When it comes to layered quantum materials, current understanding only scratches the surface; so demonstrates a new study from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI. Using advanced X-ray spectroscopy at the Swiss Light Source SLS, researchers uncovered magnetic phenomena driven by unexpected interactions between the layers of a kagome ferromagnet made from iron and tin. This discovery challenges assumptions about layered alloys of common metals, providing a starting point for developing new magnetoelectric devices and rare-earth-free motors.

The "needle in the haystack" discovery of a powerful explosion from a mysterious unknown object outside our galaxy has excited astronomers. It went unnoticed for years within a vast, two decade-long archive of observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, before being unearthed by a new paper published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Astronomers led by Stanford University and Harvard believe the "remarkable" cosmic explosion could either be the first X-ray burster ever discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a rare flare from a magnetar – one of the most mysterious objects in the universe – or something entirely new and unheard of.

Superconducting circuits have been used at TU Wien (Vienna) to create "artificial atoms" which can store light - and thus quantum information.

In a paper published in National Science Review, an international team of scientists found a significant decline of downward surface solar radiation (DSSR) from 1959 to 2014. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) and anthropogenic aerosols contributed equally to the weakening of the DSSR and the role of GHGs was more significant after 1979. Whether DSSR would continue to decrease in the future is highly dependent on emission policies. The implementation of relatively lower aerosols and CO₂ emissions will help to curb the weakening of DSSR and provide a key guarantee for a smooth transition from traditional fossil energy sources to a cleaner one.

Spanish and Peruvian researchers analyzed the soil four years after a major wildfire in Arequipa, finding severe organic carbon loss, soil compaction, and erosion. These changes threaten water retention and increase risks for nearby endangered ecosystems, such as Polylepis forests.

A groundbreaking study explores Ba-Si orthosilicate oxynitride-hydride (Ba₃SiO_5−xN_yH_z) as a sustainable catalyst for ammonia synthesis, offering a potential alternative to traditional transition metal-based systems. Synthesized through low-temperature solid-state reactions and enhanced with ruthenium nanoparticles, these compounds demonstrated improved catalytic performance under milder conditions, providing a more energy-efficient route to ammonia production. This approach also addresses the environmental challenges associated with conventional methods, signaling a shift toward greener industrial practices in ammonia production.

In the realm of environmental engineering and material science, Professor Kangwoo Cho's team at POSTECH has made notable progress in advancing decentralized saline wastewater treatment and hydrogen production. By focusing on scalable heterojunction anodes, their research addresses critical challenges in achieving efficient pollutant removal and resource recovery in sustainable water management systems. The centerpiece of their work is an Ir-doped NiFe₂O₄ (NFI) anode integrated with a TiO₂ overlayer, which combines exceptional catalytic performance, selectivity, and stability for multifunctional applications.