Masato Ota, Assistant Professor at the National Institute for Fusion Science, National Institutes for Natural Sciences (at the time of the research, a graduate student at the Graduate School of Science, Osaka University); Youichi Sakawa, Associate Professor at the Institute of Laser Science, Osaka University; Ryutaro Matsui, Specially Appointed Associate Professor at the National Institute for Fusion Science, National Institutes for Natural Sciences (at the time of the research, Assistant Professor at Kyoto University); Yasuaki Kishimoto, Program-Specific Researcher at the Institute for Chemical Research and Program-Specific Professor at the Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University; Toshinori Yabuuchi, Chief Scientist at the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute; and Yuji Fukuda, Senior Principal Researcher at the Kansai Institute for Photon Science (KPSI), National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST)—has developed a new measurement technique that simultaneously captures diffraction signals ranging from ultra-small angles to wide angles with a single camera when a single X-ray pulse is irradiated onto a structure. By combining this method with an X-ray free-electron laser, the team derived the rarefaction velocity of high-energy-density plasma on a picosecond timescale across a broad range of spatial scales—from nanometers to submicrometers. A comparison of experimental results and numerical simulations revealed that even an increase of just a few nanometers in the size of the initial plasma on a solid surface reduces the efficiency with which the laser is absorbed by the microstructured solid to approximately one-fourth.

How can a spectrometer measure accurately on the scorching lunar farside? A new calibration framework for the Chang’e-6 Lunar Mineral Spectrometer corrected heat-induced spectral distortions, improving repeated measurement consistency by about 65%. The high-fidelity in situ data now bridge orbital observations, lunar surface measurements, and returned sample analyses, offering a clearer cross-scale view of the Chang’e-6 landing area.

Conventional second-harmonic generation microscopy is highly sensitive to symmetry, but it usually cannot directly read phase information. Researchers at Beijing Normal University developed an angular-polarization-engineered interferometric SHG microscope that uses a rotatable monolayer MoSe₂ reference placed between the objective and the sample. The system enables high-contrast phase-sensitive imaging of MoS₂ inversion twins and achieves an interference contrast as high as 0.96.

A research team from the Beijing Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Minzu University of China, has proposed a paradigm-shifting hyperspectral imaging system that completely decouples spectral modulation from the detection process. Central to this system is a pixel-level spectrally programmable light-emitting diode that enables continuous, dynamic spectral tuning across the entire visible spectrum within a single, monolithic pixel, achieved via an innovative charge-generation layer architecture. Serving as an intelligent active illumination source, this programmable device works in concert with a standard commercial CMOS sensor and advanced reconstruction algorithms. The fully decoupled architecture achieves a remarkable 2 nm spectral resolution dictated entirely by the emitting device, alongside a 3072 × 2048 spatial resolution and a 60.9 fps raw frame rate—both dictated by the hardware limits of the CMOS sensor. By eliminating the need for light-dispersing or encoding optical elements, this system fundamentally shatters the traditional trade-offs among spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions, avoids penalizing optical throughput, and circumvents complex micro-nano fabrication, thereby establishing a transformative path for high-performance hyperspectral imaging.

A research team led by Dr. Sun-Mi Hwang from the Clean Air Research Laboratory at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER, President Hakgeun Jeong) has developed novel catalysts as an all-in-one solution to address exhaust emissions from eco-friendly ammonia-fueled ships. This technology can simultaneously and cost-effectively remove various greenhouse gases from ammonia combustion, and is therefore expected to significantly contribute to achieving carbon neutrality in the maritime industry.

Aerogel fibers have been considered as a promising solution for thermal protection textiles due to their high porosity and low thermal conductivity. However, the scalable production of sustainable and mechanical strong aerogel fibers remains a critical challenge. Here, inspired by the porous core–shell structure of polar bear hair, we report a continuous strategy to fabricate all-biomass aerogel fibers featuring an encapsulated core–shell architecture using silk fibroin as the core and cellulose as the shell. This tunable structure, with radially aligned sheet-like pores and adjustable shell thickness, is achieved through hydrogen bond-driven cellulose contraction and alcohol-induced curing of sheet-like silk fibroin. Such a porous architecture effectively suppresses convective heat transfer and promotes a multi-reflective effect for infrared radiation. The resulting fibers exhibit good mechanical robustness with a tensile load of a single aerogel fiber is up to 200 g without reinforcement. Meanwhile, the aerogel fiber maintains high porosity (79.78%), low thermal conductivity (52.4 ± 4.2 mW m⁻¹ K⁻¹), and low density (0.193 ± 0.01 g cm⁻³). Furthermore, an aerogel glove fabricated from these fibers demonstrates good thermal insulation. These results provide new insights for the design of biomimetic aerogel fibers with core–shell architecture, offering a scalable and eco-friendly pathway toward advanced wearable thermal management.

Researchers have introduced a laser-triggered material platform that allows soft electronic devices and soft robots to be selectively erased, reshaped, or reprogrammed from a distance. By using light as a remote “transform button,” the technology enables rapid, localized decomposition of soft materials—opening new possibilities for secure device disposal, adaptive robotics, and operation in hard-to-access, resource-limited environments.

A synergistic paradigm to drive reactive chlorine chemistry inside porphyrinic zirconium frameworks is provided, and a avenue to merge catalytic, photothermal, and oxidative modes for enhanced antibacterial, detoxifying, and antitumor activities is opened.