Science Highlights

Researchers looking for materials that conduct electrons with near-zero resistance at normal operating temperature have found a promising candidate. The material, a layered "sandwich" of bismuth telluride and manganese bismuth telluride structure, exhibits the quantum anomalous Hall effect. In this effect, electrons with their spins all aligned in the same direction can travel along the edges of a material with almost no resistance.

Combining two techniques, analytical chemists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory became the first to detect fluorine and different isotopes of uranium in a single particle at the same time. Because fluorine is essential for converting uranium into a form suitable for enrichment, spotting both elements together may help inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency determine the intended use of a nuclear material.

A new stellar process, the intermediate “i" process, has been proposed to explain new astronomical observations on nucleosynthesis. Scientists recently reported on the measurement of a nuclear reaction that affects the production of lanthanum in the i process. The measurement will help to improve scientific understanding of nucleosynthesis.

A research team at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory created a novel advanced microscopy tool to “write” with atoms, placing those atoms exactly where they are needed to give a material new properties.

Scientists are conducting experiments in search of a critical point in the Quantum Chromodynamics  phase diagram. The main signatures of this point involve changes in the number of particles produced in heavy ion collisions. Modeling these observables requires an extension of the standard fluid dynamic framework. Scientists have now developed an algorithm for performing simulations of a critical fluid and tested those simulations.

Scientists have a limited understanding of the effects of cavitation in microscopic devices. In this research, scientists took high-speed images of microscale cavitating fuel jets to understand the motion of liquid jets from high-pressure fuel injectors like those used in vehicle engines. Analysis of the results showed that cavitation enhances the energy conversion efficiency of the fuel injection.

A new toolkit helps researchers build optimal superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities that form the backbone of advanced particle accelerators. The cavities’ cleanliness, shape, and roughness of their inner surfaces contribute to their efficiency. In tests of the toolkit, scientists found that smoother cavities function more efficiently.

In a game-changing study, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists developed a deep learning model — a type of artificial intelligence that mimics human brain function — to analyze high-speed videos of plasma plumes during a process called pulsed laser deposition, or PLD. The PLD technique uses powerful laser pulses to vaporize a target material, creating a cloud-like stream of atoms and particles — the plasma plume — which then settles onto a target surface to form ultrathin films. This method is crucial for creating advanced materials used in electronics and energy technologies.