An international team of scientists led by Rice University’s Pengcheng Dai has confirmed the existence of emergent photons and fractionalized spin excitations in a rare quantum spin liquid. Published in Nature Physics on June 19, their findings identify the crystalline compound cerium zirconium oxide (Ce₂Zr₂O₇) as a clear, 3D realization of this exotic state of matter.

In joint research with The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and Nagoya University, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) developed a new material "thermoelectric permanent magnet" exhibiting extremely high transverse thermoelectric conversion performance, and achieved transverse thermoelectric generation with a power density of 56.7 mW/cm² around room temperature in a thermoelectric-permanent-magnet-based module. When converted into a value per applied temperature gradient, this is not only the world’s highest power density among transverse thermoelectric modules, but a performance even comparable to commercial longitudinal thermoelectric modules. This achievement is expected to lead to thermal energy harvesting and management technologies that can be utilized everywhere magnets are used. This research result was published in Energy & Environmental Science on March 18, 2025.

BingoCGN, a scalable and efficient graph neural network accelerator that enables inference of real-time, large-scale graphs through graph partitioning, has been developed by researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan. This breakthrough framework utilizes an innovative cross-partition message quantization technique and a novel training algorithm to significantly reduce memory demands and increase computational and energy efficiency. 

Remote-controlled microflow using light-controlled state transitions within DNA condensates has been reported by scientists from Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan. By switching between ultraviolet light (UV) and visible light irradiation, the researchers demonstrated that the novel DNA motifs containing azobenzene can dissociate or reassemble.  Furthermore, localized photo-switching within a DNA liquid condensate generated two distinct directional motions. This study can fuel the development of innovative fluid-based diagnostic chips and molecular computers. 

Imagine a future where harmful pollutants in aquatic reservoirs or industrial liquid waste can be degraded with the power of sunlight. Moreover, such a process would be accompanied by the simultaneous production of clean fuels like hydrogen and/or hydrogen peroxide as an alternative to fossil fuels, or the generation of useful chemicals like precursors of pharmaceuticals or nutrients. It might sound like science fiction, but a recent breakthrough demonstrated by the international and interdisciplinary research team led by Prof. Juan Carlos Colmenares from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in photocatalysis can turn this vision into reality. Researchers show a green approach in synthesis of defective carbon nitride that is far better at catalyzing solar-driven chemical reactions than a non-defective equivalent.