NEWSROOM

Using a new technique, the ETH researchers succeeded in creating the first lithium niobate metalenses with precisely engineered nanostructures. While functioning as normal light focusing lenses, these devices can simultaneously change the wavelength of laser light. When infrared light with a wavelength of 800 nanometres is sent through the metalens, visible radiation with a wavelength of 400 nanometres emerges on the other side and is directed at a designated point.

If commercialized, this technology is expected to enable the development of memory devices that are tens of times smaller and faster than current models. Consequently, the storage capacity and processing speed of smartphones and computers could be significantly improved, accelerating advancements in high-speed data processing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicles.

With the declared aim of measuring matter under extreme pressure, an international research collaboration including DESY researchers and headed by the University of Rostock and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) used the high-performance laser DIPOLE 100-X at the European XFEL for the first time in 2023. With spectacular results: In this initial experiment they managed to study liquid carbon – an unprecedented achievement as the researchers report in the journal

In new research, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have unveiled a novel approach to understanding stochasticity in tiny magnetic structures. Their insights have the potential to transform computing architectures, leading to more sophisticated neural networks that can learn and adapt like the human brain, as well as enhancing encryption technologies to secure data against increasingly complex cyber threats.

As described in a report in the science journal Nature Materials, the scientists stacked two ultrathin layers of graphene, each a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal grid. They twisted them slightly atop a layer of hexagonal boron nitride, a hexagonal crystal made of boron and nitrogen. A subtle misalignment between the layers that formed moiré patterns – patterns similar to those seen when two fine mesh screens are overlaid – significantly altered ho

“We now have a better sense of how the protons behave in the crystal,” says HPSTAR researcher Ho-Kwang Mao. “This gives us hope that the metallic state can actually be achieved – and we now have a fuller understanding of how this may happen.” In future, the team hopes to get even closer to its goal by using sophisticated technology to cool the diamond anvil cell.