https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Argonne National Laboratory Iridium is a key component in many electrochemical technologies used for chemical transformations. These include producing hydrogen fuel from water, manufacturing chlorine from seawater for use as a disinfectant and extracting metals from their ores. Yet scientists still know surprisingly little about how this metal behaves at the very spot where those reactions unfold—the thin boundary where the surface of a solid electrode meets a water-based electrolyte. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-iridium-hidden-surface-chemistry-hydrogen.html Analytical Chemistry Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:00:03 EDT news694191593 Argonne and Northwestern University scientists teamed up to understand how light interacts with metallic nanoframes, with implications for biosensing, quantum information science and beyond. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ultrafast-microscopy-metallic-nanoframe-behavior.html Nanophysics Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:50:01 EDT news693831240 A team of scientists led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has identified a rare, switchable quantum property in a new type of nickel sulfide material. The discovery could have applications in high-speed transistors, adaptive sensors and other devices that require a material's electronic structure to be controlled on the fly. The research is published in the journal Matter. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-dont-material-transition-quantum-states.html Condensed Matter Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:00:04 EDT news693650162 Every second, scientific experiments produce a flood of data—so much that transmitting and analyzing it can slow down even the most advanced research. To help scientists better manage this data deluge, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new computer chip that rapidly compresses and processes the huge amounts of data generated by advanced X-ray detectors, like those at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a DOE Office of Science user facility at Argonne. By compressing data right at the source, like shrinking a movie or song to make it easier to send, this technology makes experiments faster, more efficient, and more insightful than ever. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-detector-chip-compresses-ray-real.html Hardware Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:55:24 EDT news693564688 Carbon forms the graphite in pencils, the diamonds in jewelry and the molecules that make up every living thing. But under extreme conditions—like the heat and pressure of intense explosions—carbon can transform into exotic nanometer-sized structures called nanocarbons. These materials are often stronger than steel, lighter than plastic and adaptable for uses in medicine, energy and national security. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nanodiamonds-carbon-materials-ai-exascale.html Nanophysics Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:40:03 EDT news693131162 At a potluck, you ate the best chocolate chip cookie—golden-brown, thick and chewy. Unfortunately, you don't know who made the cookie to get the recipe from, so you decide to recreate it. Using forward design principles, you might randomly choose a recipe from dozens of options, bake and observe the resulting cookies. If they are too thin, you might start over with a new recipe, add more flour or chill the dough longer and make a new batch. An alternative method is to start from the cookie characteristics you want and ask: What recipe and baking settings will produce that type of cookie? This method is called inverse design. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-inverse-pathway-custom-functional-polymers.html Polymers Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:00:07 EDT news692956417 Tiny electronic devices, called microelectronics, may one day be printed as easily as words on a page, thanks to new research from scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. Building on years of progress in printed electronics, the team has shown how to create durable, low-power electronic switches, called transistors, by combining custom inks and a specialized printing process. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-aerosol-jet-durable-power-transistors.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:04 EDT news692362457 From brightly colored textile dyes to persistent pesticides and antibiotics, many modern pollutants dissolved in water—such as Bisphenol A—resist traditional treatment methods. A promising approach uses electricity to power chemical reactions in water over an electrode surface. Much like in a battery, electrodes send and receive electrical current that drives chemical reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-cleaner-longer-devices-benchmark-electrocatalysis.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:00:07 EST news691934401 A novel apparatus at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has made extremely precise measurements of unstable ruthenium nuclei. The measurements are a significant milestone in nuclear physics because they closely match predictions made by sophisticated nuclear models. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-beamline-unstable-ruthenium-nuclei-advanced.html General Physics Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:57:30 EST news689000222 Beyond their sparkle, diamonds have hidden talents. They shed heat better than any material, tolerate extreme temperatures and radiation, and handle high voltages while wasting almost no electricity—ideal traits for compact, high-power devices. These properties make diamond-based electronics promising for applications in the power grid, industrial power switches, and places with high radiation, such as space or nuclear reactors. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-2d-material-solution-obstacle-diamond.html Nanophysics Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:39:42 EST news688387141 In numerous scientific fields, high-throughput experimentation methods combined with artificial intelligence (AI) show great promise to accelerate innovation and scientific discovery. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-ai-high-throughput-reveal-stability.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:17:22 EST news687622621 Researchers have discovered how to design and place single-photon sources at the atomic scale inside ultrathin 2D materials, lighting the path for future quantum innovations. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-atom-advance-quantum-emitter.html General Physics Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:30:35 EST news684754202 The future of computing lies in the surprising world of quantum physics, where the rules are much different from the ones that power today's devices. Quantum computers promise to tackle problems too complex for even the fastest supercomputers running on silicon chips. To make this vision real, scientists around the world are searching for new quantum materials with unusual, almost otherworldly properties. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-extreme-pressure-honeycomb-crystal-quantum.html Condensed Matter Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:33:04 EDT news678533581 What do magnets, smartphones and medical imaging devices have in common? They all depend on rare earth elements called lanthanides, which are vital for modern technology. Yet, separating these chemically similar elements from one another has long been one of chemistry's toughest puzzles. