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Tuning the catalytic behavior of metal oxides

DOE/US Department of Energy

The behavior of catalysts that promote chemical reactions is not always straightforward. Using a combination of experiments and computer simulations, scientists now understand how oxygen affects the way the catalyst copper oxide reacts with hydrogen versus carbon monoxide gases and how to control and enhance related chemical reactions.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Probing neutron star crusts with artificial neural networks

DOE/US Department of Energy

The inner crust of a neutron star is characterized by the presence of a neutron superfluid. To accurately predict the properties of neutron matter in this state, researchers make theoretical calculations that typically assume that neutrons form “Cooper pairs.” This study used artificial neural networks to make accurate predictions without relying on this assumption.

Journal: Physical Review Research

“Seeing” more sharply into self-assembled nanomaterials

DOE/US Department of Energy

To build nanostructures, researchers need to probe these structures’ internal architecture at various states of assembly in three dimensions. This project used several methods to produce X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans that provided record-setting, 7-nanometer resolution and information on the elements in the materials. The researchers then constructed 3-D frameworks to reveal the nanostructures’ imperfections and interfaces.

Journal: Science

For layered 2D materials, robotics produces cleaner interfaces between stacked sheets

DOE/US Department of Energy

Layered assembly of 2D materials such as graphene have potential roles in the development of new electronic devices. Manufacturing these materials at a large scale while making them atomically clean is a major challenge. In this study, researchers used a special robotic system to assemble graphene heterostructures into large sheets with atomically clean interfaces.

Journal: Small

Belle II detector produces world’s most precise measurements of subatomic particle lifetimes

DOE/US Department of Energy

The new Belle II experiment recently made a world-leading measurement of the lifetime of a particular charmed baryon, a particle that is produced and decays very quickly under very high energy levels similar to the universe shortly after the Big Bang. This demonstrates the experiment’s ability to make the extremely precise measurements of the sort needed to discover physics beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics.

Journal: Physical Review Letters

Novel hardware approach produces a new quantum computing paradigm

DOE/US Department of Energy

To run on a quantum computer, algorithms must be decomposed into a sequence of quantum gates, a difficult process. In this study, researchers developed a novel “hybrid” approach to quantum hardware design that replaces part of the quantum circuit with a physical evolution that relies on natural interactions within the system. This approach significantly reduces the complexity of executing quantum algorithms.

Journal: Physical Review A

DOE announces funding for climate resilience centers

DOE/US Department of Energy
Grant and Award Announcement

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Climate Resilience Centers (CRCs). These new centers will be dedicated to rapidly developing new science and talent to address the nation’s most pressing climate resilience challenges.

Celebrating spooky science

DOE/US Department of Energy

Science isn’t scary, but it can be spooky! For Halloween, we’re highlighting some “spooky” research that the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science supports. In fact, the physics community celebrates Dark Matter Day on Halloween! We hope that this roundup puts you in the mood to dig a little deeper into the wonders that surround you.

Illuminating the journey of a 4-billion-year-old asteroid

DOE/US Department of Energy

Researchers at the Advanced Photon Source joined an international effort to study tiny fragments of a nearby asteroid. The specks of asteroid dust were collected from asteroid 162173 Ryugu by a Japanese space mission. The team discovered that Ryugu began its life in the outer solar system as part of a larger asteroid more than 4 billion years ago. Since breaking off from its larger parent, Ryugu slowly made its way to its current orbit within 60,000 miles of Earth.

Journal: Science

Light makes special materials move at ultrafast speeds

DOE/US Department of Energy

Relaxor ferroelectrics have greatly enhanced electrical and mechanical properties that originate in the materials’ domain structure. Knowing how quickly these materials’ properties can change is critical to understanding them. However, scientists have not been able to measure how fast these materials can respond. This study measured this reaction speed using ultrafast electron diffraction at the atomic level to obtain snapshots of the evolving domain structure.

Journal: Nano Letters

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