducted simulations of creating matter solely from collisions of light particles. Their method circumvents what would otherwise be the intensity limitations of modern lasers and can be readily implemented by using presently available technology. This work might help experimentally test long-standing theories such as the Standard Model of particle physics, and possibly the need to revise them.
09 Aug 2023
- Led by DGIST's Jiwoong Yang and Seoul National University's Jungwon Park, the team has determined the moisture-induced degradation mechanism of semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots using in-situ liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
- The research findings have been published in the online edition of the prestigious nanoscience journal "ACS Nano."
07 Aug 2023
Researchers at Tohoku University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have unveiled new information about the anomalous dynamics at play when an electric current is applied to a new class of magnetic materials called non-collinear antiferromagnets.
02 Aug 2023
Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have shown that within the helium-8 nucleus (with two protons and six neutrons), there are two clusters of two neutrons each, existing around the helium-4 core. Furthermore, they demonstrated the shape these clusters take. Nuclei with an imbalance of protons and neutrons, such as in helium-8, do not naturally exist on Earth but are believed to be abundantly generated in cosmic environments like the interiors of stars through the process of nucleosynthesis. This study’s findings provide new insights into the still largely unknown binding forms of neutrons and deepen our understanding of the origins of the elements that surround us.
31 Jul 2023
Enantioselection with neither chiral catalysis nor chiral ingredients (absolute enantioselection) has been one of the most active topics of interest but its experimental realizations have been challenging. A team led by researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS) demonstrated the enantioselectivity of helical supramolecules consisting only of achiral molecules solely by exploiting chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. The helicity of the supramolecules is created not by microscopic molecular arrangements but by mesoscopically introduced dislocations. Now CISS effect has been revealed to be relevant for the wider class of chirality ranging from microscopic to mesoscopic length scales.
26 Jul 2023
Researchers from Osaka University use quasi-elastic neutron scattering to get a close look at the behavior of water molecules in a semiclathrate hydrate crystal. They found that the molecules showed fast reorientation with an activation energy similar to that of cleaving a hydrogen bound. This rapid relaxation time in the solid electrolyte is expected to lead to efficient, cost-effective, and safe applications for semiclathrate hydrates in batteries and thermal storage materials.
26 Jul 2023
Researchers at Tohoku University have unraveled the reasons behind the underperformance of a promising field of catalysis known as dual atom catalysts (DACs). Their findings shed light on the challenges faced by DACs in converting carbon dioxide into valuable multicarbon products.
25 Jul 2023
Illuminating the molecular ballet in living cells, Charting the voyage of marine plastics, A glimpse into the origins of life & Earliest human journeys to Asia. Plus Submissions open for Asia Research News 2024. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
20 Jul 2023
Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, provide physical insights into porous soft materials, which will facilitate the design of many energy, medical, and other technologies.
10 Jul 2023
Tohoku University researchers have engineered a new material that overcomes some of the barriers to furthering phase change memory – a potentially revolutionary form of data storage that is still in its infancy. Using sputtering, they created a 2D Van Der Waals Chalcogenide that possesses an ultra-low melting point.
30 Jun 2023
Topological materials’ unique properties make them a great choice for making next-generation devices. In order to exploit them, it was thought that crystalline materials, where atoms are highly ordered, were needed. But now, a research group has verified that even amorphous materials, where atoms are loosely arranged, can have these special properties.
19 Jun 2023
A key protein for sperm maturation identified, Understanding gel formation, Urine test predicts organ diseases, A laser drills holes in a graphene film. Plus in our blog - The frogs of Borneo: more than just a race. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
19 Jun 2023
Finding lost-cost and efficient means of accelerating the oxygen evolution reaction could lead to the proliferation of water-splitting electrolyzes. Rather than adopting a time-consuming trial and error approach, an international research group has used theoretical predictions to identify and then successfully fabricate a new electrocatalyst.
15 Jun 2023
An international research group has engineered a new energy-generating device by combining piezoelectric composites with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), a commonly used material that is both light and strong. The new device transforms vibrations from the surrounding environment into electricity, providing an efficient and reliable means for self-powered sensors.
14 Jun 2023
A physicist from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP) led a team of researchers in pioneering a way to make a special kind of “dark” matter that can’t be observed using standard laboratory methods.
13 Jun 2023
Metamagnetic shape memory alloys (MMSMA) have negated some of the common problems associated with shape memory alloys thanks to their ability to undergo phase transformation when exposed to an external magnetic field. Yet they still lose a large amount of energy when phase transforming. Now, a research group from Tohoku University has made a significant breakthrough, developing a palladium-based MMSMA that exhibits low energy loss.
