A research team co-led by Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley grew onto silicon an ultrathin material that demonstrates ferroelectricity. The discovery could lead to ultrathin materials that control the smallest electronic devices.
Ultrafine Control: Researchers Discover Ferroelectricity at the Atomic Scale
Science Snapshots Theresa Duque •
Dance, Electron, Dance: Scientists Use Light to Choreograph Electronic Motion in 2D Materials
News Release Theresa Duque •
A team of scientists led by Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley has demonstrated a powerful new technique that uses light to measure how electrons move and interact within 2D materials. Their finding could lead to new approaches for quantum devices.
Berkeley Lab Researchers Receive DOE Early Career Research Awards
News Release Theresa Duque •
Three scientists at Berkeley Lab have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science to receive significant funding for research through its Early Career Research Program (ECRP). In addition, three faculty scientists with joint appointments at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley will receive ECRP funding through their UC Berkeley affiliations.
Off the Scales: Fish Armor Both Tough and Flexible
News Release Julie Chao •
Humans have drawn technological inspiration from fish scales going back to ancient times: Romans, Egyptians, and other civilizations would dress their warriors in scale armor, providing both protection and mobility. Now, using advanced X-ray imaging techniques, Berkeley Lab scientists have characterized carp scales down to the nanoscale, enabling them to understand how the material is resistant to penetration while retaining flexibility.
Showtime for Photosynthesis
News Release Aliyah Kovner •
Using a unique combination of nanoscale imaging and chemical analysis, an international team of researchers has revealed a key step in the molecular mechanism behind the water splitting reaction of photosynthesis, a finding that could help inform the design of renewable energy technology.
Scientists Aim Gene-Targeting Breakthrough Against COVID-19
Feature Story Theresa Duque •
Scientists at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry have joined forces with a research team at Stanford to aim a gene-targeting, antiviral agent called PAC-MAN against COVID-19.
This COVID-19 Detector Has Berkeley Lab Roots
Feature Story Theresa Duque •
A technology spun from carbon nanotube sensors discovered 20 years ago by Berkeley Lab scientists could one day help health care providers test patients for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
X-ray Experiments Zero in on COVID-19 Antibodies
News Release Aliyah Kovner •
An international scientific team has discovered a neutralizing antibody, derived from the blood of a SARS survivor, that inhibits the closely related COVID-19-causing coronavirus. In a paper published this week in Nature, the scientists note that the antibody is already on an accelerated development path toward clinical trials.
Masks On, Ready to Work: Meet the People Supporting COVID-19 Science
Feature Story By Julie Chao and Aliyah Kovner •
David Richardson’s job is literally to make sure the light stays on. But it’s not just any light – it’s a very special X-ray light that could play a crucial role in an eventual treatment for COVID-19. Richardson is an operator at the Advanced Light Source, and is one of a handful of workers providing essential services to scientists working on COVID-19-related research.
Making Quantum ‘Waves’ in Ultrathin Materials
News Release Theresa Duque •
A team of researchers co-led by Berkeley Lab has observed unusually long-lived wavelike electrons called “plasmons” in a new class of electronically conducting material. Plasmons are important for determining the optical and electronic properties of metals for the development of new sensors and communication devices.