Replacing steel with lightweight Aluminum alloys could significantly improve fuel economy of vehicles.  Existing lightweight alloys are difficult to use, because they have poor ductility, and tend to tear while they are stamped to form a complex part.  Adding small quantities of additional allying elements to lightweight alloys could improve their ductility.  But at present the only way to identify the correct elements is to make, and test, many possible combinations - an impossible task.

Researchers developed active solids made of centimeter-scale building blocks that can move and adapt in different environments. These prototypes show unique elasticity, which allows them to change their movement patterns and navigate various terrains effectively, similar to complex robotic systems. This study highlights the potential of these materials to link robotics and material science and suggests new ways to control dynamic systems in nature and technology.

Super-moiré patterns identified in WSe2 bilayer with large twist angles. While moiré superlattices in graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) bilayers with small twist angles are known to exhibit flat bands and host exotic correlated phases, strong lattice reconstruction in these systems poses challenges. In contrast, large-angle bilayers are structurally robust but typically considered electronically decoupled. Here, we discover robust super-moiré patterns emerging near a large commensurate angle, combining the advantages of both regimes—structural stability with flat electronic bands. This work expands moiré twistronics and flat-band quantum physics into the large twist-angle regime.

After discovering a new magnetic host of skyrmion states, UC Santa Barbara IRG-1 researchers were able to show that chemically alloying the compound FePd1−xPtxMo3N allows for the size of the skyrmion defects to be controlled while still preserving their stability.  Skyrmion states are broadly sought in new materials due to their potential uses in low power memory devices and other spin-based electronics.

A research team has created a new method to discover high-entropy oxides (HEOs), which are materials with unique properties due to their disorder. They combined computer simulations and experiments to efficiently explore different HEO compositions. By using advanced machine-learning techniques, they accurately predicted the stability of various HEOs, leading to the discovery of a new type containing calcium. This approach will soon be used to investigate more complex crystal structures for potential new applications.

A recent study revealed that m-terphenyl isocyanide ligands have different orientations when bonded to gold and silver surfaces—vertical on gold and flat on silver. This finding is important as it helps understand how surface ligands affect the properties of plasmonic nanoparticles. The research could lead to the development of new types of patterned nanoparticles, which would facilitate new self-assembly techniques, bridging the gap between inorganic materials and proteins.

A recent study showcased how boron-vacancy centers in hexagonal boron nitride can be used for quantum sensing. These defects allow for the detection of weak magnetic fields through their spin-sensitive light emissions. The researchers demonstrated the capability to optically detect specific magnetic wave behaviors in materials like yttrium iron garnet. This work positions boron-vacancy centers as a flexible tool for exploring various magnetic phenomena in new material systems.

Princeton co-hosted an inaugural NJ Regional Abacus Bee Math Competition in October 2023 that encourages blind and low vision students to practice their math skills.

In our system, a colloidal particle (upper left (a), red)  is trapped by optical tweezers (upper left (b)) as a surrounding colloidal suspension flows past.  Surprisingly, long range order develops in the particle density (lower left, dark bands are regions with over-representation of particles, sigma is the particle diameter).  A novel analysis of particle motions using a technique from computer science reveals the otherwise hidden flow patterns in the fluid surrounding the probe (right).

A new type of magnetoresistance called unidirectional magnetoresistance (UMR) has been discovered in a study that combines a topological semimetal (WTe₂) with a ferromagnetic semiconductor (Cr₂Ge₂Te₆). This phenomenon involves changes in resistance linked to magnetization reversal and spin interactions. The findings highlight how the unique properties of these materials can create distinct resistance states, which could be valuable for developing more advanced magnetic memory devices.