I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
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Hemian
Yi
,
Yunzhe
Liu
,
Chengye
Dong
,
Yiheng
Yang
,
Zi-Jie
Yan
,
Zihao
Wang
,
Lingjie
Zhou
,
Dingsong
Wu
,
Houke
Chen
,
Stephen
Paolini
,
Bing
Xia
,
Bomin
Zhang
,
Xiaoda
Liu
,
Hongtao
Rong
,
Annie G.
Wang
,
Saswata
Mandal
,
Kaijie
Yang
,
Benjamin N.
Katz
,
Lunhui
Hu
,
Jieyi
Liu
,
Tien-Lin
Lee
,
Vincent H.
Crespi
,
Yuanxi
Wang
,
Yulin
Chen
,
Joshua A.
Robinson
,
Chao-Xing
Liu
,
Cui-Zu
Chang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[37930]
Abstract: In low-dimensional superconductors, the interplay between quantum confinement and interfacial hybridization effects can reshape Cooper-pair wavefunctions and give rise to unconventional superconducting states. Here we use plasma-free confinement epitaxy assisted by a carbon buffer layer to synthesize a gallium trilayer sandwiched between graphene and a 6H-SiC(0001) substrate. Within this confined gallium layer, we demonstrate interfacial Ising-type superconductivity driven by atomic orbital hybridization. Electrical transport measurements reveal that the in-plane upper critical magnetic field reaches ~21.98 T at T = 400 mK, approximately 3.38 times the Pauli paramagnetic limit. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, combined with theoretical calculations, confirm the presence of split Fermi surfaces with Ising-type spin textures at the K and K′ valleys of the confined gallium layer, originating from strong hybridization with the SiC substrate. This work establishes a strategy for realizing unconventional pairing wavefunctions through the synergistic combination of quantum confinement and interfacial hybridization effects.
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Apr 2026
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B07-B1-Versatile Soft X-ray beamline: High Throughput ES1
B18-Core EXAFS
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Caiwu
Liang
,
Lucas
Garcia Verga
,
Benjamin
Moss
,
Santosh
Kumar
,
Soren B.
Scott
,
Mark A.
Turner
,
Pilar
Ferrer
,
Veronica
Celorrio
,
David C.
Grinter
,
Yemin
Tao
,
Sid
Halder
,
Yifeng
Wang
,
Cindy
Tseng
,
Guangmeimei
Yang
,
Georg
Held
,
Sarah J.
Haigh
,
Aron
Walsh
,
Ifan E. L.
Stephens
,
James R.
Durrant
,
Reshma R.
Rao
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[34803, 30396, 31886]
Open Access
Abstract: Oxidation states underpin the understanding of active states, reaction mechanisms and catalytic performance of electrocatalysts. However, determining them at complex solid–liquid interfaces is challenging. Here we use multimodal spectroscopy to investigate polarized iridium oxide (IrOx) electrodes, a model water oxidation catalyst, to identify potential-dependent iridium and oxygen oxidation states. By integrating multiple operando spectroscopies (optical (ultraviolet–visible), Ir L-edge and O K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy) with electrochemistry mass spectrometry and density functional theory calculations, we identify the sequential depletion of electron densities from the Ir5d band (corresponding to Ir3+→Ir4+→Ir5+), followed by electron removal from the O2p band, forming electrophilic oxygen species (O−1) due to enhanced Ir–O covalency and electronic state overlap. Time-resolved measurements reveal distinct lifetimes for Ir5+ and O−1 states under water oxidation conditions, Ir5+ remains unreactive whereas O−1 is consumed at a time constant commensurate with the reaction rate, indicating that O−1 drives the oxygen evolution reaction. These findings demonstrate the necessity of using multiple operando techniques to gain a unified understanding of the evolution of oxidation states and active sites with potential for water oxidation on oxide catalysts.
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Feb 2026
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I07-Surface & interface diffraction
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Xinyi
Shen
,
Wing Tung
Hui
,
Shuaifeng
Hu
,
Fengning
Yang
,
Junke
Wang
,
Jin
Yao
,
Atse
Louwen
,
Bryan Siu Ting
Tam
,
Lirong
Rong
,
David P.
