Free-standing polymer films that are ultra-thin, lightweight, and robust hold significant promise for applications in flexible electronics. However, their performance has been constrained by the challenge of simultaneously enhancing mechanical strength and reducing density. Herein, an ultra-thin and robust polyimide (PI)-based covalent organic framework-modified multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT-COF) film is demonstrated for high-specific-power flexible GaAs solar cells. The film exhibits a high Young’s modulus of 1.53 GPa, a tensile strength exceeding 97.53 MPa, and a low density of 0.73 g cm⁻³, representing a 45.1% reduction in density. The incorporation of 3D interconnected layered and porous MWCNT-COF significantly enhances the film’s mechanical properties while reducing its density. The synergistic effects of robust MWCNTs and covalently bonded COF layers, combined with the thermally stable PI molecular structure, impart exceptional strength and lightness to the film. Computational studies further confirm that COF-grafted MWCNTs effectively modify the polyamide acid matrix, substantially improving the mechanical properties of the PI films. Moreover, flexible dual-junction and triple-junction GaAs solar cells were successfully fabricated using 6 µm-thick MWCNT-COF/PI composite films, delivering outstanding specific powers of 8998 and 7749 W kg⁻¹, along with efficiencies of 26.6% and 31.5% (AM0), respectively. These results underscore the potential for high-performance applications in space and energy systems. This work offers valuable insights into the development of high-performance flexible GaAs solar cells based on ultra-thin and robust PI films for a wide range of applications.

Researchers have developed a method that strips away the blaze of starlight that obscures exoplanets in telescope images by building a "digital twin" of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Stars are so bright that their glare overwhelms faint nearby planets. Scientists combined detailed physics from telescope observations with modern computational techniques to precisely remove this glare. After applying the tool to existing JWST images, they found a previously hidden giant exoplanet. Technique could improve planet-detection sensitivity without requiring changes to telescope hardware.

When astronomers looked at photos of the early universe taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, they found something odd: an overabundance of bright galaxies. Based on what they knew about the early universe, such galaxies should have been far less common in the few hundred million years following the Big Bang. Now, using cutting-edge simulations, researchers at the Simons Foundation’s Flatiron Institute in New York City and the University of Texas at Dallas have an answer to this mystery: Powerful ultraviolet radiation produced by clusters of young stars acted like a leaf blower, flinging light-blocking gas and dust out of the galaxy and thereby making the galaxies appear brighter.

Scientists suspect powerful solar flares helped strip away the atmospheres of planets like Mars. A Michigan State University researcher is now searching for evidence of how those same forces shape planets beyond our solar system. Adina Feinstein, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, believes exoplanets are the key to understanding the early days of our solar system. This week, she received a Schmidt Sciences FirstLight grant to investigate how space weather influences young planets. 

Researchers from Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and South China University of Technology developed a Dynamic Spatial Embedding and Temporal Attention Mamba (DSE-TAM) model for EEG-based emotion recognition. By integrating graph convolutional networks with self-attention and state-space modeling, the model captures relationships among EEG channels while learning both long-range temporal dependencies and continuous neural signal dynamics, enabling more effective emotion classification across multiple EEG datasets.

The research paper, Beyond Static Representations: Learning Electroencephalogram Spatiotemporal Dynamics for Enhanced Emotion Recognition, was published in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems on Oct 28, 2026.

Texas A&M University and Rice University researchers forged an ultra-hard diamond composite, then put it to the ultimate test, blasting it with aluminum projectiles traveling more than eight times the speed of sound. Within microseconds of impact, portions of the diamond transformed into graphite, acting as an instant shock absorber — a discovery that could help engineers design next-generation shielding and protective materials for aviation, defense and space technologies.