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Congratulations to Đorđe Petrovic, PostDoc from ANS group
Đorđe Petrovic, PostDoc from ANS group of LSM was selected as recipient of the FR26 Young Generation Paper Recognition.
When Quantum Magnets Lose Their Sense of Scale
Scale invariance asks whether the same patterns can govern nature across very different lengths, from microscopic matter to large natural structures. Magnets offer one of the cleanest examples: near a critical point, where order disappears, details of the material fade and universal laws take over.
Machine learning helps refine aerosol measurement characterization
Machine learning, applied to year-long observations from the Zeppelin Observatory on Svalbard, was capable of refining aerosol chemical characterization specifically those measured with state-of-the-art mass spectrometric techniques.
Surface-confined spiral state with a doubled magnetic period in Cu2OSeO3
Magnetism in solid materials originates from tiny atomic “compasses” called electron spins. In many magnetically ordered compounds, these spins simply align parallel or antiparallel to each other. However, in more complex systems they can arrange into ...
Towards digital twin of an in-situ experiment: a physics-enhanced machine-learning framework for inverse modelling of mass transport processes
Peng et al., 2026
As a prove of concept for experimental geochemistry, an advanced 3D numerical framework, here and after called Digital Twin (DT), of a diffusion experiment conducted at a synchrotron beamline, has been implemented using....
Compositional and structural controls on Fe(III) trapping in LDH phases
Ban et al., 2026
Understanding Fe incorporation in layered double hydroxide (LDH) phases is important for revealing the steel/cement interface interaction in low carbon cement. In this study, synchrotron-based characterization is....
Alkali-Metal Interlocking of 2D V4O10 Sheets Defines Discretized Interlayer Shear Relationships
Low-dimensional materials manifest structural anisotropy, quantum confinement, and tightly bound excitonic states, which make them attractive building blocks that can be assembled within three-dimensional laterally stitched heterostructures, stacked van der Waals solids, and complex moiré superlattices ...
Pore-scale reactive transport modeling of minerals dissolution and precipitation.
Mahrous et al., 2026
With the aim of identifying the strengths and limitations of current reactive transport models in simulating dissolution-precipitation reactions, this work validates experimentally a newly developed pore-scale model. The model is developed....
When Tungsten Meets Steel: Designing Interfaces for Fusion
Additive manufacturing enables new tungsten–steel designs for fusion reactors—but also creates complex microstructures. PSI researchers reveal how phases form and evolve at the interface during processing.
Cascade of Spin Moiré Superlattices with In-Plane Field in Triangular Lattice Semimetal EuAg4Sb2
EuAg4Sb2 is a rhombohedral europium triangular lattice material that exhibits a rich phase diagram of spin moiré superlattices (SMS) and single-q magnetic phases. In this paper, we characterize ...
Experimental observation of short-range magnetic correlations in amorphous Nb2O5 and Ta2O5 thin films
We use muon spin rotation/relaxation/resonance (μSR) to investigate the magnetic properties of niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) and tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) thin films. In both oxides, we observe a magnetic response at the lowest available temperature of 2.8 K ...
Vanishing ordered moment in the frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuNdO2
The steady decline of neutron imaging (NI) facilities—driven in part by the shutdown of several research reactors—has increased the need to maximize the use of existing infrastructure. In this context, a collaborative effort between PSI-CNM, PSI-NES, and EPFL-LRS has led to the development ...
Collaborative Development of a New Neutron Imaging Beamline at the Zero-Power CROCUS Reactor
The steady decline of neutron imaging (NI) facilities—driven in part by the shutdown of several research reactors—has increased the need to maximize the use of existing infrastructure. In this context, a collaborative effort between PSI-CNM, PSI-NES, and EPFL-LRS has led to the development ...
Preserving film sound in the cold at the British Film Institute: new evidence for archives
Can magnetic film sound be stored in the cold? A collaboration between the British Film Institute and PSI found no detectable damage in the studied samples and points to a broader future for archives, in which laboratory methods and synchrotron techniques at the Swiss Light Source SLS help guide the preservation of complex audiovisual media.
Exploring 3d systems for quantum spin liquids
Using neutron and muon experiments, a team from South Korea, the USA, the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), and ISIS investigated the structure under ambient conditions and dynamics of a magnetic field-induced intermediate ...
