BES Science Highlights | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Illustration showing a crystal structure, with balls connected by lines and a blue ball increasing in size moving above the structure

Thin Materials and Fat Electrons: A Recipe for New Quantum Phenomena

The 2D material cerium silicon iodide contains the same heavy electrons responsible for heavy fermion physics, something so far seen only in 3D materials.

Graphic showing how a thin film can go through compressive strain on top of a substrate to become superconducting as well as a line graph showing how the most strain induces superconductivity

Unveiling the Link Between High Pressure and Superconductivity

Researchers have learned how to retain superconductivity at ambient pressure in a new class of high temperature superconductors.

Applying a voltage to lanthanum strontium manganite (LSMO) can cause it to separate into distinct regions with dramatically different magnetic properties, as illustrated by the red and blue colors in the above figure.

Tuning Magnetism With Voltage Opens a New Path to Neuromorphic Circuits

Experiments show that applied voltage can dramatically alter the magnetic properties of quantum materials.

Conversion of CO2 to butene via a solar-driven tandem process. First, CO2 is converted to ethylene using an electrochemical reactor and solar-derived electricity. Next, ethylene is converted to butene via thermal catalysis with heat from solar irradiation.

Driving Chemical Transformations Through the Power of Solar Energy

Researchers combine solar energy, electrochemistry, and thermal catalysis to remove the need for fossil fuel-driven chemical conversions.

A metallic line atop a medium biased at the edge of chaos can provide effective negative resistance for time-varying signals, outputting a larger signal compared to its input. The energy for amplification comes from the static bias applied to the medium.

The “Edge of Chaos” Amplifies Signals Without Transistors

Emulating the edge of chaos of axons enables a metal wire to overcome its resistance without cooling, thereby amplifying signals flowing inside of it.

Two examples of silicon photoelectrodes. Left: Micropillar silicon with cobalt catalysts reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) to methanol (CH3OH). Right: Porous silicon with rhenium catalysts reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO).

For Solar Fuels, More Surface Area on Photoelectrodes Makes a Difference

High-surface area silicon improves light-driven reactions of carbon dioxide.

A laser creates pairs of positive and negative charges bound together (large blue and red spheres) in a device made of three atomically thin layers (sheets of metallic red and green spheres). The charge pairs change the properties of the laser beam (red).

The Future of Telecom Is Atomically Thin

By using a small number of photons to process information, two-dimensional quantum materials can lead to secure, energy-efficient communications.

This research studied the reduction of carbon monoxide to methanol using ruthenium complexes. Information about the ruthenium came from data collected at the National Synchrotron Light Source II.

An Improved Domino Chain for Sustainable Methanol Synthesis

Scientists used a series of three distinct, sequential reactions to transform carbon monoxide into methanol using proton-electron mediators.

Infrared laser light (red beam) illuminates the surface of ZrSiSe and mixes with electron oscillations enabled by an atomic force microscope (silver cone), propagating light as ray-like structures that guide the light through the interior (blue zig-zag).

What If Metals Could Conduct Light?

In the unusual world of quantum materials, metals can guide light in their interiors instead of merely reflecting it.

Measurement Technique Sheds New Light on Semiconductors for Solar Fuels

A new experiment determines the energy available to drive chemical reactions at the interface between an illuminated semiconductor and a liquid solution.