Mcmeekin
,
Kilian
Lohmann
,
Qimu
Yuan
,
Matthew C.
Naylor
,
Manuel
Kober-Czerny
,
Seongrok
Seo
,
Philippe
Holzhey
,
Karl-Augustin
Zaininger
,
M. Greyson
Christoforo
,
Perrine
Carroy
,
Vincent
Barth
,
Fion Sze Yan
Yeung
,
Nakita K.
Noel
,
Michael
Johnston
,
Yen-Hung
Lin
,
Henry J.
Snaith
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[39532]
Open Access
Abstract: Vacuum-based deposition is a scalable, solvent-free industrial method ideal for uniform coatings on complex substrates. However, all-vacuum-deposited perovskite solar cells fabricated by thermal evaporation trail solution-processed counterparts in efficiency and stability due to film quality challenges, necessitating advancement and improved understanding. Here, we report a co-evaporation route for 1.67-eV wide-bandgap perovskites by introducing a PbCl2 co-source to optimize film quality. We promote perovskite formation with pronounced (100) ‘face-up’ orientation and deliver a certified all-vacuum-deposited solar cell with 18.35% efficiency (19.3% in the laboratory) for 0.25-cm2 devices (18.5% for 1-cm2 cells). These cells retain 80% of peak efficiency after 1,080 h under the ISOS-L-2 protocol. Leveraging operando hyperspectral imaging, we provide spatiotemporal spectral insight into halide segregation and trap-mediated recombination, correlating microscopic luminescence features with macroscopic device performance while distinguishing radiative from non-ideal recombination channels. We further demonstrate 27.2%-efficient 1-cm2 evaporated perovskite-on-silicon tandem cells and outdoor stability of all-vacuum-deposited tandems in Italy, retaining ~80% initial performance after eight months.
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Feb 2026
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I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
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Ziwei J.
Yang
,
Zhuangnan
Li
,
Leyi
Loh
,
James
Moloney
,
John
Walmsley
,
Jiahang
Li
,
Yuan
Chen
,
Lixin
Liu
,
Han
Zang
,
Han
Yan
,
Soumya
Sarkar
,
Jason
Day
,
Yan
Wang
,
Manish
Chhowalla
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[36790, 39914]
Open Access
Abstract: Metallic, two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets show promise for energy storage and catalysis applications. However, current chemical exfoliation methods require more than 48 h to produce milligrams of material, and result in an impure mixture of metallic (1T/1T′, approximately 50%–70%) and semiconducting (2H) phases. Here we demonstrate large-scale and rapid (>600 g h−1) production of nearly pure-phase metallic two-dimensional MoS2 nanosheets using microwave irradiation. Atomic-resolution imaging and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show nearly 100% metallic phase in the basal plane. This high purity leads to a large exchange current density (0.175 ± 0.030 mA cm−2) and low Tafel slopes (39–47 mV dec−1) for hydrogen evolution reaction. In supercapacitors and lithium–sulfur pouch-cell batteries, the resulting nanosheets enable a high volumetric capacitance of 753.0 ± 3.6 F cm−3 and a specific capacity of 1,245 ± 16 mAh g−1 (electrolyte-to-sulfur ratio, 2 µl mg−1), respectively. Our method provides a practical pathway for producing high-quality metallic two-dimensional materials for high-performance energy devices.
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Jan 2026
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I05-ARPES
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Hongyun
Zhang
,
Jinxi
Lu
,
Kai
Liu
,
Yijie
Wang
,
Size
Wu
,
Wanying
Chen
,
Xuanxi
Cai
,
Kenji
Watanabe
,
Takashi
Taniguchi
,
Jose
Avila
,
Pavel
Dudin
,
Matthew D.