Bridging in-situ chemical imaging and pore-scale reactive transport modelling: mechanistic insight into CaCO3 polymorph dynamics
Peng et al., 2026
Understanding the growth and dissolution behavior of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) polymorphs is fundamental for studying biomineralization, environmental geochemistry, and reactive transport processes in porous systems. Among numerous carbonate phases, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) often plays....
Laboratory diffusion experiments with HTO, D2O, H218O, 36Cl−, Br−, I−, 79SeO42−, 22Na+, 85Sr2+, 133Ba2+ and 226Ra2+ in Opalinus Clay parallel to the bedding plane: experimental results and modelling
Van Loon et al., 2026
The diffusion of a suite of trace solutes (radiotracers and stable isotope species) through Opalinus Clay was studied on rock material from two different boreholes (BDR-2, BMA-A1) of the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland. Most tests were carried out on samples from borehole BDR-2, where the DR long-term diffusion-retention experiment was....
In-situ straining with a MEMS device
Researchers from an international collaboration between Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Taiwan have developed a device for the in situ straining of freestanding ferroic films alllowing for ptychographic imaging whilst applying a mechanical strain. The results have been published as Editors' Suggestion within Physical Review B.
Emergence of a Fluctuating Ground State in Y-Kapellasite under Pressure
Y-kapellasite [Y3Cu9(OH)19Cl8], which hosts an original anisotropic kagome sublattice, is a promising candidate for studying elusive and complex correlated physics. It exhibits a theoretically predicted in-plane (1/3; 1/3) magnetic order, but its magnetic interaction values place it close to a phase boundary to a spin liquid state ...
Green biomass as a sustainable source of protein
The food industry is increasingly focusing on sustainable products. Proteins from green biomass are a promising option, as a research team involving the MLZ has discovered. These can be used, for example, as stabilisers in emulsions, such as in plant-based alternatives to yogurt, milk, ice cream, or cheese.
Sharper, smaller, brighter: Improved Focusing at PX III after the SLS 2.0 Upgrade
The first experimental results from the upgraded X06DA-PX III beamline after the SLS 2.0 upgrade show measurable improvements of the focusing capabilities. Comparing the focus size before the SLS upgrade and afterwards, the benefit of the new storage ring becomes immediately evident.
Versatile Magneto- Dielectric Response of Epitaxial Thin Films of the High Entropy Oxide Perovskite Nd(Cr0.2Mn0.2Fe0.2Co0.2Ni0.2)O3
We report the dielectric and magnetic properties of epitaxial thin films of the high entropy oxide (HEO) perovskite Nd(Cr0.2Mn0.2Fe0.2Co0.2Ni0.2)O3, which orders magnetically below Tmag ≈ 190 K.
At T ≫ Tmag, the dielectric response reveals ...
Congratulations to Israa for winning the Poster Competition award for her poster “Efficient QR based Column Subset Selection through Randomized Sparse Embedding”
Doctoral student Israa Fakih, supervised by Prof. Laura Grigori, won the 1st place in Poster Competition award for her poster “Efficient QR based Column Subset Selection through Randomized Sparse Embedding”, at the SWICCOMAS Annual Event 2026, held at the University of Bern, Switzerland.
Characterization of Stable NiOx/ SrTaOxNy Bilayers Boosting the Oxygen Evolution Reaction for Solar Water Splitting
SrTaOxNy (STON) is a well-known visible light-responsive semiconductor with ideally located band edges that allow the operability of overall water splitting. Like many oxynitrides, STON shows evidence of detrimental physicochemical changes under oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions involving strong caustic electrolytes. ...
Resolving Complex Multiscale Structure of Magneto- and Electroactive Polymer Composites With an Ionic Liquid
A multiscale understanding of the structure of ionogels – nanoparticle-free polymer composites incorporating ionic liquids – is essential for enhancing their macroscopic functional properties and unlocking their potential in critical applications such as energy storage, sensing, and actuation. We establish ...
Mechanistic Thermodynamic Model for Zn2+ Uptake on Saponite
Stotskyi et al., 2026
Zn uptake by the synthetic trioctahedral clay mineral saponite was investigated in batch sorption experiments over a wide range of conditions....
Algebraic Loop Liquid in the Pyrochlore CsNiCrF6
The β-pyrochlore CsNiCrF6 is a charge ice—each tetrahedron of the pyrochlore lattice is occupied by two Ni2+ and two Cr3+ according to an ice rule, resulting in fully packed same-species loops with power-law length distribution. Using inelastic neutron scattering and numerical simulations, we show ...
