Exciton–polaritons enhance magneto-optical responses in van der Waals crystals

02 Sep 2023 Kirsty McGhee

How it happens: illustration of an antiferromagnetic CrSBr mirror-less cavity that allows the formation of exciton–polaritons. (Courtesy: Florian Dirnberger/City College of New York)

An international team of researchers has shown that hybrid light-matter quasiparticles can enhance magneto-optical effects in layered crystals. This research has strong implications for the development of magneto-optic devices, such as sensors and imaging devices, which allow the direct determination and mapping of magnetic domains in materials. The research could also lead to the creation of high-speed switches and all-optically controlled magnetic memory devices.

 

So you think hard disks are boring? It’s time to get real

28 Aug 2023 James McKenzie

James McKenzie explains why magnetism is so important for physics-based businesses

Super science The vast numbers of hard disks in data-storage centres that underpin “cloud computing” rely entirely on the physics of magnets. (Courtesy: iStock/IR_Stone)

In 2022 I stood for election to the magnetism group of the Institute of Physics (IOP) as I always think the best way to be involved in anything is simply to get stuck in. I’d only joined the group the year before after starting to work at a company specializing in permanent magnetic materials. Despite not knowing much about the group, I was – to my surprise – elected.

 

Aerosol geoengineering will not stop Antarctic ice sheet from melting, simulations suggest

31 Aug 2023

Running out of time: geoengineering will not prevent the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, study suggests. (Courtesy: Shutterstock Bernhard Staehli)

Artificially dimming the Sun by injecting aerosols into Earth’s atmosphere may help to delay a significant consequence of climate change in Antarctica, but not stop it — researchers in Switzerland and the UK have revealed. Through new simulations, a team led by Johannes Sutter at the University of Bern has showed that the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) can only be avoided if we eliminate global emissions of greenhouse gases as quickly as possible.

 

How scientific models both help and deceive us in decision making

07 Jun 2023

Michela Massimi reviews Escape from Model Land by Erica Thompson

Human insights Given the inherent limitation to scientific models of, say, climate change or the spread of viruses, it could make sense to get a wider range of people involved when turning the predictions from such models into public policy decisions. (Courtesy: iStock/FotoMaximum)

We live in a society where scientific models surround us. They are used for everything from creating weather bulletins and making climate projections to providing economic forecasts and informing policies for public health. But despite being such useful tools, all scientific models have limitations. Because as any modeller knows, the output of a model is only as good as the data you put in.

 

physicists make the first direct observations of a glass relaxing into a supercooled liquid

16 Aug 2023 Isabelle Dumé

AFM snapshot showing the formation and progression of local wrinkles induced by the transformation of the middle organic glass layer into a supercooled liquid. Courtesy: J Rodríguez-Viejo

The first direct, real-time observations of an ultrastable glass as it “relaxes” into a supercooled liquid have enabled researchers to quantify a previously mysterious process known as the glass transition. This transition plays a crucial role in numerous fields, including biomedical cryopreservation, drug synthesis, electronic device manufacture and tissue engineering to cite but a few examples. The work could also have implications for solar cells, which often have a coating of patterned glass.

 

Take an armchair tour of the universe with this sightseer’s guide

30 Aug 2023

Clár-Bríd Tohill reviews Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer’s Guide to the Universe by Philip Plait

Distant wonders Philip Plait’s new book imagines what future space travellers might experience on distant exoplanets. (Courtesy: NASA/JPL)

As an astronomer, I am passionate in learning more about our place in the universe. As part of this I often give public talks and organize science outreach events. The people who come to them – no matter their age – almost always have the same wonder and awe when it comes to the cosmos. It is, after all, only human to want to learn more about the place we call home.

 

Ferroelectric polymer goes elastic

31 Aug 2023 Isabelle Dumé

Stretchy ferroelectrics: a) A new ferroelectric material combines elasticity with relatively high crystallinity. b) The unstrained material. c) The elastic ferroelectric under 70% strain. (Courtesy: NIMTE)

Although polymers are usually flexible, polymer-based ferroelectric materials tend to be rigid. Adding a small amount of crosslinking material can change that, however, and researchers at China’s Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) say that their new “elastic ferroelectrics” are resilient and flexible enough for use in wearable electronics and implantable medical devices.