Osmotic Energy Directly Driving Flexible All-Solid-State 2D Nanofluidic Pressure Sensors.

Current utilization of osmotic energy often involves multiple complex processes, including collection, storage, and conversion, which limits its applicability in portable electronic devices. Inspired by the biosensing system of human skin, a novel iontronic pressure sensor is developed, directly driven by osmotic energy. By leveraging the tunable nanofluidic effects of 2D materials, ion selective migration driven by osmotic energy is controlled through mechanical modulating of interlayer spacing, thereby converting external pressure into encodable electrical signals.

Nature-Inspired MXene Electrode with the Highly Interconnected Gradient Nanoconfined Architecture.

Achieving efficient ion transport in thick electrodes remains a fundamental challenge in electrochemical systems with high energy density, primarily due to prolonged diffusion pathways and poorly integrated architectures. Leveraging the nanoconfinement effect, (sub)nanoscale channels can significantly accelerate ion transport kinetics to maximize electrochemical performance. Inspired by the hierarchical network structure of bamboo membrane, a gradient nanoconfined MXene electrode (GNC-MX) is designed, where multiscale interlayer spacing is coupled with in-plane mesopores that bridge adjacent nanoconfined channels, enabling synergistic vertical and horizontal ion migration.

Nonlinear Non-Hermitian Skin Effect and Skin Solitons in Temporal Photonic Feedforward Lattices.

Here we report the experimental demonstration of the nonlinear non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE) in an effective Kerr nonlinear temporal photonic lattice, where the high-power requirements and lack of tunability intrinsic to optical materials are overcome by an artificial nonlinearity arising from optoelectronic feedforward. Thanks to Kerr self-trapping, the nonlinear NHSE is demonstrated to possess much better localization strength and robustness at the preferred boundary compared to the linear case. Away from the preferred boundary, Kerr self-trapping can even inhibit NHSE-induced transport and form stable skin solitons.

Ion Concentration Gradient Induced Efficient Ion Migration in Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks for High-Performance, Self-Powered Humidity Sensing.

As one of the driving forces of ion migration, ion concentration gradients have large untapped potential to improve the performance of humidity sensors. A self-powered flexible humidity sensor based on hydrogen-bonded organic framework electrolytes wherein Na concentration gradients induce efficient ion migration is presented that can be attributed to the reversible effect of ambient water molecules on the migration barrier of Na. The sensor exhibits superior flexibility, rapid responsiveness, high sensitivity (0.

High-performance solid-state proton gating membranes based on two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded organic framework composites.

Biological ion channels exhibit strong gating effects due to their zero-current closed states. However, the gating capabilities of artificial nanochannels have typically fallen short of biological channels, primarily owing to the larger nanopores that fail to completely block ion transport in the off-states. Here, we demonstrate solid-state hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks-based membranes to achieve high-performance ambient humidity-controlled proton gating, accomplished by switching the proton transport pathway instead of relying on conventional ion blockage/activation effects.

An Ultra-Miniaturized Fiber Humidity Sensor Based on Near-Parallel Ion Pathways Induced Efficient Water-Electricity Conversion.

Humidity sensors are vital for ambient monitoring, but existing sensors focus on moisture absorption, overlooking the indispensable role of ion channels in the water-electricity conversion process. Here, an ultra-miniaturized fiber humidity (MFH) sensor based on near-parallel ion pathways is presented. The well-designed nanochannels significantly facilitate ion transport due to the stable charge distribution and the confined ions migration within near-parallel nanostructure, which improves the water-electricity conversion efficiency of moisture-sensitive fibers.

In-line attosecond photoelectron holography for single photon ionization.

The momentum distribution of photoelectrons in H molecules subjected to an attosecond pulse is theoretically investigated. To better understand the laser-molecule interaction, we develop an in-line photoelectron holography approach that is analogous to optical holography. This approach is specifically suitable for extracting the amplitude and phase of the forward-scattered electron wave packet in a dissociating molecule with atomic precision.

A new In Situ Oxidized 2D Layered MnBiTe Cathode for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery.

Recently, aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) with the superior theoretical capacity, high safety, low prices, and environmental protection, have emerged as a contender for advanced energy storage. However, challenges related to cathode materials, such as dissolution, instability, and structural collapse, have hindered the progress of AZIBs. Here, a novel AZIB is constructed using an oxidized 2D layered MnBiTe cathode for the first time.

