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Metamaterial boosts heat transfer on the nanoscale

Frost spreads across surfaces via suspended ‘ice bridges’

Previously unknown pathway involving superhydrophobic surfaces could influence the development of new anti-icing techniques

Diagrams showing the formation of ice bridges both in and out of plane

Machine vision begins to work like the human eye

New artificial vision system adapts faster to changing light conditions

Research headlines

New superconducting diode gives greater control over the flow of electrons

Device based on two-dimensional oxide interface superconductors can be “edited” using atomic force microscope lithography

Three men standing in a laboratory next to a rack of equipment and a vacuum chamber with many ports and hoses. The men are wearing blue lab coats and protective booties over their shoes.

Mouldable glass screen could make mammograms clearer and much more comfortable

New device produces higher-resolution X-ray images using a much lower dose of radiation

The inside of a memory card viewed in an X-ray image

Encapsulation enhances surface structure imaging of 2D quantum material

New technique allows researchers to probe the top layer of an atomically thin topological quantum material for the first time

Altermagnets can turn neighbouring materials altermagnetic, too

"Proximity effect" appears in models of semiconductor/altermagnet bilayer structures

A sketch of a chameleon patterned with faint red and blue diamonds sitting on top of a block of material patterned with strong red and blue diamonds

Photonic glasses deliver angle-independent structural colour, including reds

Gold nanoparticles absorb blue light

Bird motifs coloured using the new photonic glass

Physicists create mechanical memory device from slap-bracelet-like structures

Placing the structures on a variably spinning turntable creates a scalable way of addressing single bits of memory

Videos

Eco chic: clothing made from trees, inspired by spiders

Innovation in diamond applications from Element Six

Bristol print innovators make a strong impression

Researchers at the Centre for Print Research

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The wonderful world of microfluidics

Nicole Sharp reviews How the World Flows: Microfluidics from Raindrops to COVID Tests by Albert Folch

$Worker using a tool to cut a channel in a rubber tree's trunk to direct the flow of latex into a collecting bowl tied to the tree$

Particle size affects contact electrification

Researchers in Chile shed more light on the little-understood phenomenon of static electricity

Photo of the experimental apparatus in the laboratory, showing a tall, well-lit transparent box supported by a metal frame. A camera is mounted on a vertical track next to the box and there are ladders in the background.

Electron beams rearrange atoms in a 3D crystal

New technique could support atomic-scale manufacturing

Illustration of how an electron beam is used to modify a crystal

Why is rubber so resilient?

New molecular dynamics simulations may have provided the answer to this nearly century-old question

A pile of black charcoal against a white background

Ultrasound-activated nanoparticles shine a light deep within living tissues

Non-invasive technique could lead to new forms of light-based therapy for cancer and genetic conditions

Diagram showing the locations of the ultrasound applied to the mouse

Memory device breaks high-temperature performance record

New memristor works at temperatures above 700 °C thanks to a bottom electrode made from graphene

Tiny knotted fibre leaps into the air like a springtail bug

The fibre robot could find applications in agriculture and reforestation

researcher holding a tiny knotted robot with tweezers

AI could help human scientists pick promising research topics

Large language models flag up novel combinations of concepts in materials science

An AI-generated knowledge network of technical terms. It looks like a mostly green inkblot splatter, with purple edges (representing less well-connected terms) and yellow and red splodges (representing better-connected terms) in the interior. Some labels are visible. For example, "mechanical property" and "particle size" are in the well-connected interior, while terms such as "peierls stress" and "dynamic recrystallization" are out on the edges.

Darkness can travel faster than light

Discovery of superluminal correlations within 2D hexagonal boron nitride could advance super-resolution electron microscopy

Conceptual illustration showing a glowing pool dotted with blue and orange vortices

Bat-inspired drone can navigate through dense fog and dodge obstacles

New low-power robot works using echolocation and could find applications in search and rescue missions in difficult-to-access spaces

Memristive synapses could reduce AI energy consumption

Hafnium-oxide based nanomaterial mimics the mechanisms of the human brain

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Materials | Workshop Exploring Two-dimensional Nanomaterials for Future Applications 27—29 July 2026 | Dresden, Germany
Materials | Conference Beyond the Barrier: Advances in Hidden Materials Detection 19 August 2026 | London, UK
Materials | Conference Physical Aspects of Polymer Science 2026 9—11 September 2026 | Nottingham, UK

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