Watson
,
Alex
Louat
,
Takafumi
Sato
,
Pu
Yu
,
Wenhui
Duan
,
Zhida
Song
,
Guorui
Chen
,
Shuyun
Zhou
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[37939]
Abstract: The fractional quantum anomalous Hall effect (FQAHE) is a fascinating emergent quantum state characterized by fractionally charged excitations in the absence of a magnetic field. Recently, the FQAHE has been observed in aligned rhombohedral pentalayer graphene on BN (aligned R5G/BN)1 with moiré potential. Intriguingly, the FQAHE preferably emerges when carriers are displaced away from the moiré interface1,2,3, raising debates about the role of moiré potential4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17. Here, by performing nanospot angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we directly visualize the topological flat band in both aligned and non-aligned R5G/BN. The moiré potential in the aligned sample generates moiré bands and enhances the topological flat band as compared to non-aligned sample. Combined with theoretical calculations, we propose that the moiré bands on the top surface arise through the interlayer Coulomb interaction with the moiré-modulated bottom layer. Our results provide direct experimental evidence for the role of moiré potential in aligned rhombohedral graphene, and establish a foundation for understanding its emergent quantum phenomena.
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Nov 2025
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Hari
Padma
,
Filippo
Glerean
,
Sophia F. R.
Tenhuisen
,
Zecheng
Shen
,
Haoxin
Wang
,
Luogen
Xu
,
Joshua D.
Elliott
,
Christopher C.
Homes
,
Elizabeth
Skoropata
,
Hiroki
Ueda
,
Biaolong
Liu
,
Eugenio
Paris
,
Arnau
Romaguera Camps
,
Byungjune
Lee
,
Wei
He
,
Yu
Wang
,
Seng Huat
Lee
,
Hyeongi
Choi
,
Sang-Youn
Park
,
Zhiqiang
Mao
,
Matteo
Calandra
,
Hoyoung
Jang
,
Elia
Razzoli
,
Mark P. M.
Dean
,
Yao
Wang
,
Matteo
Mitrano
Abstract: Optically excited quantum materials exhibit non-equilibrium states with remarkable emergent properties, but these phenomena are usually transient, decaying on picosecond timescales and limiting practical applications. Advancing the design and control of non-equilibrium phases requires the development of targeted strategies to achieve long-lived, metastable phases. Here we report the discovery of symmetry-protected electronic metastability in the model cuprate ladder Sr14Cu24O41. Using femtosecond resonant X-ray scattering and spectroscopy, we show that this metastability is driven by a transfer of holes from chain-like charge reservoirs into the ladders. This ultrafast charge redistribution arises from the optical dressing and activation of a hopping pathway that is forbidden by symmetry at equilibrium. Relaxation back to the ground state is, hence, suppressed after the pump coherence dissipates. Our findings highlight how dressing materials with electromagnetic fields can dynamically activate terms in the electronic Hamiltonian, and provide a rational design strategy for non-equilibrium phases of matter.
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Jun 2025
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E02-JEM ARM 300CF
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[28500, 30057, 30160, 30157, 31872]
Open Access
Abstract: Organic molecular crystals encompass a vast range of materials from pharmaceuticals to organic optoelectronics, proteins and waxes in biological and industrial settings. Crystal defects from grain boundaries to dislocations are known to play key roles in mechanisms of growth1,2 and in the functional properties of molecular crystals3,4,5. In contrast to the precise analysis of individual defects in metals, ceramics and inorganic semiconductors enabled by electron microscopy, substantially greater ambiguity remains in the experimental determination of individual dislocation character and slip systems in molecular materials3. In large part, nanoscale dislocation analysis in molecular crystals has been hindered by the low electron doses required to avoid irreversibly degrading these crystals6. Here we present a low-dose, single-exposure approach enabling nanometre-resolved analysis of individual dislocations in molecular crystals. We demonstrate the approach for a range of crystal types to reveal dislocation character and operative slip systems unambiguously.
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Mar 2025
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B22-Multimode InfraRed imaging And Microspectroscopy
I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Yu
Han
,
Wenyuan
Huang
,
Meng
He
,
Bing
An
,
Yinlin
Chen
,
Xue
Han
,
Lan
An
,
Meredydd
Kippax-Jones
,
Jiangnan
Li
,
Yuhang
Yang
,
Mark D.
Frogley
,
Cheng
Li
,
Danielle
Crawshaw
,
Pascal
Manuel
,
Svemir
Rudic
,
Yongqiang
Chen
,
Ian
Silverwood
,
Luke L.
