Read article: Surface ‘signature’ could distinguish exotic topological insulators
Changes in the polarization of light reflecting off a material’s surface could indicate whether it is a higher-order topological insulator, say theorists
Read article: Spiralling phonons turn a paramagnetic material into a magnet
Collective motion of atoms breaks the time-reversal symmetry of electrons in a rare-earth halide
Read article: Ion-exchange bead writes under water
New generic technique requires no substrate to fix ink and works thanks to a phenomenon known as diffusion-osmotic flow
Read article: Quantum anomalous Hall insulator carries current in its interior, not just its edges
Unexpected electron transport behaviour shows how much we don’t know about topological materials, say physicists
Read article: Applied magnetic field flips a material’s thermal expansion
New technique could be an alternative to chemical substitution for regulating the expansion of magnetic materials
Read article: Polar bear fur inspires solar-thermal textiles
New fabric is 30% lighter in weight than cotton and keeps wearers warmer at colder temperatures
Read article: Sound waves break light transmission reciprocity
New technique could advance optical communications that encode information in the orbital angular momentum of light
Read article: Sugar offers a sweet solution for patterning curvy microelectronics
Embedding tiny patterns in chunks of sugar avoids use of harmful chemicals
Read article: 4D-printed material responds to environmental stimuli
3D-printed structures with properties that change over time could have applications in robotics and sensing
Read article: Meta-atoms act like road signs for light waves
Nonlinear dielectric nanostructures could control the flow of light in next-generation devices for information processing and communications
