An international research group successfully measured, with a nanometer resolution, the depth of PN junctions varied in a Si wafer in a non-destructive and non-contact manner by observing the THz waves generated by irradiating a Si wafer with a femtosecond laser. The technique will open new avenues for developing advanced semiconductor devices, such as 3D LSI, and provide a comprehensive measurement solution that enables non-contact testing in semiconductor manufacturing.

If you’ve seen an owl fly, you probably didn’t hear a thing. That’s because their skin and feathers dampen sound by absorbing high- and low-frequency flight noise. Inspired by this natural soundproofing, researchers publishing in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces developed a two-layer aerogel that mimics the structures inside owl feathers and skin to mitigate sound pollution. This new material could be used in cars and manufacturing facilities to reduce traffic and industrial noise.

Hadrons consist of quarks and gluons, collectively known as partons. The probability of finding a parton carrying a specific fraction of the hadron's momentum is described by parton distribution functions (PDFs), which are important for predicting parton-related phenomena. In a new study, Professor Xiangdong Ji studies two cutting-edge approaches for calculating PDFs from first principles, analyzing how they differ and how they can complement each other.

Atoms slip against one another, eventually sticking in various combinations. Tectonic plates do the same, sliding across each other until they stick in a stationary state. Everything from the tiniest particles to unfathomably large landmasses possesses this fundamental stick and slip characteristic, but only now are scientists beginning to understand the mechanics of the friction underpinning this property.

SAN ANTONIO — June 23, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) have evaluated a promising approach to improve long-term carbon storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs. The team proposes using foam-entrapped supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) to prevent stored and captured carbon from moving back to the surface. The project is supported by the Energize program, a joint effort between SwRI and UT Austin to enhance scientific collaboration between the two institutions.

An international team of scientists led by Rice University’s Pengcheng Dai has confirmed the existence of emergent photons and fractionalized spin excitations in a rare quantum spin liquid. Published in Nature Physics on June 19, their findings identify the crystalline compound cerium zirconium oxide (Ce₂Zr₂O₇) as a clear, 3D realization of this exotic state of matter.