Topological materials have special universal properties, which are protected against perturbations. The name comes from the fact that such properties are theoretically described by topology, a branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of geometrical objects that are unchanged by continuous deformations. Topological materials behave like an ordinary insulator in the bulk but have conducting […]
Microscopy is a leading technology in biological research. Today, a typical microscopy session may generate hundreds to thousands of images, generally requiring computational analysis to extract meaningful results. But a simple analysis is not enough any more. Over the last few years, deep learning (DL) has increasingly become one of the gold standards for high-performance […]
Because of their unique physical properties, nanomaterials have intrinsic advantages as biosensors and actuators, and they may be applicable to humans without the need for genetic modifications. It follows, then, that nanoscience could make major methodological contributions to the future of biomedical sciences, especially neuroscience. Meet NanoNeuro , a new field defined as the intersection […]
The capacity of creating an electronic bonding network between localized units would be key to enhance the critical temperature in hydrogen-based superconductors, according to recent results. The field of hydrogen-based superconductivity has progressed enormously since 1968, when Ashcroft first proposed that pressurized hydrogen may become a high-temperature superconductor due to the high energy of its […]
CFM • DIPC • DIPC Photonics
Plasmonic cavities formed by metallic surfaces are nanostructures that confine light to dimensions far smaller than the free-space wavelength, as they mix optical fields with electronic excitations. I t was not until the 1990s, with the appearance of accurate and reliable nanofabrication techniques, that plasmonics blossomed. It was found then that local fields around nanostructures […]
The study of the formation and evolution of galaxies through cosmic time has been addressed in the last decades by understanding how their physical properties leave footprints in the spectral energy distribution. Both the analysis of the light coming from stars and the ionized interstellar gas can be converted by well-known recipes to physical quantities […]
In the last decades, a mathematical description of symmetries in nature called topology has been applied to describe and predict new electronic and magnetic properties of materials. A very simple aspect of topology connects a symmetry in the atomic structure of a crystal with a class of materials. Many materials that we know or use […]
Twistology could be the study of unexpected changes or developments in stories or situations, from coups d’état to the fatherhood of Darth Vader. In condensed matter physics there is something similar, although the preferred name is twistronics (from twist and electronics). It is understood as the study of how the angle (the twist) between layers […]
Aromaticity is a property of cyclic (ring-shaped), planar (flat) structures with π bonds in resonance (those containing delocalized electrons) that gives increased stability compared to other geometric or connective arrangements with the same set of atoms. Aromatic rings are very stable and do not break apart easily. An aromatic ring contains a set of covalently […]
Since the discovery of graphene, a wide diversity of atomic-layer-thick, two-dimensional (2D) materials with varied properties have emerged. Of particular interest are those that exhibit semiconducting behaviour, such as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). hBN is isoelectronic to graphene and has also a honeycomb lattice formed by alternating nitrogen and boron atoms, but in contrast to […]