https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/rss/2515-7639 Latest articles for Journal of Physics: Materials https://iopscience.iop.org/image/iopscience-rss.gif https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/rss/2515-7639 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae94b3 Alnico magnets have gained renewed interest in the search for rare-earth free permanent magnets due to their high thermal stability and magnetisation. However, the limited coercivity of these shape-anisotropy-based alloys constrains their performance. Their coercivity can be improved by tailoring their structure at the micro- and nano-levels and by identifying the elemental composition and crystal structure that would increase anisotropy. Alnico alloys are composed of millimetre-to-micrometer-sized grains of different sizes and orientations. Inside each grain, magnetic nanorods embedded in a non-magnetic matrix form as a result of thermo-magnetic treatment of the cast alloy. Starting from a reference Alnico sample, we realised a finite elements micromagnetic study of exchange-decoupled rods by varying their dimensions and interrod spacing across those observed experimentally. We computed the hysteresis properties by progressing from micromagnetic simulations of a small number of rods within the magnetostatic field of their neighbours to large systems treated statistically based on the distribution of orientations of the grains. We compared the coercivity of an isolated rod with that of the exchange-decoupled system to highlight the effect of magnetostatic interactions. We computed analytically the stray field acting on a single rod as a consequence of its surrounding rods in order to confirm the scaling of the coercivity with the packing fraction . We explored how intrinsic material properties influence magnetic behaviour by examining materials with different magnetocrystalline anisotropy constants and saturation polarisation values. Results from several hundred simulations were used to train a multi-layer perceptron regressor and predict the magnetic properties as function of the dimensions of the rods, interrod spacing and orientation of the grains. With this approach, we highlight the underlying trends by which nanoscale structuring, intrinsic material properties and grain alignment can be tailored to improve the magnetic properties of Alnico alloys. Anda Elena Stanciu, Johann Fischbacher, Markus Gusenbauer, Alexander Kovacs, Harald Oezelt, Joachim Seland Graff, Patricia Carvalho, Anette Eleonora Gunnæs, Matej Zaplotnik, Espen Sagvolden, Spyros Diplas and Thomas Schrefl 2026-08-19T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Anda Elena Stanciu <em>et al</em> Anda Elena Stanciu <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 035020 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae94b3/pdf 20/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 035020 10.1088/2515-7639/ae94b3 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae96d2 The rapid expansion of portable and wearable electronics has created a simultaneous demand for materials that can both store energy efficiently and protect devices from electromagnetic interference (EMI). In this context, MXenes have emerged as promising candidates due to their high electrical conductivity and rapid ion transport capability. However, their pronounced restacking tendency significantly restricts accessible surface area and limits overall performance. To address this challenge while introducing multifunctionality, redox-active polydiaminoanthraquinone (PDAAQ) was rationally intercalated into Ti3C2TX MXene by in situ oxidative polymerization to suppress restacking and accelerate ion transport. Beyond acting as a physical spacer, PDAAQ provides additional pseudocapacitive contribution through quinone-based redox reactions, enhancing the overall charge storage behavior. This present study employs free-standing film architecture, which facilitates continuous electron pathways and improves ion transport without the need for binders or conductive additives. The MXene/PDAAQ free-standing nanocomposite films demonstrated a high specific capacitance of 942.5 F g−1 and excellent cycling stability with 96% retention after 5000 cycles. A solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor was assembled using a PVA/H2SO4 gel electrolyte as both the electrolyte and separator. The device exhibited high volumetric and gravimetric capacitances of 423.177 F cm−3 (406 F g−1), respectively, and delivered a volumetric energy density of 30.1 Wh l−1 at a power density of 800 W l−1. Beyond energy storage, the same dense and well-oriented conductive network provided effective EMI attenuation. The MXene/PDAAQ nanocomposite film had a high electrical conductivity (12.4 × 103 S cm−1) and achieved 40 dB of shielding effectiveness at 11.2 GHz in the X-band, where reflection of electromagnetic waves by the film was identified as the dominant shielding mechanism. The MXene/PDAAQ system shows promising electrochemical performance as well as effective electromagnetic shielding behavior. Each property was examined individually, indicating its potential for use in next-generation electronic devices. Aleyna Akıllı Samur, Buket Onat, Bircan Haspulat Taymaz, Volkan Eskizeybek and Handan Kamış 2026-08-19T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Aleyna Akıllı Samur <em>et al</em> Aleyna Akıllı Samur <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 035021 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae96d2/pdf 20/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 035021 10.1088/2515-7639/ae96d2 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae9596 Transition metal dichalcogenides have garnered significant attention due to their potential in constructing in-memory logic devices and realizing non-von Neumann computing architectures. Leveraging the core advantages of two-dimensional materials—such as atomically thin thickness, excellent electrical properties, and innate compatibility with flexible electronics—this study fabricated an inverter device by dry-transferring WS2 and WSe2 (Shen et al 2022 Adv. Electron. Mater.8 2200768). To further optimize performance, we systematically investigated the influence of substrate interface engineering on device behavior (Liu et al 2015 ACS Nano9 7904–12). Furthermore, by