Category Physics

Intrinsically stretchable biphasic gold–gallium thin films. A) False color scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) image of a slightly tilted cross-section of the biphasic gold–gallium film on a PDMS substrate. The blue, yellow and gray colors correspond to the PDMS substrate, the biphasic AuGa2/Ga film, and a gallium bulge in the background, respectively. Scale bar: 500 nm. B) False color SEM image of the surface of the biphasic gold–gallium film. The yellow and gray colors correspond to the AuGa2/Ga film and the liquid Gallium, respectively. Color mask was obtained from backscattered electron detector (BSE) image. Scale bar: 5 μm...

The atoms in the new structure are arranged in a hexagonal pattern as in graphene, but that is where the similarity ends. The three elements forming the new material all have different sizes; the bonds connecting the atoms are also different. As a result, the sides of the hexagons formed by these atoms are unequal, unlike in graphene. Credit: Madhu Menon

Protein molecules travel around the circuit, forced in certain directions in directed ways, a bit like cars and trucks travelling through a city to arrive at desired results. Credit: Till Korten

Solar cells operate by absorbing light first, then converting it into electricity. The most efficient cells needs to do this absorption within a very narrow region of the solar cell material. The narrower this region, the better the cell efficiency. The ability to strongly absorb light by these structures could pave the roadmap to higher cell efficiencies. Credit: University of Surrey