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-scientists-reveal-molecular-choreography-lanthanide.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:20:04 EDT news678449706 As the volume of scientific literature continues to grow, researchers are turning to artificial intelligence to sift through millions of research papers and uncover insights that can accelerate the discovery of new materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-materials-ai-powered-lab.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:52:52 EDT news677497966 Researchers used Argonne's Advanced Photon Source to capture how the microstructure of metals evolves in real time during 3D printing. The findings could pave the way for advanced manufacturing of components for aerospace, defense and energy. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-microscopic-dislocations-real-3d-metal.html Engineering Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:58:04 EDT news677242681 A thin, glass-like layer could be the key to longer-lasting, cost-effective solid-state batteries. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-solid-state-batteries-boost-coating.html Materials Science Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:20:07 EDT news676716693 Batteries, like humans, require medicine to function at their best. In battery technology, this medicine comes in the form of electrolyte additives, which enhance performance by forming stable interfaces, lowering resistance and boosting energy capacity, resulting in improved efficiency and longevity. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-ai-electrolyte-additive-combinations-battery.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 27 Aug 2025 09:28:05 EDT news675505681 A qubit is the delicate, information-processing heart of a quantum device. In the coming decades, advances in quantum information are expected to give us computers with new, powerful capabilities and detectors that can pick up atomic-scale signals in medicine, navigation and more. The realization of such technologies depends on having reliable, long-lasting qubits. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-advanced-molecular-qubit.html Quantum Physics Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:39:05 EDT news675077941 Numerous market analyses have shown that over the next five years, demand for lithium-ion batteries for everything from personal electric devices to grid-scale energy storage is expected to grow dramatically. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-advanced-battery-electrode-technologies-energy.html Electronics & Semiconductors Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:40:09 EDT news674915993 Used as a versatile material in industry and health care, magnesium oxide may also be a good candidate for quantum technologies. Research led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and published in npj Computational Materials reveals a defect in the mineral that could be useful for quantum applications. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-thousands-defects-magnesium-oxide-qubit.html Condensed Matter Tue, 29 Jul 2025 09:26:17 EDT news672999972 Lithium, the lightest metal on the periodic table, plays a pivotal role in modern life. Its low weight and high energy density make it ideal for electric vehicles, cellphones, laptops and military technologies where every ounce counts. As demand for lithium skyrockets, concerns about supply and reliability are growing. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-ultrathin-clay-membrane-layers-alternative.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:55:04 EDT news671360101 In the world of particle physics, where scientists unravel the mysteries of the universe, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are making waves with how they're increasing understanding of the most fundamental particles. Central to this exploration are parton distribution functions (PDFs). These complex mathematical models are crucial for predicting outcomes of high energy physics experiments that test the Standard Model of particle physics. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-decoding-high-energy-physics-ai.html General Physics Fri, 13 Jun 2025 13:50:03 EDT news669040613 Researchers have determined how to use magnons—collective vibrations of the magnetic spins of atoms—for next-generation information technologies, including quantum technologies with magnetic systems. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-harnessing-magnons-quantum.html Condensed Matter Thu, 12 Jun 2025 08:59:38 EDT news668937572 Digital twins are a virtual copy of a real-world system. They are a transformative tool that can assist scientists across numerous disciplines. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have created a digital twin technology that could make nuclear reactors more efficient, reliable and safe. This technology uses advanced computer models and artificial intelligence (AI) to predict how reactors will behave, helping operators make decisions in real time. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-virtual-enable-real-decision-generation.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 29 May 2025 09:15:04 EDT news667728901 As the world's energy needs for computing and artificial intelligence continue to increase, developing alternative low-power solutions to traditional computing becomes crucial. Devices that reliably generate randomness, or stochasticity, are vital for many computing applications. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-randomness-visualize-decision-nanomagnetic.html Nanophysics Tue, 20 May 2025 09:35:04 EDT news666952502 Researchers investigated Argonne employees' use of Argo, an internal generative artificial intelligence chatbot. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-04-explores-workers-large-language-science.html Machine learning & AI Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:14:05 EDT news665140441 Imagine building a Lego tower with perfectly aligned blocks. Each block represents an atom in a tiny crystal, known as a quantum dot. Just like bumping the tower can shift the blocks and change its structure, external forces can shift the atoms in a quantum dot, breaking its symmetry and affecting its properties. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-symmetry-tiny-crystals-materials-tailored.html Nanophysics Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:51:04 EDT news662057461 From growth hormones to cancer drugs, small molecules play a crucial role in our health. Monitoring them is essential to keeping us healthy; it enables physicians to calculate dosages and patients to monitor their medical conditions at home, for example. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-scientists-method-proteins-range-small.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 12 Mar 2025 17:22:04 EDT news661018922 We say a message is incoherent when we can't make it out, or when it doesn't make sense. A scribbled note, a drunken argument or a conversation taking place five tables down in a crowded cafe might all be incoherent. In general, "coherent" means the opposite—consistent, connected, clear. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-quantum-coherence.html Quantum Physics Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:10:08 EST news659196601