Don Basile

Neutron diffraction studies reveal origins of deterioration in lithium batteries

Researchers use diffraction data from pulsed high-intensity neutrons to understand the reactions that deteriorate lithium batteries during operation. The findings are published in Scientific Reports, 30 June 2016.

Despite the commercialisation of rechargeable lithium batteries in 1991, improvements to the reliability, safety, and long-term stability are still needed for their use in a wider range of large-scale applications. Now a collaboration of researchers in Japan have developed a technique they can use while the battery is in operation, which may shed light on some of the reactions that occur in these systems, providing insights for better battery design.

While techniques exist to monitor reaction dynamics, so far they have been difficult to apply on commercial batteries because of the stainless steel cans around them and their size. Ryoji Kanno worked with researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Sokendai (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies), and Kyoto University. They developed an in operando diffraction technique that uses pulsed high-intensity neutrons and a high-resolution high-intensity time-of-flight diffractometer to monitor the processes in the battery while it is in action.

New ferromagnetic superconductor—CsEuFe4As4

Superconductivity (SC) and ferromagnetism (FM) are mutually antagonistic collective phenomena in solids. Macroscopically, a superconductor expels magnetic fluxes from its interior below the superconducting critical temperature TSC. By contrast, a ferromagnet magnetizes itself (for a single magnetic domain) spontaneously below the ferromagnetic transition temperature TFM. Although SC and FM are incompatible in most cases, there is still the possibility of their coexistence, which, since the 1950s, has become a long-standing issue for scientists who work in the field of superconductivity. Since the late 1970s, a few material systems called “magnetic superconductors” have been considered as the candidates of ferromagnetic superconductors (FMSC). However, bulk SC and full FM were rarely observed simultaneously.

One of the iron-based superconductors, P-doped EuFe4As4, shows evidence of both SC and FM. However, the specific heat jump at TSC (which demonstrates bulk SC) is not obvious. Furthermore, the details of ferromagnetism are still debated. Very recently, researchers in Zhejiang University succeeded in replacing every alternate Eu layer by a non-magnetic Rb/Cs layer, yielding twin compounds RbEuFe4As4 and CsEuFe4As4 (see the upper-right panel of Fig. 1). In the twin materials, researchers observed both bulk superconductivity and full ferromagnetism simultaneously.

“You’ve got to suit up in your armor. You’ve got to get ready to sound like a total fool. Not having an answer isn’t embarrassing—it’s an opportunity.”

 - Matt Damon at MIT’s 2016 commencement

While being a good athlete requires immense hard work and dedication, these technologies enhance, assist, and guide athletes to achieve their goals.

Halo Neuroscience materializes in a headset, but instead of playing music, it contains pads in the headband that sends electrical pulses to the athlete’s brain. These pluses helps stimulate the athlete’s brain, boost their learning curve, and enhance their retention of muscle memory. It has been tried and tested on professional skiers and claims to be applicable to any and all sports. Notably, Halo Neuroscience was a competitor at TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield last month. 

The Linx IAS is a device that is capable of detecting the severity of an impact to the person it is connected to. While it can be utilized by anyone, one of its primary users are athletes who compete in heavy impact sports. This device weighs only as much as a nickel, provides a response from up to 300 feet away, and instantly syncs the response with the cloud accessible by and Android or iOS device. This device can greatly assist its users by determining their likelihood of a concussion.