Research Highlights

Determining the Edge Termination of h-BN Nanosheets

Identifying the functional groups that passivate the edges of exfoliated h-BN nanosheets will facilitate the development of this important 2D nanomaterial.

Unexpected Discharge Mechanism in Selenium Batteries

Advanced TEM, SSNMR, and electroanalytical techniques revealed that the sodiation mechanism of selenium in microporous carbon is unexpectedly inhomogeneous, both spatially and in terms of composition. These combined findings highlight the complex phenomenology of electrochemical phase transformations in nanoconfined materials, which may profoundly differ from their “free” counterparts.

Illustration of sodiation in a selenium battery

Optical detection and manipulation of spontaneous gyrotropic electronic order

Discovery of an extremely rare electronic order. Chirality realized by a spontaneous ordering of the quantum mechanical electronic charge density. Optical induction of quantum matter. Circularly polarized light can control electronic chirality, which is closely related to topological properties.

Spin-to-charge conversion in a magnetic Weyl semimetal

The unique topological band crossings in the magnetic Weyl semimetal controls the spin-to-charge conversion. This provides novel pathways to manipulate the effect and can be exploited in potential applications in quantum materials.

Topological Quantum Switching via Light-Driven Raman Coherence

A topological switching principle is established by periodically driven, Raman phonon oscillations.
Time-dependence of such periodic driving is revealed which is needed for topological transistors and THz quantum gate applications.

Quantum beats unveils hidden Rashba effects in perovskite photovoltaics

Harnessing of phonon coherence and symmetry demonstrates “Rashba engineering” of spin-split bands for multifunctional devices.

Frustrated magnetism found in a topological insulator

Frustration can lead to topological magnetic textures, such as skyrmions, that modify the anomalous transport of topological fermions.

The Surface Termination of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots

An atomistic understanding of the QD surface structure will facilitate the development of more environmentally robust QDs.

Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in Weyl Semimetals

Strong electron-electron interactions can give rise to an energy gap without breaking crystal translational symmetry. This leads to a unique state, a 3D version of nonabelian 2D fractional quantum Hall liquids. The properties of this exotic state may be useful in quantum computing applications.

Nematicity’s impact on spin fluctuations and superconductivity

The role of nematicity on the relationship between AFM fluctuations and superconductivity was discovered in
iron-based superconductor Fe(Se1-xSx) systems.

Graphical depiction of the role of nematicity