Materials Science
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A new lens on materials under extreme conditions allows researchers to watch shock waves travel through silicon
Researchers used a unique approach to learn more about what happens to silicon under intense pressure.
A new way to watch atoms move in a single atomic sheet
X-ray laser snapshots give scientists a new tool for probing trillionths-of-a-second atomic motions in 2-D materials
Q-FARM initiative to bolster quantum research at Stanford-SLAC
The newly launched Quantum Fundamentals, ARchitecture and Machines initiative will build upon existing strengths in theoretical and experimental quantum science and engineering at Stanford and SLAC.
First direct view of an electron’s short, speedy trip across a border
Watching electrons sprint between atomically thin layers of material will shed light on the fundamental workings of semiconductors, solar cells and other key technologies.
SLAC/Stanford team discovers new way of switching exotic properties on and off in topological material
Ultrafast manipulation of material properties with light could stimulate the development of novel electronics, including quantum computers.
Dancing atoms in perovskite materials provide insight into how solar cells work
A new study is a step forward in understanding why perovskite materials work so well in energy devices and potentially leads the way toward a theorized “hot” technology that would significantly improve the efficiency of today’s solar cells.
In materials hit with light, individual atoms and vibrations take disorderly paths
Revealed for the first time by a new X-ray laser technique, their surprisingly unruly response has profound implications for designing and controlling materials.
Scientists make first detailed measurements of key factors related to high-temperature superconductivity
Two studies led by SLAC and Stanford capture electron “sound waves” and identify a positive feedback loop that may boost superconducting temperatures .
Researchers switch material from one state to another with a single flash of light
Switches like this one, discovered with SLAC’s ultrafast ‘electron camera’, could offer a new, simple path to storing data in next-generation devices.
X-rays uncover a hidden property that leads to failure in a lithium-ion battery material
Experiments at SLAC and Berkeley Lab uproot long-held assumptions and will inform future battery design.