09 Jun 2023
With the need for hardware to process large amounts of digital information ever growing, researchers are working hard to improve magnetoresistive devices. The magnetoresistance ratio indicates the efficiency of these devices, the higher the better. Most magnetoresistive devices comprise magnesium oxide and iron-based magnetic alloys. But a group of researchers from Tohoku University has unveiled a new material that also exhibits enormous magnetoresistance.
09 Jun 2023
Researchers from Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo develop a nanosheet oxide semiconductor for electronic devices
Events
19 Sep 2022 to 21 Sep 2022
The Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University will hold a ‘Workshop on Computational Biophysics of Atomic Force Microscopy – A Lecture Course Approach’ 19-21 September 2022, online.
17 Jan 2022 to 21 Jan 2022
World’s brightest minds converge at virtual summit to inspire young researchers and discuss key issues
12 Jan 2021 to 15 Jan 2021
Organised by the National Research Foundation – Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore, the ninth edition of the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS@one-north) will take place 12 to 15 January 2021 as a virtual event.
17 Aug 2020 to 22 Aug 2020
The Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, is calling for participants for 9th Bio-SPM Summer School (previously known as Bio-AFM Summer School)).
Researchers
Ken’ichi Nomoto is a visiting senior scientist at Kavli IPMU and Professor Emeritus at The University of Tokyo. He is one of the best experts in the world in astronomy and astrophysics, particularly on stellar evolution and supernovae. He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Japanese government in 2020.
Emily Nardoni is a Kavli IPMU Fellow and project researcher. She specializes in theoretical high energy physics, with her research focus on understanding the nature of quantum field theory (QFT).
Miho Katsuragawa is a specially appointed project researcher at Kavli IPMU. Her areas of expertise include experimental physics, detector/instrument development, medical application of gamma-ray imaging, and high energy astrophysics.
Jia Liu is the Director of the Center for Data-Driven Discovery and associate professor at CMB Group at Kavli IPMU. Her research integrates data science techniques in the study of large-scale structures of the universe (dark matter, halos, filaments, voids).
Dr. Akira Kakugo is an Associate Professor at Hokkaido University. He has researched biomolecular motors and swarming of active matters.
Professor Ren Yang is a physicist and Chair Professor at the Department of Physics at City University of Hong Kong. His research interests focus on the structure-property relationship studies of materials by utilizing synchrotron X-ray and neutron scattering and other techniques.
Robert E Simpson is an Associate Professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Rob’s research interests are focused on designing new materials for applications in electronics, photonics, data storage, and biosensing.
Prof. Jun-Seok Oh is currently working at the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, He does research in Experimental Plasma Physics and is currently interested in atmospheric pressure plasma applications, 'Plasma Medicine' and 'Plasma Agriculture'.
Prof. Shigekawa's research interest includes fabrication of heterointerfaces and advanced hybrid semiconductor devices such as multijunction solar cells and heterojunction bipolar transistors using surface activated bonding and their characterization.
Dr. Ma’s research mainly focuses on electronic structure of topological materials, superconductivity, low-dimensional materials, and correlated materials using Angle Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES).
Prof Pu Jiang is currently an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering Applied Physics 1, Nagoya University
Ken-ichi Uchida is a group leader in the Spin Caloritronics Group, Research Center for Magnetic and Spintronic Materials under the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan
Rabin Mahat is a result-oriented and multifaceted doctoral student in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics at The University of Alabama, USA. He is currently working under the guidance of Dr. Patrick LeClair, and Dr. Arunava Gupta. He received M.Sc. in Physics in 2013 from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He also received his second M.Sc. in experimental Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Alabama in 2019. Rabin's main research is focused on the discovery of novel half-metallic Heusler compounds for potential spintronics device applications. He excels academic and professional expertise in process engineering, research procedures and material science.
I am an Assistant Professor of the Physics Department at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Science (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran since Dec. 2015. I am a Junior Associate of the International Center of Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy since January 2017 and a TWAS Young Affiliate member since 2018. I was a visiting researcher at ICTP-SAIFR, São Paulo, Brazil (June - Nov. 2015) under the TWAS fellowship, and also a Post-Doctoral fellow of the School of Physics in the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM) Tehran, Iran (Oct. 2012 - May 2015). I finished my Ph.D. in the Physics Department of Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Germany in Aug. 2012. I did also a one-year Postgraduate Diploma Programme of ICTP (2007-2008) in High Energy Physics.
Dr Anisa Qamar is a professor in Physics in the Department of Physics, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. She is also the President of Pakistan Physical Society.
