Category archives: Materials

Measuring electron-phonon interaction in multidimensional materials with helium atom scattering

Measuring electron-phonon interaction in multidimensional materials with helium atom scattering

Condensed matterMaterialsQuantum physics

By DIPC

The discovery of superconductivity in 2D films dates back over 80 years. Initially, these were 2D metallic films deposited on inert substrates, but in recent times more exotic 2D systems have exhibited superconducting properties, such as the surface of topological insulators or twisted bilayer graphene. Superconductivity is caused by the interactions between atomic vibrations (phonons) […]

An accurate and predictive model for the infrared dielectric function of a van der Waals material

An accurate and predictive model for the infrared dielectric function of a van der Waals material

Condensed matterMaterials

By DIPC

Future information and communication technologies will rely on the manipulation of not only electrons but also of light at the nanometer-scale. Squeezing light to such a small size has been a major goal in nanophotonics for many years. Particularly strong light squeezing can be achieved with polaritons, quasiparticles resulting from the strong coupling of photons […]

Chirality can be used to control the sign of a maximal Chern number

Chirality can be used to control the sign of a maximal Chern number

ChemistryCondensed matterMaterialsQuantum physics

By DIPC

The magnitude of many of the exotic phenomena predicted for topological semimetals is directly proportional to something called the Chern number. Given the importance of the Chern number magnitude for these phenomena, it is just natural to wonder whether there is an upper limit for it and whether there are real materials in which this […]

How to detect the daughter atom of a neutrinoless double beta decay

How to detect the daughter atom of a neutrinoless double beta decay

ChemistryDIPC BiochemistryDIPC InterfacesDIPC Particle PhysicsMaterialsParticle physics

By DIPC

A new fluorescent bicolour indicator, an organic molecule, could help detect the daughter atom of a neutrinoless double beta decay. If this is achieved, there would be an explanation to the matter-anti matter asymmetry in the universe. Experiments performed in 1909 by Geiger and Marsden, also called Rutherford gold foil experiment because Rutherford was their […]

Neutron sciences as an essential tool to develop ‘materials for a better life’

Neutron sciences as an essential tool to develop ‘materials for a better life’

Materials

By BCMaterials

Until 1932, atoms were considered to consist in positive charges, called protons, located within the atomic nucleus, where the majority of the mass of the atom is concentrated, and negative charges, identified as electrons, surrounding the nucleus to make it electrically neutral. However, in 1932 James Chadwick discovered the neutron, an uncharged particle located at […]

Plasmonic nanocrystals-cellulose hybrid

Plasmonic nanocrystals-cellulose hybrid

ChemistryCondensed matterMaterials

By DIPC

When we consider the variety of possible wonder applications of plasmonic nanoparticles we usually forget a key aspect: how these laboratory results can be transformed into something really usable in everyday life. For that to occur some not-that-simple problems must be resolved first. For example, plasmonic nanoparticles exhibit excellent light-harvesting properties in the visible spectral […]

The magnetism of triangulene

The magnetism of triangulene

MaterialsNanotechnologyQuantum physics

By DIPC

Graphene is a diamagnetic material, this is, unable of becoming magnetic. However, a triangular piece of graphene is predicted to be magnetic. This apparent contradiction is a consequence of “magic” shapes in the structure of graphene flakes, which force electrons to “spin” more easily in one direction. Triangulene is a triangular graphene flake, which possesses […]

Second-harmonic generation in a quantum emitter – metallic nanoparticle hybrid

Second-harmonic generation in a quantum emitter – metallic nanoparticle hybrid

Condensed matterMaterialsNanotechnologyQuantum physicsTheoretical physics

By DIPC

When two photons with the same energy interact with a nonlinear material, they “combine” and generate a new photon with twice the energy of the initial photons. More precisely, two photons at the fundamental frequency are absorbed by a plasmonic structure to emit one photon at the second-harmonic frequency. This is called second-harmonic generation. Second-harmonic […]