Steering perovskite precursor solutions for multijunction photovoltaics.

Multijunction photovoltaics (PVs) are gaining prominence owing to their superior capability of achieving power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) beyond the radiative limit of single-junction cells, where improving narrow bandgap tin-lead perovskites is critical for thin-film devices. With a focus on understanding the chemistry of tin-lead perovskite precursor solutions, we herein find that Sn(II) species dominate interactions with precursors and additives and uncover the exclusive role of carboxylic acid in regulating solution colloidal properties and film crystallisation, and ammonium in improving film optoelectronic properties. Materials that combine these two function groups, amino acid salts, considerably improve the semiconducting quality and homogeneity of perovskite films, surpassing the effect of the individual functional groups when introduced as part of separate molecules.

Realizing Strong and Robust Quasi-1D Superconductors via Multiorbital Chains: NaBe as an Example.

Quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) systems are inherently unfavorable for superconductivity due to electronic instabilities and significant quantum fluctuations. This has led to a half-century-long pursuit of strong and robust Q1D superconductors. Herein, we propose an effective multiorbital chain approach that utilizes the interorbital self-doping to not only suppress the instability but also to position the Fermi level near the band edges.

In-Plane Anomalous Hall Effect Associated with Orbital Magnetization: Measurements of Low-Carrier Density Films of a Magnetic Weyl Semimetal.

For over a century, the Hall effect, a transverse effect under an out-of-plane magnetic field or magnetization, has been a cornerstone for magnetotransport studies and applications. Modern theoretical formulation based on the Berry curvature has revealed the potential that even an in-plane magnetic field can induce an anomalous Hall effect, but its experimental demonstration has remained difficult due to its potentially small magnitude and strict symmetry requirements. Here, we report observation of the in-plane anomalous Hall effect by measuring low-carrier density films of magnetic Weyl semimetal EuCd_{2}Sb_{2}.

Charge-dependent hierarchical self-assembling of fluorinated gold nanoclusters.

Au(SR) nanoclusters decorated with semifluorinated thiolate ligands (SFLs) self-assemble hierarchically depending on the charge state of the nanocluster component; the use of the anionic cluster ([Au]) resulted in the generation of nanofibers, whereas the neutral counterpart ([Au]) gave micron-sized filaments as a result of the bundling/twisting of the nanofibers.

Enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit in the Dirac semimetal CdAs by band-structure and -filling control.

Topological materials attract a considerable research interest because of their characteristic band structure giving rise to various new phenomena in quantum physics. Besides this, they are tempting from a functional materials point of view: Topological materials bear potential for an enhanced thermoelectric efficiency because they possess the required ingredients, such as intermediate carrier concentrations, large mobilities, heavy elements etc. Against this background, this work reports an enhanced thermoelectric performance of the topological Dirac semimetal CdAs upon alloying the trivial semiconductor ZnAs.

Anti-Poiseuille flow by spin Hall effect.

Hydrodynamics is known to emerge in electron flow when the electron-electron interaction dominates over the other momentum-nonconserving scatterings. The hydrodynamic equation that describes the electric current includes viscosity, extending beyond the Ohmic flow. The laminar flow of such a viscous electron fluid in a sample with finite width is referred to as the Poiseuille flow, where the flow velocity is maximum at the center and decreases towards the edges of the sample.

Spontaneous Hall effect induced by collinear antiferromagnetic order at room temperature.

Magnetic information is usually stored in ferromagnets, where the ↑ and ↓ spin states are distinguishable due to time-reversal symmetry breaking. These states induce opposite signs of the Hall effect proportional to magnetization, which is widely used for their electrical read-out. By contrast, conventional antiferromagnets with a collinear antiparallel spin configuration cannot host such functions, because of symmetry (time-reversal followed by translation t symmetry) and lack of macroscopic magnetization.

Bypassing the lattice BCS-BEC crossover in strongly correlated superconductors through multiorbital physics.

Superconductivity emerges from the spatial coherence of a macroscopic condensate of Cooper pairs. Increasingly strong binding and localization of electrons into these pairs compromises the condensate's phase stiffness, thereby limiting critical temperatures - a phenomenon known as the BCS-BEC crossover in lattice systems. In this study, we demonstrate enhanced superconductivity in a multiorbital model of alkali-doped fullerides (AC) that goes beyond the limits of the lattice BCS-BEC crossover.

Exposed Hsp70-binding site impacts yeast Sup35 prion disaggregation and propagation.

The dynamic balance between formation and disaggregation of amyloid fibrils is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. Multiple chaperones interact with and disaggregate amyloid fibrils, which impacts amyloid propagation and cellular phenotypes. However, it remains poorly understood whether and how site-specific binding of chaperones to amyloids facilitates the concerted disaggregation process and modulates physiological consequences in vivo.

Ligand-Functionalized Organometallic Polyoxometalate as an Efficient Catalyst Precursor for Amide Hydrogenation.

Amide hydrogenation is an important process for producing amines, with the development of efficient heterogeneous catalysts relying on the creation of bimetallic active sites where the two components interact synergistically. In this study, we develop a method for preparing catalysts using ligand-functionalized organometallic polyoxometalates by synthesizing a Rh-Mo organometallic polyoxometalate, [(RhCp)MoO] (Cp = C(CH)(COOCH)), with Rh-O-Mo interfacial structures and ethoxycarbonyl-functionalized ligands as a catalyst precursor. The activity of supported Rh-Mo catalysts for amide hydrogenation depend on the precursor used, with [(RhCp)MoO] showing the highest activity, followed by [(RhCp*)MoO] (Cp* = C(CH)), and then RhCl combined with (NH)[MoO]·4HO.

