The ionic path to all-solid-state batteries

May 13, 2026 Varied particle sizes in the solid electrolyte improve ion conductivity. (Nanowerk News) All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are gaining traction in the energy and electric vehicle industries as potentially safer alternatives to the standard, flammable liquid batteries on the market today. However, complex challenges currently stand in the way...

Quantum geometry lens shines new light on solids

May 13, 2026 A new approach to looking at solids provides theoretical limits on some of their properties. (Nanowerk News) Two RIKEN physicists have established new theoretical limits for experimentally measurable quantities by viewing solids through a lens of quantum geometry. Their results shed light both on the physics of...

Gold nanoparticles that behave like a liquid

May 13, 2026 Gold nanoparticle layers dynamically reorganize with temperature and compression, enabling tunable, responsive materials for biomedical and nanotechnology uses. (Nanowerk News) When inorganic nanoparticles come together, their optical, electronic, and magnetic properties depend strongly on how they are arranged. Being able to reorganize these arrangements in a controlled...

Atomic step-terrace ordering enables unprecedented precision in mechanical testing

May 13, 2026 Researchers report the creation of step-terrace-ordered GaN surfaces using catalyst-referred etching (CARE). Mechanical testing on these surfaces demonstrates exceptional reproducibility across 100 measurements, achieving record-low stress scatter. (Nanowerk News) As modern technologies shrink to the nanoscale, surfaces increasingly dictate how materials deform, yield, and fail. Yet probing...