A new database of inorganic materials is available on the Materials Cloud
A team of scientists, led by researchers at PSI, has introduced the Materials Cloud Three-Dimensional Structure Database (MC3D), a systematically curated database of quantum-mechanical calculations for inorganic materials derived from experimental crystal structures. The database contains more than 32 000 structures whose relaxed geometry and electronic structure were computed using carefully standardized DFT workflows, using three different functionals and/or computational protocols. Beyond providing a consistent reference dataset for computational materials science, MC3D also supports emerging data-driven approaches. For example, it served as a starting point for datasets used to train machine-learning interatomic potentials.
Oxygen-isotope effect on the density wave transitions in La3Ni2O7
The isotope effect is a powerful probe of electron-phonon interactions in solid-state systems, offering key insights into how atomic mass influences emergent quantum states. Here, the impact of oxygen-isotope substitution (16O→18O) on charge- and spin-density wave (CDW and SDW) transitions in the double-layer Ruddlesden-Popper nickelate La3Ni2O7 is investigated ...
Pressure and oxygen-isotope substitution on density-wave transitions in La4Ni3O10
Understanding the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity in nickelate systems is a key objective in condensed matter physics. Gaining microscopic insights into magnetism—particularly as it emerges near superconductivity—requires a synergistic approach that combines complementary experimental techniques with controlled tuning of external parameters. In this paper, we present ...
Powder-level carbide modification controls HIP grain growth and enhances fatigue in reused additively manufactured superalloy
Inconel 718 dominates laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) builds as the benchmark Ni superalloy for its γ′/γ″ hardenability, weldability, and qualification pedigree, yet its fatigue resistance remains limited by porosity, tensile residual stresses, and microstructural heterogeneity ...
Robust AC Vector Sensing at Zero Magnetic Field with Pentacene
Quantum sensors based on electronic spins have emerged as powerful probes of microwave-frequency fields. Among other solid-state platforms, spins in molecular crystals offer a range of advantages, from high spin density to functionalization via chemical tunability. Here, we demonstrate ...
Examining the pH dependence of Fe behavior in hydrotalcite-group structures
Ban et al., 2026
Hydrotalcite-group layered double hydroxide (LDH) phases are important in many technical and geological contexts, and in applications ranging from environmental processes to catalysts to cements. This study systematically investigates the roles of Fe in LDH structures across varying....
Second place for the best oral presentation at the 12th International Conference on Isotopes
Marie Théry, postdoctoral researcher in the Radionuclide development group, was awarded second place for the best oral presentation
Magnetic Signature of Chiral Phonons Revealed by Neutron Spectroscopy in Ferrimagnetic Fe1.75Zn0.25Mo3O8
Lattice vibrations can carry angular momentum and magnetic moments under broken inversion or time-reversal symmetry, forming so-called chiral phonons. While such excitations have been explored in nonmagnetic systems via optical probes, their direct detection in magnetic materials and coupling to spin excitations remain largely unexplored. Here, using neutron spectroscopy, ...
Topological metal-insulator transition within the ferromagnetic state
A major challenge in condensed matter physics is integrating topological phenomena with correlated electron physics to leverage both types of states for next-generation quantum devices. Metal-insulator transitions are central to bridging these two domains while simultaneously serving as on-off switches for electronic states. Here, we demonstrate ...
Niobium’s intrinsic coherence length and penetration depth revisited using low-energy muon spin spectroscopy and secondary-ion mass spectrometry
We report direct, simultaneous measurements of the London penetration depth (λL ) and Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer coherence length (ξ0) in oxygen-doped niobium, with impurity concentrations spanning the “clean”to “dirty” limits ...
Oxygen Isotope Fingerprints of Electron-Phonon Coupling in SrVO3 Films
Transition metals exemplify correlated electronic systems, where electron-electron (𝑒−𝑒) scattering often results in a quadratic temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity, 𝜌(𝑇) ∝𝑇2. In SrVO3 (SVO), a material with a 𝑉−3d1 electronic configuration that ensures metallicity through narrow 3𝑑−t2𝑔 bands, a 𝜌(𝑇) ∝𝑇2 dependence has been reported. While traditionally attributed to 𝑒−𝑒 scattering, recent studies suggest that electron-phonon (𝑒-ph) interactions may play a significant role. To unravel the influence of phonon interactions on carrier transport in SVO, we present a comparative study of the transport and optical properties of SVO films with partial substitution of 16O ions by their heavier isotope, 18O. Our findings reveal that 18O substitution induces a change in the slope of 𝑑𝜌(𝑇)/𝑑𝑇 at nominal fixed carrier density, highlighting the dominant contribution of 𝑒-ph coupling over 𝑒−𝑒 scattering in determining 𝜌(𝑇). Furthermore, it is found that the 18O substitution softens the phonon lattice and promotes a reduction in plasma frequency and an increase in the carrier effective mass. These results indicate that the 𝑒-ph coupling strength increases upon 18O substitution. Our findings suggest that 𝑒-ph interactions may surpass 𝑒−𝑒 scattering in governing the resistivity of metallic ionic lattices. ...
