Scientific Highlights

Fig. 1: RIXS investigation of iridate/titanate heterostructures. (a) Representation of (SrIrO3)m(SrTiO3)1 superlattices grown on a (001)-oriented SrTiO3 single-crystal substrate. (b) Phase diagram of the (SrIrO3)m(SrTiO3)1 system, showing the bandwidth-controlled metal-insulator transition that occurs as the confinement increases from m = 3 to m = 2. (c) Intensity map of Ir L3-edge RIXS spectra for the m = 4 sample at T = 20 K, plotted as a function of energy transfer and momentum transfer Q. Two distinct e
•Future Technologies

Unravelling the coexistence of insulating and metallic-like excitations in SrIrO₃

A team led by researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI used resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to probe spin and charge fluctuations in atomically engineered SrIrO₃. The results revealed that insulator-like and metallic-like modes can simultaneously emerge in a correlated 5d semimetal, advancing the understanding of “strange metal” behaviour in spin–orbit coupled systems.

iSFAC
•Fundamentals of Nature

Measuring How Molecules Communicate

A collaboration between PSI and the University of Vienna has resulted in a new experimental method that, for the first time, enables the direct measurement of partial charges in molecules. Partial charges are fundamental to understanding molecular structure, interactions, and reactivity, yet until now no general technique existed to determine them experimentally. 

The Quantum Revolution: What's Next?
•Zukunftstechnologien
•8 min

The Quantum Revolution: What's Next?

Quantenforschung

A century on from the birth of quantum mechanics, 2025 marks the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. What does the future hold? Our experts share their opinions.

TOC 2 Nanoletters
•Future Technologies

Antiferrodistortive and ferroeletric phase transitions in freestanding films of SrTiO3

Materials research SLS

Epitaxially grown thin films are commonly used to strain engineer electronic properties by the choice of a substrate, and therefore do not match bulk properties (leading to properties that deviate from the bulk material). Free standing ultrathin oxide films are expected to preserve the bulk-like properties due to the absence of substrate influence. However,  we show that this expectation is not fulfilled with ultrathin free standing SrTiO3, as they get ferroelectric at 80K.

Proteine sind an allen Lebensvorgängen beteiligt. Sie sind Gebilde aus Aminosäureketten, die sich zu komplexen Strukturen formen. Diese Struktur ist entscheidend für die Funktion der Proteine. Deshalb ist die Möglichkeit, die Struktur eines Proteins anhand seiner Aminosäuresequenz mithilfe von KI vorherzusagen, so wichtig für das Verständnis des Lebens und für Innovation in Medizin und Biologie.
•Grundlagen der Natur
•6 min

Die Rätsel der Proteine entschlüsseln

Biologie Chemie KI

Der diesjährige Nobelpreis für Chemie geht an drei Forscher, die entscheidend dazu beigetragen haben, den Code der Proteine – wichtige Bausteine des Lebens – zu knacken. Doch damit aus diesem Wissen auch Anwendungen zum Beispiel in der Medizin entwickelt werden können, braucht es Forschungsinstitute wie das PSI.