News Archive | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Insight Into Obscure Transition Uncovered by X-rays

The list of potential mechanisms that underlie an unusual metal-insulator transition has been narrowed by a team of scientists at Argonne and Lawrence Berkeley national laboratories and the University of Arkansas using a combination of X-ray techniques.

Microscopic Rake Doubles Efficiency of Low-cost Solar Cells

Researchers from the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have developed a manufacturing technique that could double the electricity output of inexpensive solar cells by using a microscopic rake when applying light-harvesting polymers.

Erdemir Receives Patent for Ultra-Fast Surface Hardening Technology

A newly patented technology by Distinguished Fellow Ali Erdemir and his team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory could greatly extend the lifetime of mechanical parts.

New Mathematics Advances the Frontier of Macromolecular Imaging

Berkeley Lab scientists are solving the challenge of reconstructing images of nanostructures – objects a thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair – with a new mathematical theory and an algorithm, multi-tiered iterative phasing or M-TIP.

Critical Materials Institute Rare-Earth Recycling Invention Licensed to U.S Rare Earths

A new technology developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Critical Materials Institute that aids in the recycling, recovery and extraction of rare earth minerals has been licensed to U.S. Rare Earths, Inc.

Copper Clusters Capture and Convert Carbon Dioxide to Make Fuel

A copper tetramer catalyst created by researchers at Argonne National Laboratory may help capture and convert carbon dioxide in a way that ultimately saves energy.

New ORNL Hybrid Microscope Offers Unparalleled Capabilities

A microscope being developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory will allow scientists studying biological and synthetic materials to simultaneously observe chemical and physical properties on and beneath the surface.

Warning Area in Arctic Airspace to Aid Research and Exploration

Scientists at the Atmospheric Measurement Climate Research Facility are working with personnel from the Federal Aviation Administration in the stewardship of a protected area of airspace, in order to gather data on clouds and atmospheric constituents and track the movement of retreating sea ice.

ALCF Selects Projects for Theta Early Science Program

The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, has selected six projects for its Theta Early Science Program (ESP), a collaborative effort designed to help prepare scientific applications for the architecture and scale of the new supercomputer.

Fermilab Experiment Sees Neutrinos Change Over 500 Miles

Scientists on the NOvA experiment saw their first evidence of oscillating neutrinos, confirming that the extraordinary detector built for the project not only functions as planned but is also making great progress toward its goal of a major leap in our understanding of these ghostly particles.

Keeping Algae from Stressing Out

Scientists at the DOE Joint Genome Institute are stressing algae - by starving them of nitrogen or sulfur - to study their genome for the factors that regulate lipid production, a possible step towards large-scale biofuel production.

Protective Shells May Boost Silicon Lithium-Ion Batteries

Researchers at the DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory are working to develop lithium-ion batteries containing silicon-based materials. Scientists are interested in silicon because it can store roughly 10 times more lithium than the graphite in today’s batteries, leading to more energy stored.