#arpes

For the first time, physicists have developed a technique that can peer deep beneath the surface of a material to identify the energies and momenta of electrons there.

The energy and momentum of these electrons, known as a material’s “band structure,” are key properties that describe how electrons move through a material. Ultimately, the band structure determines a material’s electrical and…

Spin-Polarized Surface States in Superconductors

The Science

When it comes to entirely new, faster, more powerful computers, Majorana fermions may be the answer. These hypothetical particles can do a better job than conventional quantum bits (qubits) of light or matter. Why? Because of the spooky way Majorana fermions interact with each other at a distance. When two fermions interact, they usually dissipate energy, whereas two Majoranas are…

Shedding Light on the Absorption of Light by Titanium Dioxide

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the most promising materialsfor photovoltaics and photocatalysis nowadays. This material appears in different crystalline forms, but the most attractive one for applications is called “anatase”. Despite decades of studies on the conversion of the absorbed light into electrical charges in anatase TiO2, the very nature of its fundamental electronic and optical…

Bridge to Coveted Electronic Properties

Bridging the gap between conventional and large-scale, x-ray synchrotron tools to capture the shortest electron wavelengths and critical details of electronic interactions, the optics of a tabletop laser system allows for unprecedented characterization of electronic properties and illuminates new physics. A crystal and advanced gas path optics increase the energy of an infrared laserto the…

Ames Laboratory physicists discover new type of material that may speed computing

Physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory have discovered a topological metal, PtSn4 (platinum and tin), with a unique electronic structure that may someday lead to energy efficient computers with increased processor speeds and data storage.

The electrons in topological quantum materials can travel close to speedof light thanks to unique property called Dirac dispersion. Up…

A Proposed Superconductivity Theory Receives Exclusive Experimental Confirmation

Superconductivity – a quantum phenomenon in which metals below a certain temperature develop flow of current with no loss or resistance – is one of the most exciting problems in physics, which has resulted in investments worldwide of enormous brain power and resources since its discovery a little over a century ago. Many prominent theorists, Nobel laureates among them, have proposed theories for…