Proton tunneling in the dissociation of H2+ and its asymmetric isotopologues driven by circularly polarized THz laser pulses.

Light-induced deprotonation of molecules is an important process in photochemical reactions. Here, we theoretically investigate the tunneling deprotonation of H2+ and its asymmetric isotopologues driven by circularly polarized THz laser pulses. The quasi-static picture shows that the field-dressed potential barrier is significantly lowered for the deprotonation channel when the mass asymmetry of the diatomic molecule increases.

Energy-dependent photoion angular distributions in two-body Coulomb explosions of molecules.

We experimentally study two-body Coulomb explosions of CO2, O2, and CH3Cl molecules in intense femtosecond laser pulses. We observe an obvious variation in the ionic angular distribution of the fragments with respect to the kinetic energy releases (KERs). Using a classical model based on ab initio potential energy curves, we find that the dependence of the ionic angular distribution on the KER is relevant to the fact that the accurate potential energy deviates significantly from the value determined by applying the Coulomb interaction approximation at a relatively small internuclear distance of the molecule.

Layered Topological Insulator MnBiTe as a Cathode for a High Rate Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery.

Recently, the topological insulator MnBiTe has aroused great attention owing to its exotic quantum phenomena and intriguing device applications, but the superior performances of MnBiTe have not been researched in the field of electrochemistry. By theoretical calculations, it is found that MnBiTe exhibits excellent Zn storage and transport properties. Therefore, it is speculated that MnBiTe has excellent electrochemical performance in zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs).

SnO-Perovskite Interface Engineering Based on Bifacial Passivation via Multifunctional -(2-Acetamido)-2-aminoethanesulfonic Acid toward Efficient and Stable Solar Cells.

Bifacial passivation on both electron transport materials and perovskite light-absorbing layers as a straightforward technique is used for gaining efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To develop this strategy, organic molecules containing multiple functional groups can maximize the effect of defect suppression. Based on this, we introduce -(2-acetamido)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (ACES) at the interface between tin oxide (SnO) and perovskite.

Nylon Fabric/GO Based Self-Powered Humidity Sensor Based on the Galvanic Cell Principle with High Air Permeability and Rapid-Response.

Flexible humidity sensors have received more and more attention in people's lives, and the problems of gas permeability and power supply issues of the device have long been areas in need of improvement. In this work, inspired by the high air permeability of daily wear clothing and galvanic batteries, a self-powered humidity sensor with high air permeability and fast response is designed. A nylon fabric/GO net (as a humidity sensitive layer and solid electrolyte) is obtained by spraying technique.

Optical Fingerprint of Flat Substrate Surface and Marker-Free Lateral Displacement Detection with Angstrom-Level Precision.

We report that flat substrates such as glass coverslips with surface roughness well below 0.5 nm feature notable speckle patterns when observed with high-sensitivity interference microscopy. We uncover that these speckle patterns unambiguously originate from the subnanometer surface undulations, and develop an intuitive model to illustrate how subnanometer nonresonant dielectric features could generate pronounced interference contrast in the far field.

Photonic-circuited resonance fluorescence of single molecules with an ultrastable lifetime-limited transition.

Resonance fluorescence as the emission of a resonantly-excited two-level quantum system promises indistinguishable single photons and coherent high-fidelity quantum-state manipulation of the matter qubit, which underpin many quantum information processing protocols. Real applications of the protocols demand high degrees of scalability and stability of the experimental platform, and thus favor quantum systems integrated on one chip. However, the on-chip solution confronts several formidable challenges compromising the scalability prospect, such as the randomness, spectral wandering and scattering background of the integrated quantum systems near heterogeneous and nanofabricated material interfaces.

Direct Electro Plasmonic and Optic Modulation via a Nanoscopic Electron Reservoir.

Direct electrical tuning of localized plasmons at optical frequencies boasts the fascinating prospects of being ultrafast and energy efficient and having an ultrasmall footprint. However, the prospects are obscured by the grand challenge of effectively modulating the very large number of conduction electrons in three-dimensional metallic structures. Here we propose the concept of nanoscopic electron reservoir (NER) for direct electro plasmonic and electro-optic modulation.

Dangling Octahedra Enable Edge States in 2D Lead Halide Perovskites.

