The search is on for better semiconductors. Writing in Science, a team of chemists at Columbia University led by Jack Tulyag, a PhD student working with chemistry professor Milan Delor, describes the fastest and most efficient semiconductor yet: a superatomic material called Re6Se8Cl2.

Semiconductors — most notably, silicon — underpin the computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices that power our daily lives, including the device on which you are reading this article. As ubiquitous as semiconductors have become, they come with limitations...

Broccoli sprouts have been discovered to contain 7X more polysulfides than mature broccoli. A research team from Osaka Metropolitan University has found that polysulfides are abundant in broccoli sprouts. They found that the amount of polysulfides increased dramatically during growth, by an approximately 20-fold in seeds by the fifth day of germination. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the polysulfides detected a number of polysulfide candidates whose structures have not yet been determined. The identification of these unknown polysulfides and detailed analysis of their pharmacological activities are expected to enable the development of new preventive and therapeutic strategies and medicines for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, inflammation, and other diseases.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have proposed a new way of using quantum light to ‘see’ quantum sound.

A new paper published today reveals the quantum-mechanical interplay between vibrations and particles of light, known as photons, in molecules.

It is hoped that the discovery may help scientists better understand the interactions between light and matter on molecular scales.

And it potentially paves the way for addressing fundamental questions about the importance of quantum effects in applications ranging from new quantum technologies to biological systems.

Dr Magnus Borgh from UEA’s School of Physics said: “There is a long-standing controversy in chemical physics about the nature of processes where energy from particles of light is transferred ...

Scientists have observed the creation of rare chemical elements in the second-brightest gamma-ray burst ever seen — casting new light on how heavy elements are made.

Researchers examined the exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst GRB 230307A, which was caused by a neutron star merger. The explosion was observed using an array of ground and space-based telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.

Publishing their findings today in Nature(25 Oct), the international research team which included experts from the Univ...