Physics

Researchers from The University of Osaka discovered a mechanism that greatly improves the efficiency of endothermic singlet exciton fission. By combining singlet-fission molecules with quantum dots, the team created hybridized electronic states at the material interface that act as intermediate energy pathways. This allows one absorbed photon to generate two excited states with high efficiency, potentially allowing solar technologies to exceed current efficiency limits.

A researcher at The University of Osaka has proposed a thermodynamic framework for describing hysteresis in solids, a history-dependent phenomenon widely used in memory devices, energy conversion materials, and other technologies. The study shows that hysteresis can, in principle, be described within thermodynamics when the state of a solid is defined not only by conventional variables such as temperature and volume, but also by its atomic configuration. By identifying the time-averaged equilibrium positions of atoms as essential state variables, the work provides a more rigorous theoretical foundation for understanding and developing solid-state materials that rely on hysteresis.

Studying molecules in liquid solution is notoriously difficult. However, this just got easier thanks to a new X-ray technique developed by an international group of scientists. The technique can capture ultrafast molecular changes in extremely dilute liquid samples.

Researchers have developed an optical fiber that uses laser-induced heating and bubble-driven convection to rapidly concentrate bacteria and nanoparticles in liquid samples. The method collects thousands of targets in 60 seconds with over tenfold higher efficiency than conventional approaches. This approach allows for faster and more sensitive detection in biomedical and environmental applications.

What if light had a hidden geometry? A new international collaboration between Tohoku University and Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light shows that the geometry behind light waves can affect how light moves and interacts inside materials. Their research explores the hidden geometry of light and reveals new connections between photonics, topology, and quantum physics.

Researchers from The University of Osaka report the creation of step–terrace–ordered GaN surfaces using catalyst-referred etching (CARE). Mechanical testing on these surfaces demonstrates exceptional reproducibility across 100 measurements, achieving record-low stress scatter.

Solid electrolyte particle sizes affect ion pathways

Dolphin secrets, Iron-rich Moon, Squeezing diamonds, Sweat the small stuff, Muonic molecules. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus: SciCom Coffee speaker.

Researchers in Japan showed that growing Eu-doped GaN on a semipolar GaN plane selectively forms highly efficient Eu luminescent centers while suppressing inefficient Eu clusters. The approach increased room-temperature red emission by 3.6 times, reduced efficiency droop, and points to brighter, wavelength-stable red LEDs for monolithically integrated full-color micro-LED displays using the GaN materials platform.

A research team led by Professor Denver Li Danfeng of CityUHK has discovered magnetic-field-induced re-entrant superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates, where superconductivity re-emerges at high fields. The breakthrough challenges conventional understanding and opens new directions for next-generation superconducting materials.

Counterintuitively, despite the ongoing fuel crisis and the over two decades since the global phaseout of leaded gasoline, toxic lead still lingers in Metro Manila’s air.

Researchers have solved a mystery in fluid dynamics regarding high-speed particle collisions on wet surfaces. They discovered that at high speeds, cavitation (the sudden formation of vapor cavities) changes the liquid shape from a "bridge" to a "dome", releasing the liquid pull-back force. This causes particles to bounce back stronger than they would at lower speeds. Such a vital discovery would drastically improve the safety, design, and durability of ultra-fast motors in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have demonstrated that a wireless electroencephalogram transmission system can operate using energy harvested from the temperature difference between the human body and the ambient air. The low-power device successfully operated outdoors at high temperatures, demonstrating stable performance without external power or airflow. This technology could enable the development of maintenance-free sensing systems for health monitoring and infrastructure applications in the future.

Researchers from The University of Osaka used large-scale simulations and turbulence theory to study how dolphins swim so effectively. The team found that large vortices created by the dolphin’s tail provide most of the propulsion, while smaller vortices contribute little. This discovery improves our mechanical understanding of fast swimming and could guide the design of energy-efficient underwater robots and technologies for controlling turbulence.

For 70 years, we have assumed that “attempt time” in nanomagnets is one nanosecond. For the first time ever, this value was measured experimentally by researchers at Tohoku University. Spoiler alert: it’s more than one nanosecond!

Researchers reveal a powerful new way to precisely tune quantum defects, opening the door to ultra-sensitive next-generation sensors

A once-theoretical structure is now shaping the future of computing. Researchers have uncovered key properties of magnetic skyrmions, ultra-stable, 2 nm vortex-like structures that could enable next-gen memory with extremely low power consumption. Even more surprising? They can form in materials once thought impossible.

Researchers are investigating how 3D printers could achieve unprecedented levels of precision when creating batteries, opening the door for new innovations.

Researchers in Japan have developed a new LED structure that generates circularly polarized light from a single chip. The advance could support smaller and more energy-efficient optical devices for AR/VR, 3D displays, quantum communication, and optical security. By combining a semipolar InGaN light-emitting structure with a stripe-shaped silicon nitride metasurface, the team created a compact light source that reduces energy-conversion loss and operates at room temperature. This advancement could help bring ultra-compact, durable light sources closer to practical use in AR/VR, 3D displays, quantum communication, and optical security.

This deep dive explains the ins and outs of a catalyst called graphitic carbon nitride that speeds up the production of hydrogen peroxide – a highly useful oxidizing agent used widely in both industrial and household settings.

Researchers have demonstrated the world’s first simultaneous generation of 3,070 optical vortices at megawatt-class peak power (58 MW). By reformulating Hermite–Gaussian to Laguerre–Gaussian mode conversion and implementing it through a compact multibeam interference architecture, the team achieved more than three orders of magnitude improvement in both vortex number and peak power. The work establishes a scalable framework for high-intensity structured-light generation.

Butterfly wings were the inspiration behind this new, lightweight lattice structure that doesn’t compromise on sturdiness.

Researchers investigated how the η′ meson behaves inside atomic nuclei and found evidence that it may form bound states known as η′-mesic nuclei. Using high-energy particle experiments and sophisticated data analysis, the team observed signals consistent with theoretical predictions and measured a possible change in the particle’s mass in nuclear matter. These findings provide new insight into the structure of the vacuum and the origin of mass.

What’s the point of methane reforming to make environmentally friendly fuels if the process itself is environmentally unfriendly? To make the process greener, researchers at Tohoku University used oxygen carriers to improve efficiency.

Free-electron lasers can be tuned to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, but they conventionally require large-scale facilities. Researchers from The University of Osaka show that laser wakefield acceleration can dramatically miniaturize this technology by improving plasma stability and electron beam quality. Their study demonstrates such lasers in the extreme ultraviolet, with the ultimate goal of further refining the technology to operate at x-ray wavelengths.

Hiroshima University researchers develop a new experimental method to demonstrate that interference physically delocalizes each photon.

Metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors can detect harmful pollutants in the air, but they only operate at extremely high temperatures. A new material design guideline using vanadium oxide may help us overcome this challenge.

Move over lithium-ion batteries – researchers found a creative way to combine materials (lithium metal and a ceramic surface) that may prove to be better for energy storage used in electric vehicles and portable electronics.

Researchers have discovered a new way to control magnetic “spin” using electric current, enabling states that were previously considered unstable. This breakthrough could move computing beyond simple binary systems by harnessing continuously fluctuating signals. The findings may lead to more powerful and efficient technologies for AI and next-generation devices.

Researchers developed high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric thin films on silicon that convert everyday vibrations into electricity. By using strain engineering and a novel sputtering method, they achieved record performance and demonstrated the compatibility of efficient, battery-free MEMS energy harvesters with standard semiconductor manufacturing processes.