Daemen
,
Anibal J.
Ramirez-Cuesta
,
Sarah J.
Day
,
Stephen P.
Thompson
,
Ben F.
Spencer
,
Marek
Nikiel
,
Daniel
Lee
,
Martin
Schroeder
,
Sihai
Yang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[37155, 36474]
Open Access
Abstract: Capture of trace benzene is an important and challenging task. Metal–organic framework materials are promising sorbents for a variety of gases, but their limited capacity towards benzene at low concentration remains unresolved. Here we report the adsorption of trace benzene by decorating a structural defect in MIL-125-defect with single-atom metal centres to afford MIL-125-X (X = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn; MIL-125, Ti8O8(OH)4(BDC)6 where H2BDC is 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid). At 298 K, MIL-125-Zn exhibits a benzene uptake of 7.63 mmol g−1 at 1.2 mbar and 5.33 mmol g−1 at 0.12 mbar, and breakthrough experiments confirm the removal of trace benzene (from 5 to <0.5 ppm) from air (up to 111,000 min g−1 of metal–organic framework), even after exposure to moisture. The binding of benzene to the defect and open Zn(II) sites at low pressure has been visualized by diffraction, scattering and spectroscopy. This work highlights the importance of fine-tuning pore chemistry for designing adsorbents for the removal of air pollutants.
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Nov 2024
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I07-Surface & interface diffraction
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Dionisius H. L.
Tjhe
,
Xinglong
Ren
,
Ian
Jacobs
,
Gabriele
D'Avino
,
Tarig B. E.
Mustafa
,
Thomas G.
Marsh
,
Lu
Zhang
,
Yao
Fu
,
Ahmed E.
Mansour
,
Andreas
Opitz
,
Yuxuan
Huang
,
Wenjin
Zhu
,
Ahmet Hamdi
Unal
,
Sebastiaan
Hoek
,
Vincent
Lemaur
,
Claudio
Quarti
,
Qiao
He
,
Jin-Kyun
Lee
,
Iain
Mcculloch
,
Martin
Heeney
,
Norbert
Koch
,
Clare P.
Grey
,
David
Beljonne
,
Simone
Fratini
,
Henning
Sirringhaus
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[30708, 30349]
Open Access
Abstract: Conducting polymers are mixed ionic–electronic conductors that are emerging candidates for neuromorphic computing, bioelectronics and thermoelectrics. However, fundamental aspects of their many-body correlated electron–ion transport physics remain poorly understood. Here we show that in p-type organic electrochemical transistors it is possible to remove all of the electrons from the valence band and even access deeper bands without degradation. By adding a second, field-effect gate electrode, additional electrons or holes can be injected at set doping states. Under conditions where the counterions are unable to equilibrate in response to field-induced changes in the electronic carrier density, we observe surprising, non-equilibrium transport signatures that provide unique insights into the interaction-driven formation of a frozen, soft Coulomb gap in the density of states. Our work identifies new strategies for substantially enhancing the transport properties of conducting polymers by exploiting non-equilibrium states in the coupled system of electronic charges and counterions.
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Jul 2024
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I19-Small Molecule Single Crystal Diffraction
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[31498]
Open Access
Abstract: By virtue of their open network structures and low densities, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are soft materials that exhibit elastic instabilities at low applied stresses. The conventional strategy for improving elastic stability is to increase the connectivity of the underlying MOF network, which necessarily increases the material density and reduces the porosity. Here we demonstrate an alternative paradigm, whereby elastic stability is enhanced in a MOF with an aperiodic network topology. We use a combination of variable-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements and coarse-grained lattice-dynamical calculations to interrogate the high-pressure behaviour of the topologically aperiodic system TRUMOF-1, which we compare against that of its ordered congener MOF-5. We show that the topology of the former quenches the elastic instability responsible for pressure-induced framework collapse in the latter, much as irregularity in the shapes and sizes of stones acts to prevent cooperative mechanical failure in drystone walls. Our results establish aperiodicity as a counter-intuitive design motif in engineering the mechanical properties of framework structures that is relevant to MOFs and larger-scale architectures alike.
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Jul 2024
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