Associate Professor, Disaster Science Division, International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University
Dr. Zhifeng Huang is a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, and associate director of nanomaterials at HKBU's Golden Meditech Centre for NeuroRegeneration Sciences. He co-founded Mat-A-Cell Ltd.
Current: Deputy and Administrative Director & Principal Investigator of International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA) .
Professor at the Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba
Dr. Omachi is Associate Professor, Research Center for Materials Science, Nagoya University
Giants in history
Chinese electron microscopy specialist Li Fanghua (6 January 1932 – 24 January 2020) facilitated the high-resolution imaging of crystal structures by eliminating interference.
Toshiko Yuasa (11 December 1909 – 1 February 1980) was the first Japanese female physicist whose research on radioactivity shed light on beta decay – the process in which an atom emits a beta particle (electron) and turns into a different element.
Malaysia’s first astrophysicist, Mazlan binti Othman (born 11 December 1951) was instrumental in launching the country’s first microsatellite, and in sending Malaysia’s first astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, into space.
Hideki Yukawa (23 January 1907 – 8 September 1981) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1949 for predicting the existence of the pi meson subatomic particle. Japan’s first Nobel laureate, Yakawa also expressed his support for nuclear disarmament by signing the Russell–Einstein Manifesto in 1955.
Shinichiro Tomonaga (31 March 1906 – 8 July 1979), together with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, for their contributions to advance the field of quantum electrodynamics. Tomonaga was also a strong proponent of peace, who actively campaigned against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and promoted the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
South Korean theoretical physicist Daniel Chonghan Hong (3 March 1956 – 6 July 2002) achieved fame in the public sphere through his research into the physics of popcorn.
Chinese physicist Xie Xide (19 March 1921 – 4 March 2000) was an influential educator and one of China’s pioneer researchers of solid-state physics.
Physicist Narinder Singh Kapany (31 October 1926 – 4 December 2020) pioneered the use of optical fibres to transmit images, and founded several optical technology companies. Born in Punjab, India, he worked at a local optical instruments factory before moving to London for PhD studies at Imperial College. There, he devised a flexible fibrescope to convey images along bundles of glass fibres.
Japanese physicist Ukichiro Nakaya (1900-1962) made the world’s first artificial snowflakes. He started his research on snow crystals in the early 1930s at Hokkaido University, where there is an unlimited supply of natural snow in winter. By taking over 3,000 photographs, he established a classification of natural snow crystals and described their relationship with weather conditions.
Charles Kuen Kao (Nov. 4, 1933 to Sept. 23, 2018) was an engineer who is regarded as the father of fibre optics. His work in the 1960s on long distance signal transmission using very pure glass fibres revolutionized telecommunications, enabling innovations such as the Internet.
Meghnad Saha (6 October 1893 – 16 February 1956) was an Indian astrophysicist best known for formulating the Saha ionization equation which describes the chemical and physical properties of stars.
Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose (30 November 1858 – 23 November 1937) was a scientist and inventor who contributed to a wide range of scientific fields such as physics, botany and biology.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (19 October 1910 – 21 August 1995) was an Indian astrophysicist who studied the structure and evolution of stars.
Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (7 November 1888 – 21 November 1970) was an Indian physicist who performed ground-breaking research in the field of light-scattering.
Mohammad Abdus Salam (29 January 1926 – 21 November 1996) was a theoretical physicist and the first Pakistani to receive a Nobel Prize in science.
Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran (8 October 1922 – 7 April 2001) is best known for developing the Ramachandran plot to understand the structure of short chains of amino acids, known as peptides.
Chien-Shiung Wu (31 May 1912 – 16 February 1997) was an experimental physicist who made several important contributions to nuclear physics. Wu worked on the Manhattan Project – a top-secret program for the production of nuclear weapons during World War II and helped to develop a process for separating uranium into U235 and U238.
Bibha Chowdhuri (1913 – 2 June 1991) was an Indian physicist who researched on particle physics and cosmic rays. In 1936, she was the only female to complete a M.Sc. degree at the University of Calcutta.
Lin Lanying (7 February 1918 – 4 March 2003) was a Chinese material engineer remembered for her contributions to the field of semiconductor and aerospace materials. Lanying was born into a family who did not believe in educating girls and she was not allowed to go to school.
Gregorio Y. Zara (8 March 1902 – 15 October 1978) was a Filipino engineer and physicist best remembered for inventing the first two-way video telephone. Zara’s video telephone invention enabled the caller and recipient to see each other while conversing, laying the foundation for video-conferencing