Presentation Prize 2026 (Doktorandentag, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich)
Benjamin Hunkeler, PhD student in the “Nuclide Chemistry Group” received the price for the best oral presentation
Best Presentation Award 2025 (SwyMIC Day 2025 in Lausanne)
Jerome Schmid, PhD student in the “Nuclide Chemistry Group” received the price for the best oral presentation at the SwyMIC Day 2025 in Lausanne
There’s an app for that: atomistic materials calculations made more accessible by the AiiDAlab Quantum ESPRESSO app
Powerful atomistic simulation tools have transformed materials research, but their complexity still limits who can use them and how easily results can be reproduced: a gap that a new web-based app now helps close. The AiiDAlab Quantum ESPRESSO app, described in a recent publication in npj Computational Materials, can run not only isolated calculations but also complete, end-to-end computational workflows involving multiple passages over several different materials, lowering the barrier for both experimentalists and computational experts. This is achieved through the tight integration of the widely-used Quantum ESPRESSO simulation software package with the AiiDA engine, a workflow-management system to help automate complex simulations in materials science (whose development is led by the Materials Software and Data group at PSI), which has provided substantial support to its development alongside contributions from the broader community.
Room-Temperature Magnetic Skyrmions and Intrinsic Anomalous Hall Effect in a Nodal-Line Kagomé Ferromagnet MnRhP
Topological magnetic semimetals with kagomé lattices have attracted significant attention due to their nontrivial electronic band structures and pronounced electromagnetic responses. The search for kagomé-lattice topological semimetals exhibiting magnetic ordering above room temperature is essential ...
Muon Knight Shift as a Precise Probe of the Superconducting Symmetry of Sr2RuO4
Muon spin rotation (𝜇SR) measurements of internal magnetic field shifts, known as the muon Knight shift, are used for determining pairing symmetries in superconductors. While this technique has been especially effective for 𝑓-electron-based heavy-fermion superconductors, it remains challenging ...
Low-frequency electrochemical pulsing to manage flooding and salt precipitation in zero-gap CO2-to-ethylene electrolyzers
The electrochemical conversion of CO2 to ethylene offers a promising approach to expand manufacturing of commodity chemicals and fuels. Specifically, ethylene is a critical precursor for polyethylene a $240B industry. Expanding productivity ...
Robust magnetic polaron percolation in the antiferromagnetic CMR system EuCd2P2
The interplay between magnetism and charge transport is central to understanding colossal magnetoresistance (CMR), a phenomenon well studied in ferromagnets. Recently, antiferromagnetic (AFM) EuCd2P2 has attracted considerable interest ...
Driving forces of mineral recrystallization in aqueous solutions derived from...
Curti et al., 2026
Recrystallization in aqueous solutions is a ubiquitous process susceptible to control the entrapment and release of toxic contaminants in the subsurface. However, unraveling the underlying mechanisms and driving forces has proven to be elusive, as recrystallization frequently follows different kinetic pathways even for the same mineral, depending on its initial state and pre-treatment. To obtain a better insight, a large body of experimental data from isotope tracer experiments carried out....
Swelling of Na-montmorillonite in the presence....
Owusu et al., 2026
Various dissolved gases, such as CO, H, and CH, may be present in the near-field geological repository due to metal corrosion or the degradation of organic waste. However, the influence of dissolved gases on the swelling behavior of bentonites, commonly used as backfill material, is still poorly understood. In this study, classical molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to....
Advanced muon-spin spectroscopy with high lateral resolution using Si-pixel detectors
Muon-spin spectroscopy at continuous sources has stagnated at a stopped muon rate of ∼40kHz for the last few decades. The major limiting factor is the requirement of a single muon in the sample during the typical 10µsdata gate window. To overcome this limit ...