Department of Energy (DoE)

To study phase changes in materials, such as freezing and thawing, researchers used charge density waves — electronic ripples that are analogous to the crystal structure of a solid. They found that when phase change is triggered by a pulse of laser light, instead of by a temperature change, it unfolds very differently, starting with a collection of whirlpool-like distortions called topological d...

When light, not heat, causes melting

Study reveals the details of light-induced phase changes.

October 15, 2018

This illustration shows a multi-jet event recorded by the CMS detector at the Large Hadron Collider.

Center for Theoretical Physics professors earn DOE Quantum Information Science Awards

Professors Daniel Harlow, Aram Harrow, Hong Liu, and Jesse Thaler among the first recipients of new honor for advances in quantum understanding.

October 12, 2018

Matt Ellis PhD ’17 (left) and Sam Shaner SM ’14 PhD ’18 have designed a nuclear reactor that deploys a molten nitrate salt coolant that allows the reactor to reach higher operating temperatures than current water-cooled reactors.

Powered by idealism and pragmatism

Matt Ellis PhD ’17 and Sam Shaner SM ’14, PhD ’18 launch a startup to develop an advanced nuclear reactor design.

October 11, 2018

Diagrams illustrate the self-healing properties of the new material. At top, a crack is created in the material, which is composed of a hydrogel (dark green) with plant-derived chloroplasts (light green) embedded in it. At bottom, in the presence of light, the material reacts with carbon dioxide in the air to expand and fill the gap, repairing the damage.

Self-healing material can build itself from carbon in the air

Taking a page from green plants, new polymer “grows” through a chemical reaction with carbon dioxide.

October 11, 2018

The ARC conceptual design for a compact, high magnetic field fusion power plant. The design now incorporates innovations from the newly published research to handle heat exhaust from the plasma.

A new path to solving a longstanding fusion challenge

Novel design could help shed excess heat in next-generation fusion power plants.

October 9, 2018

MIT researchers have developed a technique to fabricate large squares of graphemes that can filter out small molecules and salts.

Stamp-sized graphene sheets riddled with holes could be boon for molecular separation

Fabrication technique could be integrated into manufacturing to make large-scale membranes.

October 9, 2018

MIT researchers have devised a way to grow a single crystalline compound semiconductor on its substrate through two-dimensional materials. The compound semiconductor thin film is then exfoliated by a flexible substrate, showing the rainbow color that comes from thin film interference.

Study opens route to flexible electronics made from exotic materials

Cost-effective method produces semiconducting films from materials that outperform silicon.

October 8, 2018

A sample of nearly pure copper is deposited on an iron electrode after extraction through an electrochemical process developed by researchers in the lab of MIT Associate Professor Antoine Allanore.

Developing new ways to advance copper production

U.S. Department of Energy grant will support the Allanore lab's advancement of copper production from sulfur-based minerals.

September 25, 2018

Results have just been published from a years-long project trying to quantify just how urban-based solar installations are affected by hazes, which tend to be concentrated in dense cities.

Air pollution can put a dent in solar power

Study finds lost revenue can be millions of dollars annually, suggests ways to quantify haze-related reductions in solar panel output.

August 28, 2018

The quasar dates back to less than one billion years after the big bang.

Light from ancient quasars helps confirm quantum entanglement

Results are among the strongest evidence yet for “spooky action at a distance.”

August 19, 2018

MIT researchers used archived data from the CLAS detector to study interactions in neutron-rich atoms.

In neutron stars, protons may do the heavy lifting

The positively charged particles may have an outsize influence on the properties of neutron stars and other neutron-rich objects.

August 13, 2018

To help students gain a better grasp of biological concepts, MIT and Northwestern University researchers have designed new educational kits that can be used to perform experiments that produce glowing proteins, scents, or other easily observed phenomena, through the engineering of DNA.

Inexpensive biology kits offer hands-on experience with DNA

Using freeze-dried, shelf-stable cellular components, students can learn about key biological concepts.

August 1, 2018

In an Electron-Ion Collider, a beam of electrons (e-) would scatter off a beam of protons or atomic nuclei, generating virtual photons (λ) — particles of light that penetrate the proton or nucleus to tease out the structure of the quarks and gluons within.

3Q: Richard Milner on a new U.S. particle accelerator

Proposal for powerful particle collider gets National Academies’ go-ahead.

July 24, 2018

Pictured, a rendering of a river system in Oregon.

Study finds climate determines shapes of river basins

Results may help identify ancient climates on Earth or other planets.

July 17, 2018

Xingang Zhao standing next to a mockup of a fuel assembly in a pressurized water reactor.

Making nuclear energy safer and more affordable

Galvanized by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disasters, PhD student Xingang Zhao envisions a future with safe, efficient nuclear power.

July 10, 2018

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