Physical sciences articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Organic semiconductors may be processed in solution under ambient conditions; however, liquid manipulation on hydrophobic surfaces is difficult, which may hinder development of devices. Here, a push-coating technique is used to produce large-area semiconducting polymer films over hydrophobic surfaces.

    • Mitsuhiro Ikawa
    • , Toshikazu Yamada
    •  & Tatsuo Hasegawa

  • Article |

    The practical performance of lithium sulphide batteries is much less than their predicted performance because redox products dissolve over time. Su and Manthiram show that microporous carbon membranes inserted between cathode and separator localize soluble polysulphide species and improve battery cycling characteristics.

    • Yu-Sheng Su
    •  & Arumugam Manthiram

  • Article |

    The Cooper pairs that losslessly conduct current in a superconductor can be split into two spatially separated but quantum mechanically entangled electrons. In this paper, non-local cross-correlation measurements of pairs split within a superconducting wire indicate the efficiency of this process can approach 100%.

    • Anindya Das
    • , Yuval Ronen
    •  & Hadas Shtrikman

  • Article |

    Liquid crystal elastomers can perform mechanical motion triggered by external stimuli, and are light weight, flexible materials that may be integrated into micromechanical systems. Here they are used to fabricate a one-piece temperature-responsive micropump viaa microfluidic double-emulsion process.

    • Eva-Kristina Fleischmann
    • , Hsin-Ling Liang
    •  & Rudolf Zentel

  • Article |

    Electronic paper technology is used in displays of portable electronic devices for its low-power consumption; however, it suffers from a sub-optimal reflectance. Hagedon et al.fabricate an electrofluidic film that allows video-rate switching and magazine-quality reflectance in electronic paper.

    • M. Hagedon
    • , S. Yang
    •  & J. Heikenfeld

  • Article |

    Bullet-proof materials made of nanostructured composites outperform conventional materials, yet little is known of their nanoscale response to high-speed impact. Using laser-propelled microscopic projectiles, Lee et al.directly visualize this process in layered nanocomposites.

    • Jae-Hwang Lee
    • , David Veysset
    •  & Edwin L. Thomas

  • Article |

    Solution-processed organic semiconductor devices present a low-cost alternative to their silicon counterparts, yet their performance is usually not as strong. By replacing silicon with an organic photoactive layer, Baierlet al. present a solution-processed hybrid CMOS-imager with a 100% pixel fill factor.

    • Daniela Baierl
    • , Lucio Pancheri
    •  & Paolo Lugli

  • Article |

    The formation of structural ripples has been shown to control the local electronic properties in graphene. Okadaet al. use scanning tunnelling microscopy to study the effects of ripples in Bi2Te3topological insulators, and find that buckling modulates the Dirac surface-state dispersion.

    • Yoshinori Okada
    • , Wenwen Zhou
    •  & V. Madhavan

  • Article |

    Bursting of electrified drops is a fundamental physical process and important for diverse technical applications. Wanget al. find that bursting of electrified drops in polymers is sensitive to the shape of the drops, which in turn is determined by the polymer's elasticity

    • Qiming Wang
    • , Zhigang Suo
    •  & Xuanhe Zhao

  • Article |

    Intentional defect creation in graphene is key to engineering its electrical, chemical, magnetic and mechanical properties. Robertsonet al. create defects by electron beam irradiation with sub-knock-on damage threshold, and show control over the defect position at the nanoscale and over the defect complexity.

    • Alex W. Robertson
    • , Christopher S. Allen
    •  & Jamie H. Warner

  • Article |

    The integration of volatile renewable energy sources into the electrical power grid will require a significant increase in electrical storage capacity. Here a new type of safe, fast, inexpensive and long-life aqueous electrolyte battery is reported, which may aid the development of increased grid capacity.

    • Mauro Pasta
    • , Colin D. Wessells
    •  & Yi Cui

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Granular matter is rigid when jammed, and flows under external loads. Here temperature- and force-unfolding molecular dynamics stimulations are used to demonstrate that proteins display features of jamming, characterized by a force distribution peak on folding and a slowdown of stress relaxation.

