Physical sciences articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The quantitative prediction of rate constants and quantum yields is crucial to understand various phenomena and their mechanisms in nature. Here, the authors apply quantum chemical calculation to reproduce experimental data of multiple-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters.

    • Katsuyuki Shizu
    •  & Hironori Kaji

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hydrogen-doping driven metal to ferroelectric phase transition in a complex oxide NdNiO3 is demonstrated. Transient negative differential capacitance and implementation of polarization decay into neural network for learning are then presented.

    • Yifan Yuan
    • , Michele Kotiuga
    •  & Shriram Ramanathan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    CrSBr is a van der Waals layered antiferromagnet. Unlike many other van der Waals magnetic materials it is air stable, and in addition hosts a rich array of magneto-optical responses. Here, Tabataba-Vakili et al demonstrate that the magnetic and optical response of CrSBr is sensitive to gating, allowing electrical control of the magneto-optical properties.

    • Farsane Tabataba-Vakili
    • , Huy P. G. Nguyen
    •  & Alexander Högele

  • Perspective
    | Open Access

    The way we generate and treat plastic waste is a key consideration in the transition from a take-make-waste model to a truly circular economy. Here, authors discuss their views on how biotechnology could contribute to solving the plastic problem, and the barriers we need to overcome to make such approaches a reality.

    • Amelia R. Bergeson
    • , Ashli J. Silvera
    •  & Hal S. Alper

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study explores alternative stable states in microbial communities. Focusing on a respiratory tract community of 6 species, the authors identified four distinct stable states that are predicted to be driven by cooperative growth. The findings contrast with the common association between competitive interactions and multistability in microbial communities.

    • William Lopes
    • , Daniel R. Amor
    •  & Jeff Gore

  • Comment
    | Open Access

    Vaccines and clean water shortages continue to give rise to cholera outbreaks in Africa. Coordinated efforts to increase vaccine distribution and improve physical infrastructure are needed while considering future outbreaks and water demands due to conflicts and climate events.

    • Amira Mohamed Taha
    • , Hussam Mahmoud
    •  & Mohamed M. Ghonaim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Palladium-based catalysts are highly effective for the complete oxidation of methane. Here, the authors employ operando transmission electron microscopy, near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations to investigate the active state and catalytic function of Pd nanoparticles in methane oxidation.

    • Shengnan Yue
    • , C. S. Praveen
    •  & Xing Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tungsten trioxide (WO3) is considered the most promising photocatalyst for the highly selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde, though the origins of its catalytic activity and reaction mechanism are still debated. Here, the authors use WO3 with {001} and {110} facets as model photocatalysts, demonstrating that the photocatalytic oxidation of methane to formaldehyde in WO3 depends on the surface structure, leading to different formaldehyde selectivity.

    • Yingying Fan
    • , Yuheng Jiang
    •  & Zhiyong Tang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Miniature passive fliers are of interest, but there are challenges in controlling their motion. Here, the authors report the use of light-responsive thin films for optical control of the gliding of passive fliers.

    • Jianfeng Yang
    • , M. Ravi Shankar
    •  & Hao Zeng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Transfer learning has shown an advantageous performance in various tasks, however pretraining of the model with new dataset remains computationally expensive. The authors propose a biologically inspired three-dimensional neural network model for transfer learning, with improved training speed and accuracy.

    • Brosnan Yuen
    • , Xiaodai Dong
    •  & Tao Lu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors develop a deep-learning algorithm to predict biomarkers from histopathological imaging in advanced urothelial cancer patients. This method detects suitable patients for targeted therapy clinical trials with a significant reduction in molecular testing, providing cost and time savings in real-world clinical settings.

    • Albert Juan Ramon
    • , Chaitanya Parmar
    •  & Kristopher A. Standish

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Empirically observed regiochemistries indicate that the CF2H radical has a nucleophilic character similar to alkyl radicals, but the CF3 radical is electrophilic in reactions with heterocycles. Here, the authors report DFT calculations, reproducing experimental selectivities and leading to an explanation of this difference.

    • Meng Duan
    • , Qianzhen Shao
    •  & K. N. Houk

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The catalytic partial oxidation of methane (POM) is a promising technology for synthesizing syngas but suffers from severe over-oxidation on the catalyst surface. Here the authors demonstrate that regulating O* occupation in an atomically dispersed MoNi alloy can achieve high catalytic performance for POM.

    • Zheyuan Ding
    • , Sai Chen
    •  & Jinlong Gong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Topological semimetals offer the potential for new-generation spintronic devices. Here, the authors demonstrate a large out-of-plane damping-like spin–orbit torque efficiency in a heterostructure based on the Weyl semimetal TaIrTe4.

    • Lakhan Bainsla
    • , Bing Zhao
    •  & Saroj P. Dash

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Probabilistic computing demands low power and high quality random number generation. Woo et al. demonstrate the use of a spin crossover in LaCoO3 to generate random numbers that outperform software-generated random numbers in probabilistic computing.

    • Kyung Seok Woo
    • , Alan Zhang
    •  & Suhas Kumar

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Perception methods that enable control systems to understand and adapt to unstructured environments are desired. Wang et. al. develop a memristor-based differential neuromorphic computing, perceptual signal processing, and online adaptation method providing neuromorphic style adaptation to external sensory stimuli.

