Some polycrystal grain boundaries feel the heat more than others

Polycrystals are solid materials that are made up of lots of small crystals. The points where the crystals meet are known as grain boundaries (GBs). GBs are important because they can affect the way the solid behaves. However, ...

Exploring oxidative pathways in nuclear fuel

Powerful atomic-resolution instruments and techniques at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are revealing new information about the interaction of uranium dioxide (UO2) with water. These new insights will improve ...

How to overcome the oxide barrier

(Phys.org) —Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have uncovered the characteristics of a low-resistance electrical contact to strontium titanate, SrTiO3, an important prototypical oxide semiconductor. Oxides ...

Discovery of increase in magnetic moment at grain boundaries

The NIMS Structural Materials Unit, in joint research with a group at the Kumamoto University Graduate School of Science and Technology, experimentally measured the 3-D electronic state of pure iron and discovered a phenomenon ...

A step forward for ultrafast spintronics

(Phys.org)—In spin based electronics the spin of the electron is used as a carrier of information. To meet the need for faster electronics, the speed must be increased as far as possible. Today, Uppsala physicists show ...

Plasmonics: From metallic foils to cancer treatment

In a timely review paper, scientists from Japan, Germany, and Spain provide a highly relevant overview of the history, physical interpretation and applications of plasmons in metallic nanostructures.

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