Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory have discovered a state of magnetism that may be the missing link to understanding the relationship between magnetism and unconventional superconductivity. The research, recently published in npj Nature Quantum Materials, provides tantalizing new possibilities for attaining superconducting states in iron-based materials. “In the research of quantum…
‘Perfectly Frustrated’ Metal Provides Possible Path to Superconductivity
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory has discovered and described the existence of a unique disordered electron spin state in a metal that may provide a unique pathway to finding and studying frustrated magnets. Condensed matter physicists use the term “frustrated” to describe a kind of magnet in which the spins fail to align…
Scientists Move Graphene Closer to Transistor Application
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory were able to successfully manipulate the electronic structure of graphene, which may enable the fabrication of graphene transistors — faster and more reliable than existing silicon-based transistors. The researchers were able to theoretically calculate the mechanism by which graphene’s electronic band structure could be modified with…
New Process Recycles Magnets from Factory Floor
A new recycling method developed by scientists at the Critical Materials Institute, a U.S. Department of Energy Innovation Hub led by the Ames Laboratory, recovers valuable rare-earth magnetic material from manufacturing waste and creates useful magnets out of it. Efficient waste-recovery methods for rare-earth metals are one way to reduce demand for these limited mined…