    • Prasanth P Jose
    •  & Ioan Andricioaei

  • Article |

    The surface electronic structure of bismuth-chalchogenide topological insulators interfaced to air or other materials has complex features not predicted by theory. Bahramy et al. propose a model explaining the origin of these electronic states, and uncover their rich spin texture by circular dichroism experiments.

    • M.S. Bahramy
    • , P.D.C King
    •  & F. Baumberger

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The study of materials at high pressure has been limited by the conditions achievable using single-crystal diamond anvils. The use of anvils that incorporate a second stage consisting of two hemispherical nanocrystalline diamond micro-balls, extends the range of static pressures that can be generated in the lab.

    • Leonid Dubrovinsky
    • , Natalia Dubrovinskaia
    •  & Artem M Abakumov

  • Article |

    Photosynthesis occurs at the thylakoid membrane, which acts as a scaffold, precisely arranging functional proteins and electron carriers. Sunet al.synthesize hollow photosynthetic nanospheres that function as light-harvesting antennae and structured scaffolds that improve photoredox catalysis.

    • Jianhua Sun
    • , Jinshui Zhang
    •  & Xinchen Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    High-resolution characterisation techniques enable us to better understand the properties of nanoscale materials and devices. By combining electron microscopy and infrared nanoscopy, Stiegleret al.demonstrate a general approach to simultaneously probe the structural, chemical and electronic properties of a nanostructure.

    • J.M. Stiegler
    • , R. Tena-Zaera
    •  & R. Hillenbrand

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The orientational order of nematic liquid crystals is a property that is controllable by external parameters such as electromagnetic fields and pressure gradients. Lavrentovich and co-workers demonstrate that thermal expansion can also induce orientational order that results in a flow of the liquid crystals.

    • Young-Ki Kim
    • , Bohdan Senyuk
    •  & Oleg D. Lavrentovich

  • Article |

    The spontaneous adsorption of alkanethiols is widely utilized to fabricate functional surfaces but gives limited stability and regularity. Mattiuzziet al. report a method that uses preorganized platforms (rigid tetrapodant calix[4]arenes), which allows further surface functionalization and spatial control.

    • Alice Mattiuzzi
    • , Ivan Jabin
    •  & Corinne Lagrost

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Copolymers prepared by controlled radical chain-growth polymerizations usually contain ill-defined monomer sequences. Here, successive feeds of donor and acceptor comonomers are used to control the primary structure of the synthesized copolymers with very high accuracy.

    • Mirela Zamfir
    •  & Jean-François Lutz

  • Article |

    Light-emitting diodes are attractive sources of light used in an increasing range of applications. This study presents a novel europium-based phosphor that gives rise to a substantial reduction in the glare that often makes LEDs uncomfortable to the human eye.

    • Hisayoshi Daicho
    • , Takeshi Iwasaki
    •  & Hideo Hosono

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Microdisk lasers are useful for compact wavelength-scale photonic devices and circuits, but their operation by electrical injection can hamper their optical properties. Kimet al. show that a graphene-contact electrode provides efficient electrical injection while minimising optical losses.

    • Yoon-Ho Kim
    • , Soon-Hong Kwon
    •  & Hong-Gyu Park

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Plasmonic nanoparticles are useful as optical sensors, but their spectral resolution is hindered by the linewidth of the plasmon resonance. Schmidtet al. find that coupling this resonance to a microcavity creates hybrid modes with enhanced sensing figure-of-merit and improved frequency resolution.

    • Markus A. Schmidt
    • , Dang Yuan Lei
    •  & Stefan A. Maier

  • Article |

    Crystals containing atoms with widely disparate masses can exhibit unusual lattice dynamics. Using time-of-flight neutron scattering, Aczelet al. show that at high frequencies individual nitrogen atoms in uranium nitride behave as independent quantum harmonic oscillators.

    • A.A. Aczel
    • , G.E. Granroth
    •  & S.E. Nagler

  • Article |

    Computed tomography relies on scanning to measure an object from many angles, which fails for shot-to-shot changes and ultrafast phenomena. Matliset al. demonstrate an approach based on spectral multiplexing for single-shot tomographic imaging and use it to measure femtosecond plasma filaments.

