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In their recent paper , researchers from the University of Twente in the Netherlands have gained important insights into the elementary particles that make up light. These particles, photons , -behavein an amazingly greater variety than electrons surrounding atoms, while also being much easier to control.

Ruben Nicasy defended his PhD thesis at the Department of Applied Physics and Science Education on June 27th. Faster, greener and cheaper. These are currently the keywords within the printing industry, which is undergoing rapid innovations. TU/e researcher Ruben Nicasy developed an innovative method to determine how ink is absorbed by paper or cardboard in order to further improve print quality.

Researchers from TU Delft and Brown University have engineered string-like resonators capable of vibrating longer at ambient temperature than any previously known solid-state object - approaching what is currently only achievable near absolute zero temperatures. Their study, published in Nature Communications , pushes the edge of nanotechnology and machine learning to make some of the world's most sensitive mechanical sensors.

Pacemakers, defibrillators, radar technology and electric vehicles all need electrical components called capacitors that can store and release a lot of energy in a matter of a few microseconds. Researchers at the University of Twente have recently found a way to increase these capacitors' storage, efficiency and durability.

What determines the cycle life of batteries? And, more importantly, how can we extend it? An international research team led by TU Delft has discovered that local disorder in the oxide cathode material increases the number of times Li-ion batteries can be charged and discharged. Their results have been published in Nature .

Delft researchers are developing batteries that can charge faster, offer more stable storage and are made of sustainable materials that are widely available. In doing so, they offer a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries that consist of rare materials and have a high CO2-footprint. A paper was recently published in Nature Energy by Marnix Wagemaker and Alexandros Vasileiadis in collaboration with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, on fast-charging Na-ion batteries and improvements made to the negative electrode.

A TU/e and Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology-led collaboration involving researchers from around the world has the answer, and the why, and the results have just been published in the journal Science Advances. Electrons carry electrical energy, while vibrational energy is carried by phonons.

A coating that can hide objects in plain sight, or an implant that behaves exactly like bone tissue. These extraordinary objects are already made from 'metamaterials'. Researchers from TU Delft have now developed an AI tool that not only can discover such extraordinary materials but also makes them fabrication-ready and durable.

Most people can relate to having a laptop charger break right where the flexible cable meets the solid adapter. This is just one example of how difficult it is to effectively interface hard and soft materials. Using a unique 3D printing process, TU Delft researchers produced hybrid multi-material interfaces that reached a remarkable closeness to nature's design of bone-tendon connections.

A material that doesn't just rival the strength of diamonds and graphene, but boasts a yield strength 10 times greater than Kevlar, renowned for its use in bulletproof vests. Researchers at Delft University of Technology, led by assistant professor Richard Norte, have unveiled a remarkable new material with potential to impact the world of material science: amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC).

Transparent conductors are essential for many devices, such as touch screens and solar cells. Copper iodide (CuI) can conduct electricity while staying see-through but is not as good as some other materials. Researchers from the University of Twente managed to improve the conductivity of CuI while keeping 75% of its transparency.

A collaborative team of researchers led by prof. Cees Dekker at TU Delft, in partnership with international colleagues, introduces a pioneering breakthrough in the world of nanomotors - the DNA origami nanoturbine. This nanoscale device could represent a paradigm shift, harnessing power from ion gradients or electrical potential across a solid-state nanopore to drive the turbine into mechanical rotations.

Currently, many (nano)structures are grown in layers, one above the other, but their ordering on the atomic scale is generally far from perfect.  The researchers aim for a better understanding of these processes that can eventually lead to smaller, faster and overall better nanotechnology and have, in a worldwide first observation, discovered pre-solidification in droplet mixture.

Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a theoretical method for designing fluidic networks that has direct applications for scientists and engineers. The optimal diameter of the channels within a branched network is determined using charts, to keep energy loss within the network to a minimum.

Solar energy is the cheapest and most accessible form of energy. Now, it will be more efficient than ever. Scientists from a Chinese solar technology company have developed a new type of solar cell that could be a game-changer in the world's transition towards renewable energy. Advanced modelling, performed by researchers at TU Delft, played a pivotal role deep understanding and engineering of the innovation.

Last Friday, the renewed Electron Microscopy Centre (EMC) of Utrecht University was officially opened. Robbert Dijkgraaf, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, and Isabel Arends , Dean of the Faculty of Science , did so with the symbolic push of a button. The centre, which houses electron microscopes that are among the most advanced in the world , brings together a wide variety of scientific disciplines, both in life sciences and material sciences.

For his PhD research, Bas van Gorkom developed a new way to measure defects in perovskite - a material used to make solar cells more efficient. Solar energy is becoming an increasingly popular source of renewable energy. Current solar panels with silicon as their primary component are affordable and reliable.

Researchers from the University of Twente developed a new composite material that outperforms the individual compounds by one to two orders of magnitude. The composite consists of several earth-abundant elements, that could potentially be used for efficient hydrogen generation without rare and precious metals like platinum.

Jelle Houben defended his PhD thesis at the department of Applied Physics on March 9th. For several years now, energy storage in salt batteries has been advertised as an environmentally friendly concept that can help accelerate the heat transition. However, product development has only truly hit its stride since recently, says Jelle Houben, PhD candidate at TU/e.

Researchers and engineers from QuTech and Eindhoven University of Technology have created Majorana particles and measured their properties with great control. These Majoranas are so-called 'poor man's Majoranas' based on two quantum dots in a nanowire, which could be scaled up to a larger chain of quantum dots with more resilient Majorana behavior.