Physics

The authors show that an out-of-plane antidamping spin–orbit torque can produce a sizeable change in the switching dynamics of a magnetic layer with perpendicular anisotropy.

Here the authors fabricate a fibre-coupled electrode ‘fibertrode’ that integrates light emission sites and platinum microelectrodes on tapered optical fibre neural implants, for combined stimulation and recording of neural activity over small brain volumes in vivo with reduced photoelectric artefacts.

Cell clusters mechanically reorganize viscoelastic collagen networks, resulting in transient gradients in collagen density, alignment and stiffness that promote spontaneous persistent migration.

Three-dimensional printed protein-based robotic structures are actuated by exoskeleton-like coats of molecular motor assemblies upon the spatially targeted release of chemical fuel, resulting in micrometre-scale shape-morphing activity.

The morphology of donor–acceptor blends in organic photovoltaics dictates the efficiency of the exciton dissociation and charge diffusion, and thus the final device performance. Here, the authors show that filament assembly helps to maximize the output, further enabling a power conversion efficiency greater than 19%.

Recent studies have revealed unexpected characteristics in moiré superlattices formed by stacking two-dimensional crystals. Here, the authors report whirlpool-shaped periodic lattice distortions in moiré superlattices leading to anomalous optical responses.

Slit-like nanochannels of pristine graphite and activated carbon, fabricated by van der Waals assembly of pristine or sculpted graphite crystals, enable comprehensive ionic response measurements and the systematic realization of their ion transport properties. These are attributed to optimal combinations of (mobile) surface charge and slippage effects at the channel wall surface in both pristine and activated nanochannels.

Cu₂O is a promising platform to host Rydberg exciton–polaritons, where excitons strongly couple to cavity photons, however their realization has been elusive. Here, the authors report Rydberg exciton–polaritons with principal quantum numbers up to n = 6.

Superionic lithium conductivity has only been observed in a few classes of materials, mostly in thiophosphates but rarely in oxides. Corner-sharing connectivity in an oxide crystal structure framework is now shown to promote superionic conductivity.

Understanding exciton dynamics in quantum dots is important for realizing their potential in optoelectronics. Here, the authors use femtosecond transient absorption microscopy to reveal ultrafast exciton transport, enhanced at larger interdot distance and taking place within hundreds of femtoseconds after generation.

All-electrical generation, manipulation and detection of spin polarization in chiral nanowires is demonstrated.

High-pressure synthesis is used to stabilize superconducting (Ba,K)SbO₃, whose properties provide a fresh perspective on the origin of superconductivity in these types of materials.

By exploring ultrafast magnetization in several compounds with similar crystal structures but different 4f magnetic elements, the authors show that the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction controls the spin dynamics.

Mobile excitons in metals have been elusive, as screening usually suppresses their formation. Here, the authors demonstrate such mobile bound states in quasi-one-dimensional metallic TaSe₃, taking advantage of its low dimensionality and carrier density.

Integer topological defects promote cellular self-organization, leading to the formation of complex cellular assemblies that trigger cell differentiation and the formation of swirling cellular pillars once differentiation is inhibited. These findings suggest that integer topological defects are important modulators of cellular differentiation and tissue morphogenesis.

Neutron scattering, electron spin resonance, muon spectroscopy and magnetization measurements are applied to evidence a quantum spin liquid phase in NdTa₇O₁₉.

This Perspective discusses the interplay between magnetism and topology in condensed matter.

Ferrimagnets offer the combined advantages of both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets for spintronics applications. This Review surveys recent progress.

A moiré-trapped charge density wave is observed at room temperature in a twisted transition metal dichalcogenide system and attributed to local strain variation due to atomic reconstruction.

Josephson coupling over micrometres and at tens of kelvins is demonstrated across the half-metallic manganite La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ combined with the superconducting cuprate YBa₂Cu₃O₇.

The authors report a superconducting transition beginning at 13 K in films of the quintuple-layer nickelate Nd₆Ni₅O₁₂.

Colour centres are a promising quantum information platform, but coherence degradation after integration in nanostructures has hindered scalability. Here, the authors show that waveguide-integrated V_Si centres in SiC maintain spin-optical coherences, enabling nuclear high-fidelity spin qubit operations.