    • N.H. Matlis
    • , A. Axley
    •  & W.P. Leemans

  • Article |

    Molecules in intense laser fields have enhanced multiple ionization rates, caused by the ionic core and laser fields acting on the part of the molecule in the up-field. Here, direct proof of this model is presented by studying the instantaneous effect of the field direction during double ionization in ArXe.

    • J. Wu
    • , M. Meckel
    •  & R. Dörner

  • Article |

    Nanoporous zeotypes have applications as catalysts and in gas separation, but they are usually produced as moderately dense silicates and aluminosilicates with relatively low capacities for gas uptake. Here, zeotype structures are reported with very low densities and high total specific pore volumes.

    • Benjamin T.R. Littlefield
    •  & Mark T. Weller

  • Article |

    The degree of polydispersity of colloidal suspensions is known to have consequences for their physical properties. Kuritaet al. present a general method for determining the sizes of individual particles, and thus the polydispersity, using only the coordinates of the centre positions of spherical particles.

    • Rei Kurita
    • , David B. Ruffner
    •  & Eric R. Weeks

  • Article |

    Trapped ions and atoms coexist at different temperatures in mixed systems, and cooling of ions through collisions with atoms is required for the mixture to stabilize. Raviet al. study these effects using rubidium atoms and ions, and find a collisional cooling mechanism leading to stability of the mixture.

    • K. Ravi
    • , Seunghyun Lee
    •  & S.A. Rangwala

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-assembly of DNA can provide access to a range of nanoscale structures, but assembly using magnesium has been considered essential. Martin and Dietz report conditions that allow the assembly of templated, multi-layer DNA structures in the presence of monovalent ions, rather than magnesium.

    • Thomas G. Martin
    •  & Hendrik Dietz

  • Article |

    Strain in Si nanostructures is used to achieve higher carrier mobility, making these devices candidates for the next generation of transistors. Minamisawaet al. fabricate silicon nanowires subject to elastic tensile strain up to 4.5%, exceeding the limit achievable with the use of SiGe virtual substrates.

    • R.A. Minamisawa
    • , M.J. Süess
    •  & H. Sigg

  • Article |

    Cavity optomechanics can exploit optical forces to achieve all-optical signal processing, but most schemes are limited to a narrow wavelength range. Using a cavity optomechanical design system with two optical channels, Liet al. show broadband readout and all-optical amplification of radio-frequency signals.

    • Huan Li
    • , Yu Chen
    •  & Mo Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ultrafast demagnetization occurs when magnetically ordered solids are exposed to femtosecond light pulses, yet the exact spin-transfer mechanism is still debated. Combining ultrashort X-rays and infrared laser pulses, Pfauet al. show the importance of spin transport between domains in thin magnetic films.

    • B. Pfau
    • , S. Schaffert
    •  & S. Eisebitt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Causal order is a concept that is engrained in the standard understanding of time, both in classical and quantum mechanics. Oreshkovet al.generalize the standard formalism of quantum theory to a framework with no pre-existing causal order, and find a new class of correlations that have no analogue in the classical world.

    • Ognyan Oreshkov
    • , Fabio Costa
    •  & Časlav Brukner

  • Article |

    T- and X-shaped polyphilic liquid crystals can generate ordered structures with potential nanotechnology applications. Here, the inability of polyphiles to achieve optimal packing and complete nanophase separation is exploited to produce a flexible two-dimensional honeycomb with giant octagonal and square cylinders.

    • Feng Liu
    • , Robert Kieffer
    •  & Carsten Tschierske

  • Article |

    Protein encapsulation in molecular cages has the potential to alter protein function and aid crystallization. Here, ubiquitin is encapsulated within a giant coordination cage; the protein is attached to a bidentate ligand, and the cage self-assembles upon addition of capping ligands and Pd(II) ions.

    • Daishi Fujita
    • , Kosuke Suzuki
    •  & Makoto Fujita

  • Article |

    Well-defined, monodisperse colloids of semiconducting polymers are required as new photonic and optoelectronic materials. Here, a Suzuki–Miyaura dispersion polymerization is used to produce monodisperse sub-micrometer particles of a range of semiconducting polymers.

    • Alexander J.C. Kuehne
    • , Malte C. Gather
    •  & Joris Sprakel

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