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From the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, January 2020

Exploring the "dark side" of a single-crystal complex oxide thin film

A new study offers a nanoscopic view of complex oxides, which have great potential for advanced microelectronics.

Polluted Wastewater in the Forecast? Try A Solar Umbrella

Evaporation ponds, commonly used in many industries to manage wastewater, can occupy a large footprint and often pose risks to birds and other wildlife, yet they're an economical way to deal with contaminated water. Now researchers at Berkeley Lab have demonstrated a way to double the rate of evaporation by using solar energy and taking advantage of water's inherent properties, potentially reducing their environmental impact. The study is reported in the journal Nature Sustainability.

ORNL researchers advance performance benchmark for quantum computers

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a quantum chemistry simulation benchmark to evaluate the performance of quantum devices and guide the development of applications for future quantum computers.

Powder, not gas: A safer, more effective way to create a star on Earth

PPPL scientists have found that sprinkling a type of powder into fusion plasma could aid in harnessing the ultra-hot gas within a tokamak facility to produce heat to create electricity without producing greenhouse gases or long-term radioactive waste.

Science Snapshots From Berkeley Lab

This edition of Science Snapshots highlights the discovery of an investigational cancer drug that targets tumors caused by mutations in the KRAS gene, the development of a new library of artificial proteins that could accelerate the design of new materials, and new insight into the natural toughening mechanism behind adult tooth enamel.

Advancing information processing with exceptional points and surfaces

Researchers have for the first time detected an exceptional surface based on measurements of exceptional points. These points are modes that exhibit phenomenon with possible practical applications in information processing.

Playing the angles with dramatic effect

Researchers report the most complete model to date concerning the transition from metal to insulator in correlated oxides. These oxides have fascinated scientists because of their many attractive electronic and magnetic properties.

Scientists discover how proteins form crystals that tile a microbe's shell

Many microbes wear beautifully patterned crystalline shells. Now scientists have zoomed in on the very first step in microbial shell-building: nucleation, where squiggly proteins crystallize into sturdy building blocks. The results help explain how the shells assemble themselves so quickly.

Neutrons optimize high efficiency catalyst for greener approach to biofuel synthesis

Researchers led by the University of Manchester used neutron scattering at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the development of a catalyst that converts biomass into liquid fuel with remarkably high efficiency and provides new possibilities for manufacturing renewable energy-related materials.

Batten down the hatches: Preventing heat leaks to help create a star on Earth

PPPL physicists have identified a method by which instabilities can be tamed and heat can be prevented from leaking from fusion plasma, giving scientists a better grasp on how to optimize conditions for fusion in devices known as tokamaks.

Quenching Water Scarcity with a Good Pore

Researchers at UC San Diego and MIT linked theory and experiment to move closer to developing materials that address global water scarcity.

Simulations Attempt to Reconstruct One of the Most Explosive Events in the Universe: A Neutron Star Merger

A team led by scientists that included Berkeley Lab researchers has simulated the formation of a disc of matter, a giant burst of ejected matter, and the startup of energetic jets in the aftermath of a merger by two neutron stars.

Tiny Quantum Sensors Watch Materials Transform Under Pressure

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a diamond anvil sensor that could lead to a new generation of smart, designer materials, as well as the synthesis of new chemical compounds, atomically fine-tuned by pressure.

Scientists harvest energy from light using bio-inspired artificial cells

By replicating biological machinery with non-biological components, scientists have created artificial cells that convert light into chemical energy.

Argonne's debt to 2019 Nobel Prize for lithium-ion battery

A roar of approval rang out at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory upon the announcement in October that John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino had won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. On December 10th in Stockholm, they received this highly coveted prize for their major contributions to the invention of the lithium-ion battery, which is a long-standing major focus of research at Argonne.

Battery collaboration meeting discusses new pathways to recycle lithium-ion batteries

At a conference held by the ReCell Center, an advanced battery recycling collaboration based at Argonne, representatives from industry, government, and academia discussed innovative approaches for lithium-ion battery recycling.

New Function for Plant Enzyme Could Lead to Green Chemistry

Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered a new function in a plant enzyme that could inspire the design of new chemical catalysts. The enzyme catalyzes, or initiates, one of the cornerstone chemical reactions needed to synthesize a wide array of organic molecules, including those found in lubricants, cosmetics, and those used as raw materials for making plastics.

Freeze Frame: Scientists Capture Atomic-Scale Snapshots of Artificial Proteins