BES 2024 | U.S. DOE Office of Science(SC)

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.

This image shows the variation in permeability in a network of fractures due to quartz dissolving in the fractures. Each plane represents an individual fracture in the network.

Filling in the Cracks: Scientists Improve Predictions for the Dissolution of Minerals in Rock Fractures

A new correction factor for predicting dissolution rates uses measurable geological properties in fractured media.

2024