Solar cells and computer chips need silicon layers that are as perfect as possible. Every imperfection in the crystalline structure of a silicon wafer increases the risk of reduced efficiency or defective switching processes. If you know how silicon atoms arrange themselves to form a crystal lattice on a thin surface, you gain fundamental insights into controlling crystal growth. To this end, a research team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the University of Duisburg-Essen and the Canadian University of Alberta analyzed the behavior of silicon that was flash-frozen. The results show that the speed of cooling has a major impact on the structure of silicon surfaces (DOI: 10.1103/rmc4-xqb3). The underlying mechanism may also have occurred during phase transitions in the early universe shortly after the Big Bang.

Scientists tackle one of the most challenging problems in physics--the interplay between quantum theory and gravity—from a different angle.

SAN ANTONIO — July 21, 2025 — NASA’s Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission, a collaborative effort led by the University of Iowa (UI) with substantial contributions from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), has entered its final integration phase. NASA is set to launch TRACERS’ two satellites into low Earth orbit on July 22nd from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The TRACERS mission will explore the dynamic interactions between the Sun’s and Earth’s magnetic fields.

The modulation of the surface structure of platinum-based single-atom alloys is crucial for improving the catalytic performance in propane dehydrogenation. The optimization of the surface structure of PtCu clusters was attained through regenerative treatment, which significantly improved the propylene yield and catalytic stability, thereby offering a viable strategy for the design of alloy catalysts applicable to various high-temperature dehydrogenation reactions.