(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology)
The fractional quantum Hall effect arises when electrons in two-dimensional materials are subject to a strong perpendicular magnetic field at very low temperatures. Researchers from George Mason University, Brown University, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology have shown that fractional quantum Hall states could be better detected using thermopower measurements than with conventional electrical resistivity. (Thermopower is an electrical voltage generated when charge carriers move from the hot side to the cold side of a conducting or semiconducting material.) The researchers performed thermopower measurements on bilayer graphene and observed new fractional quantum Hall states, which had not been previously reported.

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. National Science Foundation)
Researchers from Lehigh University, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Arizona State University, and Louisiana State University have developed a nanostructured copper alloy with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical strength, making it one of the most resilient copper-based materials ever created. The breakthrough comes from the formation of copper-lithium precipitates, stabilized by a tantalum-rich atomic bilayer complexion. Unlike typical grain boundaries that migrate over time at high temperatures, this complexion acts as a structural stabilizer, maintaining the nanocrystalline structure, preventing grain growth and dramatically improving high-temperature performance. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory was awarded a U.S. patent for the alloy.

(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation)
In a Perspective article published in Nature Materials, two engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carlos Portela and James Surjadi, discuss key hurdles, opportunities, and future applications in the field of mechanical metamaterials. Metamaterials are artificially structured materials with properties not easily found in nature. With engineered three-dimensional geometries at the micro- and nanoscale, metamaterials achieve unique mechanical and physical properties with capabilities beyond those of conventional materials. Over the past decade, metamaterials have emerged as a promising way to address engineering challenges for which other existing materials have lacked success.

(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy)
Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; the University of Chicago; the University of Vermont; Middlebury College; Brown University; Stanford University; and Northwestern University have observed that when semiconductor nanocrystals called quantum dots were exposed to short bursts of light, the symmetry of the crystal structure changed from a disordered state to a more organized one. The return of symmetry directly affected the electronic properties of the quantum dots by causing a decrease in the bandgap energy, which is the difference in energy that electrons need to jump from one state to another within a semiconductor material. This change can influence how well quantum dots conduct electricity and respond to electric fields. Part of this work was conducted at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a DOE Office of Science user facility at ANL.

(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation)
Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a new material that, by harnessing the power of sunlight, can clear water of dangerous pollutants. Solar fuel systems that use titanium dioxide nanoparticles can cause significant challenges to implementation, including low efficiency and the need for complex filtration systems. So, the researchers added copper to the nanoparticles, and the new structures, called nanomats, can now absorb enough light energy to break down harmful pollutants in air and water. These lightweight, easy-to-remove fiber mats can float and operate atop any body of water and are even reusable through multiple cleaning cycles. Because the nanomats are so effective, the researchers envision that they could be used to rid water of industrial pollutants in developing countries, turning otherwise contaminated rivers and lakes into sources of clean drinking water.