Unique Ferroelectric Microstructure revealed for first time

STEM image of polar nanoregions
An atomically resolved scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) image of the polar nanoregions (PNRs) embedded in the nonpolar matrix in the layered perovskite material (Ca, Sr)3Mn2O7. Bright contrast in the images can be directly interpreted as the atomic columns in the crystal. Aberration corrected STEM was employed to direct capture the arrangement of the atoms in the (a-type and b-type) polar nanoregions in the crystal and the displacement measurement at picometer precision were performed on the STEM images to extract the distortion in the structure. Credit: Alem Group/Jennifer M. McCann, MRI. All Rights Reserved.

A team of researchers have observed and reported for the first time the unique microstructure of a novel ferroelectric material, enabling the development of lead-...

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Astronomy: Is Overeating to blame for Bulges in Milky Way Bar?

A Milky-Way-like galaxy simulated by the supercomputer ATERUI II. Stars are clustered in a bar shape near the center of the galaxy. (Credit: Junichi Baba, Hirotaka Nakayama, 4D2U Project, NAOJ)

A new simulation conducted on the world’s most powerful supercomputer dedicated to astronomy has produced a testable scenario to explain the appearance of the bar of the Milky Way. Comparing this scenario to data from current and future space telescopes will help clarify the evolution of our home Galaxy.

Astronomy is revealing the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy in which we live in increasing detail. We know that it is a disk galaxy, with two- or four- armed spirals, with a straight bar in the middle connecting the spirals...

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Family ties: Inherited Genetic Variants Increase Risk of Hodgkin Lymphoma

(L to R) Ninad Oak Ph.D., Jamie Flerlage M.D., Jason Myers, and Evadnie Rampersaud, Ph.D. Not pictured: Jun J. Yang Ph.D. and Jamie Maciaszek Ph.D.

Why did my child get cancer? Clinicians have longed for a way to help answer this question. Doctors knew Hodgkin lymphoma sometimes occurs in families, but why this happens has been a mystery. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have now helped solve it. The researchers studied multiple families affected by Hodgkin lymphoma and identified genetic variants linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. The findings appeared as a first edition in Blood.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system (part of the immune system) that affects lymph nodes but can spread to the spleen, liver, bone marrow and lungs...

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Modified Microwave oven cooks up Next-gen Semiconductors

James Hwang
James Hwang, research professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, right, at his modified microwave with Gianluca Fabi holding a semiconductor at left. Ryan Young/Cornell University

A household microwave oven modified by a Cornell engineering professor is helping to cook up the next generation of cellphones, computers and other electronics after the invention was shown to overcome a major challenge faced by the semiconductor industry.

The research is detailed in a paper published in Applied Physics Letters. The lead author is James Hwang, a research professor in the department of materials science and engineering.

As microchips continue to shrink, silicon must be doped, or mixed, with higher concentrations of phosphorus to produce the desired current...

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