NEWS RELEASES

A team of scientists from Princeton University has measured the energies of electrons in a new class of quantum materials and has found them to follow a fractal pattern. Fractals are self-repeating patterns that occur on different length scales and can be seen in nature in a variety of settings, including snowflakes, ferns, and coastlines. A quantum version of a fractal pattern, known as “Hofstadter’s butterfly,” has long been predicted, but the new study marks the first time it has been directly observed experimentally in a real material. This research paves the way toward understanding how interactions among electrons, which were left out of the theory originally proposed in 1976, give rise to new features in these quantum fractals. 

The study was made possible by a recent breakthrough in materials engineering, which involved stacking and twisting two sheets of carbon atoms to create a pattern of electrons that resembles a common French textile known as a moiré design. 

New research offers insights that could help reduce the amount of radioactive tritium embedded in the walls of fusion vessels to a minimum.

Ethylene oxide is a “platform chemical” with a $40 billion annual worldwide market used in the production of plastics, textiles and many other common products. Tufts University chemists discovered an inexpensive way to reduce CO₂ emissions and decrease the need for chlorine to produce the chemical. 

Newly published research from the University of Oklahoma proves that adding a covering to colloidal quantum dots made of perovskite neutralizes surface defects and stabilizes the surface lattices. Doing so prevents them from darkening or blinking.

An early-career physicist mathematically connects timelike and spacelike form factors, opening the door to further insights into the inner workings of the strong force. A new lattice QCD calculation connects two seemingly disparate reactions involving the pion, the lightest particle governed by the strong interaction. One reaction is known as the spacelike process, where an electron is bounced off a pion. The second reaction, known as the timelike process, is when an electron and antielectron collide, annihilate each other, and produce two pions. The lattice QCD numerical calculation is simultaneously able to describe the spacelike and timelike processes, demonstrating the interconnectedness of different reactions described by QCD. While this connection had been observed experimentally, now physicists have the math to corroborate it.

Jefferson Lab’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning professionals ensure optimal operation of operational and scientific facilities through their technical expertise.

Quantum information scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory successfully demonstrated a device that combines key quantum photonic capabilities on a single chip for the first time.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory will contribute to the DOE’s newly established Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives. These collaborative teams were created to bridge basic science research programs with the needs of the growing fusion industry. In total, the DOE announced $107 million in funding for six projects under this initiative.