Orbitronics steps out of the lab
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Oct-2026 10:16 ET (29-Oct-2026 14:16 GMT/UTC)
Researchers from Beihang University, Truth Memory Corporation, Aix-Marseille University and Université Paris-Saclay has successfully transitioned the emerging physics concept of "orbitronics" from theoretical study to practical application in next-generation magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). By designing a highly efficient ruthenium-tungsten write electrode, the researchers demonstrated ultrafast writing of MRAM devices with a pulse of 28.7 ps, and solved critical industrial bottlenecks in MRAM yield and area penalty, paving the way for ultra-low-power memories.
A flash of light lasting a fraction of a millisecond could help create better materials for solar energy. Researchers used ultra-fast heating at rates of up to 10 million degrees Celsius per second to rearrange the atoms inside a semiconductor, producing a version that generated up to 50 times more electrical current from light than the same material in its ordinary form. Because the flash heats only the semiconductor coating and not the surface it sits on, the method works on transparent conducting glass, the see-through conducting surface used in touchscreens and solar cells, which conventional furnaces would ruin. The method could eventually help improve solar technologies and other advanced electronic devices.
What if the secret to drought-resistant crops isn't how much water plants use, but when they use it? A new study identifies a daily window that could help breeders develop tomatoes that better withstand drought without sacrificing yield.
Landau quantization is a cornerstone of quantum Hall effects. However, controlling Landau-level spacing and the spatial profiles of Landau modes through complex-valued gauge fields has remained largely unexplored. Now, a collaborative team from Beijing Institute of Technology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of Exeter, and The University of Hong Kong, writing in Science Bulletin, demonstrates a mechanism for tuning Landau quantization. By constructing a real pseudo-magnetic field and an imaginary pseudo-electric field, the researchers enlarge the Landau-level spacing and enhance mode localization. These findings establish a versatile framework for tailoring non-Hermitian Landau levels and may advance applications in mode-selective filtering, field concentration, and wave-based sensing.
While soaring demand for lithium-ion batteries pushes prices higher, Flinders University experts are making headway in the development of a safe and more sustainable aqueous zinc-iodine rechargeable battery.
In their latest study, published in high-profile international journal Angewandte Chemie, the Flinders research team has designed an aqueous zinc-ion battery (AZIB) that can be charged and discharged over 60,000 cycles.
AMHERST, Mass. — A new security loophole discovered by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst can bring some expired credit cards back to life. If stolen, these “zombie credit cards” could leave cardholders vulnerable to fraudulent charges, according to the new study, presented at the conference USENIX Security 2026.
For sleep-deprived nursing moms, artificial intelligence may feel like a lifeline. In fact, a new national survey from Orlando Health reveals if women ages 18 to 44 had an urgent breastfeeding question or concern half (51%) of them would first turn to an AI chatbot, social media or a search engine.