    • Shengbo Wang
    • , Shuo Gao
    •  & Luigi Giuseppe Occhipinti

  • Article
    | Open Access

    On-chip optical sensing and metrology systems are rapidly progressing, but CMOS-compatible silicon light sources remain a challenge. This work demonstrates a broadband, foundry integrated silicon waveguide emitter and the theory that describes it.

    • Marcel W. Pruessner
    • , Nathan F. Tyndall
    •  & Todd H. Stievater

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It has long been believed that diffusion as individual atoms is the primary way for carbon to enter Fe crystals from outside. Here, the authors report an unusual mass transport way in solids, through which diamond nanoparticles can enter Fe spontaneously and translate inward for a long distance.

    • Yuecun Wang
    • , Xudong Wang
    •  & Zhiwei Shan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Delay lines for quantum information are key for quantum networking and hardware efficient quantum computers. Here, the authors present a virtual delay line for microwave pulses where data is stored in the excitations of a collection of resonators, demonstrating translation and swapping of data pulses.

    • Takuma Makihara
    • , Nathan Lee
    •  & Amir Safavi-Naeini

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors report a zinc oxide resonant nano-accelerometer with sensitivity up to 16.818 kHz/g, which is attributed to the nano-resonators using zinc oxide nanowires and the optimized microleverages and push-pull structures.

    • Pengfei Xu
    • , Dazhi Wang
    •  & Yan Cui

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A radiation damage cycle in X-ray-ionized solvated Mg ions is reported by the authors leading to production of water radicals and low-energy electrons. The Mg ion ends in its initial state quickly and can restart the cycle, multiplying the local damage.

    • Dana Bloß
    • , Florian Trinter
    •  & Andreas Hans

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Biaryl compounds with an axial chirality are valuable architectures but few methods have been developed for the construction of bridged biaryls, a subclass of these compounds that bear a tether to connect the two arenes and form a medium-sized ring. Here, the authors design a Co/SPDO-catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling/desymmetrization sequence of prochiral phenols for the enantioselective synthesis of biaxial bridged m-terphenyls embedded in an azocane.

    • Shuang-Hu Wang
    • , Shi-Qiang Wei
    •  & Tong-Mei Ding

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A comprehensive understanding of the transient characteristics in solid oxide cells is crucial when integrated with intermittent renewable energy. Here, authors reveal expressions for two general characteristic times quantifying transient phenomena due to heat and mass transfer lags in SOCs.

    • Zhaojian Liang
    • , Jingyi Wang
    •  & Mengying Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Producing valuable chemicals like ethylene via catalytic CO conversion is an important nonpetroleum route. Here, authors demonstrate high-rate electrosynthesis of multicarbon chemicals via CO electrolysis, with a multicarbon product partial current density of 4.35 A cm−2 at a cell voltage of 2.78 V.

    • Hefei Li
    • , Pengfei Wei
    •  & Xinhe Bao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors reveal a link between the quantum metric and the dielectric constant of insulators, determining the geometric capacitance of insulators and revealing the intrinsic delocalization of electrons in the lattice.

    • Ilia Komissarov
    • , Tobias Holder
    •  & Raquel Queiroz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors report the measurement of the Little-Parks effect in the unconventional superconductor candidate 4Hb-TaS2. They find a π-shift in the transition-temperature oscillations and an ehancement of Tc as a function of the out-of-plane field when a constant in-plane field is applied, consistent with a multi-component order parameter.

    • Avior Almoalem
    • , Irena Feldman
    •  & Amit Kanigel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Lattice stability related to the structural response is the basis for understanding mechanical and physical behavior of crystalline solids. Here, the authors show a manifestation of elastic instability in high-entropy alloys via elastic strain induced amorphization.

    • Yeqiang Bu
    • , Yuan Wu
    •  & Wei Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    2D semiconductors may offer a platform for future electronics, but the wafer-scale fabrication of high-performance 2D transistors remains challenging. Here, the authors report a universal all-stacking method to fabricate wafer-scale 2D electronic devices with van der Waals contacts, based on epitaxial metallic electrodes grown on fluorophlogopite mica.

    • Xiaodong Zhang
    • , Chenxi Huang
    •  & Hualing Zeng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors introduce a highspeed acquisition technique, sHAPR, for rapid exploration of biodynamics using fluorescence microscopy. The method leverages sCMOS cameras and custom fibre optics to convert microscopy images into 1D recordings, enabling acquisition at the maximum camera readout rate.

    • Biagio Mandracchia
    • , Corey Zheng
    •  & Shu Jia

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors observe THz emission from Ni/Pt heterostructure due to long-range ballistic orbital transport. The velocity of orbital current can be optically tuned by laser fluence, opening the avenue for future optorbitronic devices.

    • Sobhan Subhra Mishra
    • , James Lourembam
    •  & Ranjan Singh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The transport behavior of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) remains unclear. Here, the authors explore the fundamentals of low-wear and high-conductivity refractory HEAs, examining the cocktail effect in conductivity, and highlight its potential applications in enhancing atomic-scale image resolution.

    • Cheng-Hsien Yeh
    • , Wen-Dung Hsu
    •  & Chuan-Feng Shih

  • Article
    | Open Access

    By resonant pumping the organic cation in 2D perovskite, Fu et al. report the electronic and mechanical couplings between the organic and inorganic sublattices, evidenced by the reduced bandgap and modified lattice degree of freedom within the inorganic sublattice, and slow heat transfer process.

    • Jianhui Fu
    • , Tieyuan Bian
    •  & Tze Chien Sum

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