The authors use scalar magnetic X-ray tomography under applied magnetic fields to directly visualize the three-dimensional shape of individual skyrmion strings.

The authors demonstrate ultrafast symmetry breaking by optically driven photocurrents.

Atomic electron tomography is used to determine the three-dimensional atomic structure of monatomic amorphous solids with liquid-like structure, which is characterized by the existence of pentagonal bipyramid networks with medium-range order.

Plastic deformation is shown to tune the quantum degrees of freedom in SrTiO₃.

Strain in thin films can increase piezoelectric properties, but crystallographic constraints may restrict the enhanced response to localized regions. Here, by combining strain and orientation engineering, a low-symmetry bridging phase of BiFeO₃ with enhanced piezoresponse is stabilized uniformly throughout the film.

Atomic-scale visualization of the superfluid velocity field, the electron-pair density and the superfluid current density in an electron-pair superfluid surrounding an Abrikosov vortex in a superconducting sample of NbSe₂ is demonstrated, using superconducting-tip scanning tunnelling microscopy.

Organic semiconductor crystals can be selectively doped at the crystallographic step edges, deactivating shallow traps and recovering band-like transport. The space charge induced by chemical doping is observed by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy.

The authors combine simultaneous transport and X-ray diffraction measurements with in-situ tunable strain to measure the temperature dependence of the shear modulus and elastoresistivity above the nematic transition and the spontaneous orthorhombicity and resistivity anisotropy below the nematic transition of Co-doped BaFe₂As₂.

The Weyl fermions in NdAlSi mediate a helical incommensurate spin density wave, providing a rare example of Weyl-mediated collective phenomena.

Long-range lateral Josephson supercurrents are observed in a chiral non-collinear antiferromagnet, indicating topologically generated triplet pairing states.

Interlayer hybridization in 2D van der Waals materials can change their properties. Here, it is shown that the coupling in CrSBr can be changed from switching the magnetic order from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic states.

An outlook on the potential of lead-halide perovskites as a playground for exciton-polariton studies and for the development of polaritonic devices operating at room temperature is provided.

A non-affine to affine transition in elasticity occurs with the change of system topology in a packing-derived network, which enables the tuning of elastic moduli and Poisson’s ratio.

Metal nanolattices are fabricated at an unprecedented scale by using a crack-free self-assembly method. The dense nanostructures enable tensile strengths that approach the theoretical limit.

An unconventional chiral charge order is observed in a kagome superconductor by scanning tunnelling microscopy. This charge order has unusual magnetic tunability and intertwines with electronic topology.

A thermal signature of the chiral anomaly is reported in an ideal Weyl semimetal.

Silicon is a light element with high lattice inversion symmetry, and so is not expected to possess a substantial spin–orbit interaction (SOI), which is desirable for spintronics. Here, a silicon-based heterostructure is demonstrated to have a gate-tuneable Rashba-type SOI.

A singlet-triplet spin qubit using holes in a Ge quantum well is demonstrated, and can be operated at low magnetic fields of a few millitesla.

This Review provides an overview of computational tools and strategies, from simulation methods to machine learning and reverse-engineering approaches, used for the design of soft materials made from self-assembling colloids and nanoparticles.

Current-induced rotation in epitaxial films of the non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn₃Sn is investigated.

This Review discusses the photophysical properties and nonlinear behaviour of single molecules, and their use as single-photon sources and in single-molecule sensing and quantum-sensing applications.

The optically detected magnetic resonance of a single defect in hexagonal boron nitride is reported.

A framework for the elastohydrodynamic lubrication between soft patterned surfaces identifies the contributions of substrate elasticity and pattern geometry for friction, which have implications for the engineering of haptic soft materials.

Complete strain tensor fields of twisted bilayer graphene are quantitatively mapped, revealing two-regime reconstruction mechanics depending on twist angle.

Optical anisotropy and electronic compressibility measurements are used to uncover stripe phases, where the rotational symmetry of charge density is spontaneously broken, in a two-dimensional semiconductor moiré superlattice.

A magnetic spin Hall effect is reported in the collinear antiferromagnet Mn₂Au.