Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Sciences (SIMES)

RSS Feed RSS Feed


October 22, 2021
News Feature
Experiments confirm a quantum material’s unique response to circularly polarized laser light
Topological insulators conduct electricity on their surfaces but not through their interiors. SLAC scientists discovered that high harmonic generation produces a unique signature from the topological surface.
A counterclockwise pattern of swirling arrows This pattern of arrows representing the combined spin and momentum of electrons in the surface layer of a topological insulator
October 13, 2021
News Feature
Why skyrmions could have a lot in common with glass and high-temperature superconductors
Spawned by the spins of electrons in magnetic materials, these tiny whirlpools behave like independent particles and could be the future of computing. Experiments with SLAC’s X-ray laser are revealing their secrets.
Illustration of skyrmions -- little whirlpools of magnetism formed by the spins of atoms.
September 15, 2021
News Feature
A simple way to get complex semiconductors to assemble themselves
Much like crystallizing rock candy from sugar syrup, the new method grows 2D perovskites precisely layered with other 2D materials to produce crystals with a wide range of electronic properties.
Illustration of layers of 2D materials assembling themselves from chemicals tumbling in water
September 9, 2021
News Feature
After 20 years of trying, scientists succeed in doping a 1D chain of cuprates
The chemically controlled chains reveal an ultrastrong attraction between electrons that may help cuprate superconductors carry electrical current with no loss at relatively high temperatures.
An illustration showing a 1D chain of carbon and oxygen molecules with red springs representing natural vibrations in their atomic lattice.
August 31, 2021
News Feature
A new approach creates an exceptional single-atom catalyst for water splitting
Anchoring individual iridium atoms on the surface of a catalytic particle boosted its performance in carrying out a reaction that’s been a bottleneck for sustainable energy production.
Alt text: Illustration showing surface of a catalyst as a lattice work of atoms, with single iridium molecules held above it on tiny 8-sided structures to facilitate splitting of water molecules seen floating above
July 8, 2021
News Feature
A detailed study of nickelate’s magnetism finds a strong kinship with cuprate superconductors
Nickelate materials give scientists an exciting new window into how unconventional superconductors carry electric current with no loss at relatively high temperatures.
Illustration showing nickelate and cuprate superconductors as cartoon characters that are either close friends holding hands or neighbors talking over a fence.
June 14, 2021
News Feature
Scientists discover how oxygen loss saps a lithium-ion battery’s voltage
Measuring the process in unprecedented detail gives them clues to how to minimize the problem and protect battery performance.
Illustration of oxygen atoms leaving a lithium-ion battery as lithium flows in alongside a battery whose energy is being sapped by this process
May 5, 2021
News Feature
First nanoscale look at a reaction that limits the efficiency of generating clean hydrogen fuel
With a new suite of tools, scientists discovered exactly how tiny plate-like catalyst particles carry out a key step in that conversion – the evolution of oxygen in an electrocatalytic cell – in unprecedented detail.
illustration of nanoscale catalyst particles in the form of flat, hexagonal plates evolving bubbles of oxygen
April 12, 2021
News Feature
In a first, scientists watch 2D puddles of electrons spontaneously emerge in a 3D superconducting material
It’s an example of how surprising properties can spontaneously emerge in complex materials – a phenomenon scientists hope to harness for novel technologies.
Illustration of a 2D superconducting state emerging in a 3D superconductor
March 25, 2021
News Feature
Scientists uncover a process that stands in the way of making quantum dots brighter
The results have important implications for today’s TV and display screens and for future technologies where light takes the place of electrons and fluids.
Illustration of three quantum dot nanocrystals showing atomic-level changes when they are hit with laser light

Pages