The structural reconstruction at the crystal layer edges of 2D lead halide perovskites (LHPs) leads to unique edge states (ES), which are manifested by prolonged carrier lifetime and reduced emission energy. These special ES can effectively enhance the optoelectronic performance of devices, but their intrinsic origin and working mechanism remain elusive. Here it is demonstrated that the ES of a family of 2D Ruddlesden-Popper LHPs [BA CsPb Br , BA MAPb Br , and BA MA Pb Br (BA = butylammonium; MA = methylammonium)] arise from the rotational symmetry elevation of the PbBr octahedra dangling at the crystal layer edges.

High-Performance Flexible Pressure Sensor with a Self-Healing Function for Tactile Feedback.

High-performance flexible pressure sensors have attracted a great deal of attention, owing to its potential applications such as human activity monitoring, man-machine interaction, and robotics. However, most high-performance flexible pressure sensors are complex and costly to manufacture. These sensors cannot be repaired after external mechanical damage and lack of tactile feedback applications.

Roles of MXene in Pressure Sensing: Preparation, Composite Structure Design, and Mechanism.

Flexible pressure sensors are one of the most important components in the fields of electronic skin (e-skin), robotics, and health monitoring. However, the application of pressure sensors in practice is still difficult and expensive due to the limited sensing properties and complex manufacturing process. The emergence of MXene, a red-hot member of the 2D nanomaterials, has brought a brand-new breakthrough for pressure sensing.

General Framework of Canonical Quasinormal Mode Analysis for Extreme Nano-optics.

Optical phenomena associated with an extremely localized field should be understood with considerations of nonlocal and quantum effects, which pose a hurdle to conceptualize the physics with a picture of eigenmodes. Here we first propose a generalized Lorentz model to describe general nonlocal media under linear mean-field approximation and formulate source-free Maxwell's equations as a linear eigenvalue problem to define the quasinormal modes. Then we introduce an orthonormalization scheme for the modes and establish a canonical quasinormal mode framework for general nonlocal media.

Tunable Performance of Quantum Dot-MoS Hybrid Photodetectors via Interface Engineering.

Heterostructures of quantum dots (QDs) and two-dimensional (2D) materials show promising potential for photodetection applications owing to their combination of high optical absorption and good in-plane carrier mobility. In this work, the performance of QD-2D photodetectors is tuned by band engineering. Devices are fabricated by coating MoS nanosheets with InP QDs, type-I core-shell InP/ZnS QDs, and type-II core-shell InP/CdS QDs.

Acoustic Properties of Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted significant attention in the past two decades due to their diverse physical properties and associated functionalities. Although numerous advances have been made, the acoustic properties of MOFs have attracted very little attention. Here, we systematically investigate the acoustic velocities and impedances of 19 prototypical MOFs first-principle calculations.

Bright Optical Eigenmode of 1 nm^{3} Mode Volume.

We report on the discovery and rationale to devise bright single optical eigenmodes that feature quantum-optical mode volumes of about 1  nm^{3}. Our findings rely on the development and application of a quasinormal mode theory that self-consistently treats fields and electron nonlocality, spill-out, and Landau damping around atomistic protrusions on a metallic nanoantenna. By outpacing Landau damping with radiation via properly designed antenna modes, the extremely localized modes become bright with radiation efficiencies reaching 30% and could provide up to 4×10^{7} times intensity enhancement.

Interior and Exterior Decoration of Transition Metal Oxide Through Cu/Cu Co-Doping Strategy for High-Performance Supercapacitor.

Although CoO is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors due to its high theoretical capacitance, the practical applications still suffering from inferior electrochemical activity owing to its low electrical conductivity, poor structural stability and inefficient nanostructure. Herein, we report a novel Cu/Cu co-doped CoO composite with adjustable metallic Cu and ion Cu via a facile strategy. Through interior (Cu) and exterior (Cu) decoration of CoO, the electrochemical performance of CoO electrode has been significantly improved due to both the beneficial flower-like nanostructure and the synergetic effect of Cu/Cu co-doping, which results in a significantly enhanced specific capacitance (695 F g at 1 A g) and high cyclic stability (93.

Real-time observation of frequency Bloch oscillations with fibre loop modulation.

Bloch oscillations (BOs) were initially predicted for electrons in a solid lattice to which a static electric field is applied. The observation of BOs in solids remains challenging due to the collision scattering and barrier tunnelling of electrons. Nevertheless, analogies of electron BOs for photons, acoustic phonons and cold atoms have been experimentally demonstrated in various lattice systems.