News by Subject Chemistry & Physics

An international physics team with the participation of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has proposed a new concept that may allow selected cosmic extreme processes to be studied in the laboratory in the future. A special setup of two high-intensity laser beams could create conditions similar to those found near neutron stars, for example. An antimatter jet is generated and accelerated very efficiently, as the experts report in the journal Communications Physics (DOI: 10.1038/s42005-021-00636-x).

Scientists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have created an ultrathin magnet that operates at room temperature. The ultrathin magnet could lead to new applications in computing and electronics - such as high-density, compact spintronic memory devices - and new tools for the study of quantum physics.

Researchers from The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science have developed a machine learning-based model to predict the characteristics of bonded systems. Using the density of states of the individual component reactants, they have achieved accurate predictions of the binding energy, bond length, number of covalent electrons, and Fermi energy. The broadly applicable model is expected to make a significant contribution to the development of materials such as catalysts and nanowires.

Using time- and spin-resolved methods at BESSY II, the physicists explored how, after optical excitation, the complex interplay in the behavior of excited electrons in the bulk and on the surface results in unusual spin dynamics. The work is an important step on the way to spintronic devices based on topological materials for ultrafast information processing.

This is the first ever capture of the ultrafast motions of a high intensity laser produced plasma on a solid surface, simultaneously at different spatial locations. It achieves an experimental leap in Doppler spectrometry and is important for tracking the flow of heat and energy along the surface and watching the growth of plasma instabilities, all very important for understanding laser plasma science and pushing forward applications of high intensity, femtosecond laser driven laser plasmas.

Scientist demonstrated a new way of observing atoms as they move in a tiny quantum electronic switch as it operates. Along the way, they discovered a new material state that could pave the way for faster, more energy-efficient computing.