Materials Science

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August 1, 2022
News Feature
Study finds nickelate superconductors are intrinsically magnetic
Waves of magnetic excitation sweep through this exciting new material whether it’s in superconducting mode or not – another possible clue to how unconventional superconductors carry electric current with no loss.
A brightly colored top is seen spinning between two layers of gray, purple and red spheres representing atoms in a nickel oxide superconductor.
July 25, 2022
News Feature
A new leap in understanding nickel oxide superconductors
Researchers discover they contain a phase of quantum matter, known as charge density waves, that’s common in other unconventional superconductors. In other ways, though, they’re surprisingly unique.
Artist's illustration shows quantum states called superconductivity and charge density waves atop an atomic lattice of balls and sticks
April 28, 2022
News Feature
What drives rechargeable battery decay? Depends on how many times you've charged it
How quickly a battery electrode decays depends on properties of individual particles in the battery – at first. Later on, the network of particles matters more.
A group of particles, some highlighted in reds and oranges to show which have begun to break apart.
April 8, 2022
News Feature
San Jose State students study nanodiamonds at SLAC’s synchrotron
A physical chemist and a diverse group of his students are working on applications with nanoscopic diamonds.
Three side-by-side portraits.
March 9, 2022
News Feature
In a first, researchers image the full structure of trapped excitons
It’s a significant step in understanding these whirling quasiparticles and putting them to work in future semiconductor technologies.
A beam of light hits a semiconductor material, ejecting an electron (blue) which goes on to partner with a hole (orange) to form a whirling compound particle, the exciton.
March 7, 2022
News Feature
Q&A: From particle beams to cancer treatment – fundamental research that affects everyday life
SLAC’s Matt Garrett and Susan Simpkins talk about tech transfer that brings innovations from the national lab to the people, including advances for medical devices and self-driving vehicles.
Tech Transfer
February 25, 2022
News Feature
Stronger materials could bloom with new images of plastic flow
A laser compressing an aluminum crystal provides a clearer view of a material’s plastic deformation, potentially leading to the design of stronger nuclear fusion materials and spacecraft shields.
an abstract illustration of rippling waves made of shining dots
February 16, 2022
News Feature
‘Fingerprinting’ minerals to better understand how they are affected by meteorite collisions
Researchers mimicked these extreme impacts in the lab and discovered new details about how they transform minerals in Earth’s crust.
meteor
February 14, 2022
News Feature
A new way to shape a material’s atomic structure with ultrafast laser light
X-ray laser experiments show that intense light distorts the structure of a thermoelectric material in a unique way, opening a new avenue for controlling the properties of materials.
Illustration shows two ball-and-stick molecules in pink and red separated by a blurred streak representing how the first structure is slightly deformed into the second.
February 9, 2022
News Feature
Study raises new possibilities for triggering room-temperature superconductivity with light
Scientists discover that triggering superconductivity with a flash of light involves the same fundamental physics that are at work in the more stable states needed for devices, opening a new path toward producing room-temperature superconductivity.

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