Near-identical macromolecules spontaneously partition into concentric circles.

Although separation is entropically unfavourable, it is often essential for our life. The separation of very similar macromolecules such as deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) and their single nucleotide variants is difficult but holds great advantage for the progress of life science. Here we report that a particular liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) at a solid-liquid interface led to the partitioning of DNAs with nearly identical structures.

Designing giant Hall response in layered topological semimetals.

Noncoplanar magnets are excellent candidates for spintronics. However, such materials are difficult to find, and even more so to intentionally design. Here, we report a chemical design strategy that allows us to find a series of noncoplanar magnets-LnSn (Ln = Dy, Tb)-by targeting layered materials that have decoupled magnetic sublattices with dissimilar single-ion anisotropies and combining those with a square-net topological semimetal sublattice.

Mechanically strong yet metabolizable supramolecular plastics by desalting upon phase separation.

Plastics that can metabolize in oceans are highly sought for a sustainable future. In this work, we report the noncovalent synthesis of unprecedented plastics that are mechanically strong yet metabolizable under biologically relevant conditions owing to their dissociative nature with electrolytes. Salt-bridging sodium hexametaphosphate with di- or tritopic guanidinium sulfate in water forms a cross-linked supramolecular network, which is stable unless electrolytes are resupplied.

Spin-Orbit Coupling Driven Magnetic Response in Altermagnetic RuO.

The recent prediction of the new magnetic class, altermagnetism, has drawn considerable interest, fueled by its potential to host novel phenomena and to be utilized in next-generation spintronics devices. Among many promising candidates, rutile RuO is a prototypical candidate for realizing the prospects of altermagnetism. However, the experimental studies on RuO are still in the early stages.

Catalytic Synergy between Pd Nanoclusters and Ligand-Functionalized Layered Silicates for Improved Formic Acid Dehydrogenation.

The synthesis and stabilization of Pd nanoclusters on a support, as well as simultaneously achieving optimal catalytic activity, remain challenging tasks. Functionalizing the support surface with specific ligands offers a promising solution, but it often requires carefully balancing trade-offs between the reaction yield and catalyst stability. Here, we used two different ligands (propylamine and propylthiol) to functionalize the layered silicate's interlayer surface for Pd nanocluster synthesis and stabilization.

Strongly enhanced shift current at exciton resonances in a noncentrosymmetric wide-gap semiconductor.

Excitons are fundamental quasiparticles that are ubiquitous in photoexcited semiconductors and insulators. Despite causing a sharp and strong photoabsorption near the interband absorption edge, charge-neutral excitons do not yield photocurrent in conventional photovoltaic processes unless dissociated into free charge carriers. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that excitons can directly contribute to photocurrent generation through a nonlinear light-matter interaction in a noncentrosymmetric semiconductor CuI.

Stimuli-responsive self-regulating assembly of chiral colloids for robust size and shape control.

Most synthetic self-assemblies grow indefinitely into size-unlimited structures, whereas some biological self-assemblies autonomously regulate their size and shape. One mechanism of such self-regulation arises from the chirality of building blocks, inducing their mutual twisting that is incompatible with their long-range ordered packing and thus halts the assembly's growth at a certain stage. This self-regulation occurs robustly in thermodynamic equilibrium rather than kinetic trapping, and therefore is attractive yet elusive.

Nonmonotonic Hall Effect of Weyl Semimetals under a Magnetic Field.

The Hall effect of topological quantum materials often reveals essential new physics and possesses potential for application. The magnetic Weyl semimetal is one especially interesting example that hosts an interplay between the spontaneous time-reversal symmetry-breaking topology and the external magnetic field. However, it is less known beyond the anomalous Hall effect thereof, which is unable to account for plenty of magnetotransport measurements.

Thermomagnetic Anomalies by Magnonic Criticality in Ultracold Atomic Transport.

We investigate thermomagnetic transport in an ultracold atomic system with two ferromagnets linked via a magnetic quantum point contact. Using the nonequilibrium Green's function approach, we show a divergence in spin conductance and a slowing down of spin relaxation that manifest in the weak effective-Zeeman-field limit. These anomalous spin dynamics result from the magnonic critical point at which magnons become gapless due to spontaneous magnetization.

Development of ultrafast four-dimensional precession electron diffraction.

Ultrafast electron diffraction/microscopy technique enables us to investigate the nonequilibrium dynamics of crystal structures in the femtosecond-nanosecond time domain. However, the electron diffraction intensities are in general extremely sensitive to the excitation errors (i.e.

Nonlinear edge transport in a quantum Hall system.

Nonlinear transport phenomena in condensed matter reflect the geometric nature, quantum coherence, and many-body correlation of electronic states. Electric currents in solids are classified into (i) ohmic current, (ii) supercurrent, and (iii) geometric or topological current. While the nonlinear current-voltage (-) characteristics of the former two categories have been extensive research topics recently, those of the last category remains unexplored.