Browse Physics

A new form of x-ray spectroscopy uses total external reflection to reveal the chemical evolution of a surface into a bulk material.

Successful legwork to find a new insulator for spintronics applications sends a material running up the ladder of research and development.

Semiconductor alloys offer one way to improve the efficiency of solar cells.

A new analysis clears some of the remaining hurdles to a completely rigorous density-functional theory for calculating the properties of materials at finite temperature.

X-ray diffraction reveals why some nanostructured metals are stronger than others.

Understanding the role of interface effects will be essential for designing thin-film ferroelectrics on semiconductors.

Spectroscopic mapping of the luminescence of aromatic single molecules reveals the spatial distribution of radiative transitions at submolecular resolution.

Controlling defects on graphene that trap migrating metal atoms may lead to superior device fabrication.

Atoms in graphite under high pressure appear to form a simple structure made of interconnected, four-atom rings, according to new computer simulations that were compared with previous experimental data.

When electronic instabilities give rise to three coexisting density waves, interference between them may lock into a state with helicity.

Contrary to what is normally assumed, the polarization of sufficiently thin ferroelectrics can switch continuously, rather than through the formation of domains.

A simple relation ties the hardness of inorganic glasses to the number of ways its structure is constrained from yielding to pressure.

A new model explores how the spacing between defects in materials is key to controlling their resistance to fracture.

The stretching of a sheet of paper shows spatial variations that become more important over time. Such uneven stretching could also be important when other materials are stressed.

Experiments show that it may be possible to achieve control of magnetization by an external electric field in a material by altering the balance between competing physical processes.

Heavier molecular deuterium diffuses through a nanoporous molecular sieve faster than molecular hydrogen.

A quick and simple processing method ensures that the first layer of graphene grown on silicon carbide will perform as expected.

New experiments may resolve earlier differences in melting point measurements of the transition metal tantalum under pressure.

Controlled doping of nanotubes and graphene sheets is achieved through an ion implantation technique.

At high pressure, the simple metal sodium shows complex behavior, including directional transparency.