Newly observed phenomenon could lead to new quantum devices
Exotic states called Kohn anomalies could offer clues to why some materials have the electronic properties they do.
Solar energy farms could offer second life for electric vehicle batteries
Modeling study shows battery reuse systems could be profitable for both electric vehicle companies and grid-scale solar operations.
Researchers map tiny twists in “magic-angle” graphene
Results could help designers engineer high-temperature superconductors and quantum computing devices.
Plasma Science and Fusion Center receives $1.25M from ARPA-E to explore practical paths to fusion
MIT experience with heating plasmas will support novel and low-cost approaches to creating fusion energy.
Nanosensor can alert a smartphone when plants are stressed
Carbon nanotubes embedded in leaves detect chemical signals that are produced when a plant is damaged.
First sighting of mysterious Majorana fermion on a common metal
Physicists’ discovery could lead to a new family of robust qubits for quantum computing.
Neural networks facilitate optimization in the search for new materials
Sorting through millions of possibilities, a search for battery materials delivered results in five weeks instead of 50 years.
MIT joins White House supercomputing effort to speed up search for Covid-19 solutions
Consortium includes industry, government, and academic institutions.
Fusion researchers endorse push for pilot power plant in US
Fusion energy community makes unified statement on priorities in report for Department of Energy Policy Advisory Group.
Deep learning for mechanical property evaluation
New technique allows for more precise measurements of deformation characteristics using nanoindentation tools.
How plants protect themselves from sun damage
Study reveals a mechanism that plants can use to dissipate excess sunlight as heat.
The force is strong in neutron stars
Study identifies a transition in the strong nuclear force that illuminates the structure of a neutron star’s core.
Using light to put a twist on electrons
Method with polarized light can create and measure nonsymmetrical states in a layered material.
For cheaper solar cells, thinner really is better
Solar panel costs have dropped lately, but slimming down silicon wafers could lead to even lower costs and faster industry expansion.
Chemists glimpse the fleeting “transition state” of a reaction
New technique for observing reaction products offers insights into the chemical mechanisms that formed them.