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Category: materials

Unexpected magnetic response in gold and silver atomic contacts contradicts previous theoretical predictions

Researchers from the Department of Physics and the University Institute of Materials at the University of Alicante (UA) and the Low Temperature and High Magnetic Field Laboratory at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) have succeeded in measuring, for the first time, the electrical conductance of gold and silver atomic contacts subjected to extreme magnetic fields of up to 20 teslas, an intensity equivalent to 400,000 times Earth’s magnetic field.

The team observed that, when applying these fields, the conductance of the gold contacts decreases by around 15%, an unexpected result in noble metals such as gold (Au) and silver (Ag). Furthermore, they detected modifications in the formation process of the atomic contact itself, which were particularly marked in silver. These findings contradict previous theoretical predictions, which anticipated a practically non-existent magnetic dependence in pure Au and Ag.

The discovery, published in Physical Review Research, adds a new piece to the knowledge of electronic transport physics at the atomic scale. Achieving a noticeable response to a magnetic field from a conductor consisting of a single atomic channel, as occurs in these metals, is extremely difficult. The results suggest that functional materials can be designed by combining noble metals with magnetically active systems.

Opening the path to high-efficiency hydrogen production without expensive precious metals

A research team has successfully designed and developed a proprietary non-precious metal oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst featuring a layered structure optimized for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) environments.

The study, published in the journal ACS Nano, is particularly significant in that it proposes a novel catalyst design strategy capable of simultaneously achieving high efficiency and durability while reducing reliance on expensive precious metal catalysts. The team was led by Dr. Sung Mook Choi of the Energy & Environment Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), in collaboration with a team headed by Professor Seung-Hwa Lee at Changwon National University.

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) operates under alkaline conditions, offering a structural advantage in that relatively low-cost non-precious metal catalysts can be employed in place of expensive precious metals. For this reason, AEMWE has attracted considerable attention as a cost-effective and inherently safe hydrogen production technology.

How does snow gather on a roof? Simulation considers turbulence alongside snowflake size

No two snowflakes may be the same, but models that fail to take these variations into consideration often fall short when calculating the way snow accumulates on roofs. In Physics of Fluids, researchers from Harbin Institute of Technology in China modeled the way snow gathers on a roof based on snowflake size and distribution.

“In cold regions, snow load is a critical factor in structural design,” said author Qingwen Zhang. “However, traditional models often simplify snow as a uniform material with a single particle size, overlooking the natural heterogeneity of snowflake sizes and distributions.”

Physicists Finally Realize Long-Predicted 2D Topological Crystal in the Lab

Researchers in Finland have experimentally realized a long-predicted class of quantum material: a two-dimensional topological crystalline insulator. Physicists at the University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University (Finland) have successfully created a two-dimensional topological crystalline insulat

Nanosecond light-by-light switching achieved in liquid crystal droplet

Controlling light with light is a long-sought goal for computing and communication technologies. Achieving this capability would allow optical signals to be processed without converting them into electrical signals, potentially enabling faster and more energy-efficient devices. In recent years, researchers have begun exploring an unexpected platform for this purpose: soft matter.

Soft-matter photonics investigates how materials such as liquids, liquid crystals, gels, and polymers can self-organize into structures that manipulate light. Unlike conventional solid-state photonic components, which require precise nanofabrication, soft materials can spontaneously form functional optical geometries. Some soft materials also exhibit nonlinear optical behavior. For example, through the Kerr effect, their refractive index can change in response to intense light, enabling one beam to influence another and allowing ultrafast optical switching on picosecond timescales.

As reported in Advanced Photonics, an international team of researchers introduced a different approach: a nanosecond optical switch based on resonant stimulated-emission depletion (STED) in a liquid crystal cavity. Rather than relying on refractive index changes, this method manipulates the stored optical energy inside a resonant structure.

Superconductivity controlled by a built-in light-confining cavity

For the first time, physicists have demonstrated that a material’s superconductivity can be altered by coupling it to an in-built, light-confining cavity. In experiments published in Nature, a team led by Itai Keren at Columbia University show how quantum properties can be deliberately engineered by bonding carefully chosen materials together—without applying any external light, pressure, or magnetic field.

As researchers have probed the quantum behavior of solids in ever greater detail, they have uncovered a wealth of so-called “emergent” properties, which arise from intricate interactions between electrons, quantum spins, and localized vibrations of a crystal lattice. Phenomena including superconductivity, magnetism, and charge ordering all emerge from these kinds of collective effects—all richer and more complex than the sum of their microscopic parts.

Building on this principle, physicists are increasingly exploring whether materials could be designed with specific emergent behaviors built directly into their structures. Rather than tuning a compound after it is made, the goal here is to engineer its quantum environment from the outset.

Scientists have created a leather clothing alternative made entirely from mushrooms that looks and feels like the real thing

Austria’s scientists have created a leather made from mycelium. Growing mushrooms in low-oxygen chambers allows researchers to craft an alternative material that feels and looks like traditional leather. The finished textile is strong, flexible, and even fire-resistant.

Manufacturers grow the material instead of harvesting it from animals. After it reaches the desired thickness, they apply non-toxic enzymes to keep it fully biodegradable. The vegetative part of the fungus grows into a dense mat over a matter of days. Above all, it avoids the environmental impact of traditional leather production…

…This is not science fiction; fungal fabric has grown from a curiosity into reality. A 2025 report listed the benefits of mushroom leather as having a lower carbon footprint. It begins with a substantial reduction in water use. Growing mushrooms, compared to raising cattle, requires a fraction of the water.

Scientists created a mushroom leather made from mycelium that looks and feels like traditional leather. It’s grown in a matter of days.

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