utilizing the photosensitive characteristics of 2D materials, we achieved dynamic modulation of the device performance through external light illumination and optical power adjustment (Kumar et al 2025 Adv. Funct. Mater.38 2507587). Notably, as shown in figures S1 and S2 under a source-drain voltage (Vds) of 5 V, the static operating current (Ids) of this inverter in the low/high resistance states was only about 1 pA, significantly reducing operational power consumption, by comparison with other literature, the results show that the static current of 1 nA of our device is comparable to that of the recently reported WSe2/WS2 complementary inverter (Shen et al 2022 Adv. Electron. Mater.8 2200768), and falls within the nW-to-pW power consumption range of typical 2D CMOS inverters. This research provides an innovative pathway for the development of non-von Neumann devices aimed at meeting the information processing demands of the post-Moore’s Law era. Tianci Huang, Jie Zhong, Zhihan Jin, Hao Liu, Chuanqi Tang, Feifan Xu, Chee Leong Tan, Yuxuan Wang and Shancheng Yan 2026-08-18T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Tianci Huang <em>et al</em> Tianci Huang <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 035019 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae9596/pdf 19/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 035019 10.1088/2515-7639/ae9596 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae9191 Singlet fission (SF) is a spin-allowed photophysical process of considerable interest for next-generation solar-energy conversion. Orientation, proximity and orbital overlap of the chromophores largely affect the success of SF, which can be overcome by forming covalent-linked dimers. However, triplet separation then becomes a key challenge for efficient SF. Therefore, we are introducing a dynamic, non-covalent dimer strategy, that enables effective SF without requiring covalent linkers or solid-state packing. The chromophores associate only through weak intermolecular interactions forming dynamic dimers, still able to undergo SF. Two TIPS-pentacene derivatives functionalized with a thiophene unit at the 2-position, bearing either an aldehyde (PTA) or a carboxylic acid (PTCA), were synthesized to promote π-stacking and hydrogen bonding. Comprehensive photophysical characterization shows that both compounds can undergo efficient SF even at micromolar concentrations, with initial rates of 1.3 × 1011 and 5.6 × 1010 s−1, respectively. Furthermore, unlike covalent dimers or crystalline systems, our approach facilitates tunability of the excited-state dynamics by concentrations, pH, and the introduction of cations that form dynamic ion-bridges through weak coordination. These results demonstrate that dynamic, non-covalent assemblies offer a versatile platform for modulating SF in solution and opening new avenues for designing adaptive SF materials. Hanna Larsson, Hassan Mourad, Maureen Gumbo, Andrew B Maurer and Maria Abrahamsson 2026-08-17T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Hanna Larsson <em>et al</em> Hanna Larsson <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 035018 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae9191/pdf 18/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 035018 10.1088/2515-7639/ae9191 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae7dde Non-centrosymmetric magnetic materials are a promising platform for stabilizing chiral spin textures, such as skyrmions and cycloidal magnetic states. This is particularly true in epitaxial thin film geometries, where strain and interface effects offer additional control. Herein, we report on the first epitaxial thin films of EuPdSi grown by molecular beam epitaxy on MgO(001). X-ray diffraction confirms an epitaxial relationship of tetragonal EuPdSi in the BaNiSn structure with out-of-plane -axis orientation and parallel in-plane -axes. Hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals a stable Eu valence of 2.0, yielding a large magnetic moment of approximately 7  per Eu atom in accordance with Hund’s rule. Owing to the non-centrosymmetric crystal structure, non-collinear magnetic states such as Néel-type skyrmions and cycloidal phases are allowed by symmetry. Electronic transport measurements reveal two magnetic phase transitions at 19 K and 15 K in zero applied field. Under magnetic fields applied along the crystallographic [100] and [001] directions, distinct temperature dependent magnetic phases emerge, demonstrating the sensitivity of the magnetic ground state to field orientation in epitaxial EuPdSi thin films. Sebastian Kölsch, Alfons G Schuck, Olena Fedchenko, Dmitry Vasilyev, Olena Tkach, Sergeij Chernov, Christoph Schlüter, Andrii Gloskowski, Jens Müller, Hans-Joachim Elmers, Gerd Schönhense and Michael Huth 2026-08-16T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Sebastian Kölsch <em>et al</em> Sebastian Kölsch <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 035017 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae7dde/pdf 17/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 035017 10.1088/2515-7639/ae7dde https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae8e02 The urgent need to decarbonize medium- to high-temperature industrial process heat, combined with the high cost and limited lifespan of current parabolic trough collectors (PTCs), motivates the development of a simpler, more durable, and lower-cost alternative that retains commercial-grade performance. This work introduces a coating-free, vacuum-free spectrally selective solar absorber achieved by nanotexturing AISI 316 stainless steel with periodic submicron pyramidal arrays. Optical constants were rigorously obtained via multi-objective fitting of a Lorentz–Drude model to experimental data, enabling accurate 3D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) wave-optics simulations over a broad wavelength range. The pyramidal geometry was optimized using particle swarm optimization coupled with FDTD and a one-dimensional steady-state thermal model. The optimized nanotextured surface (pyramid base 166 nm, height 755 nm) delivers solar absorptance αs 0.98 and thermal emittance ϵth 0.36 (at 400 °C), absorbing 3%–4% more incident solar energy than leading commercial cermet coatings (αs 0.95–0.96, th = 0.09–0.11) and compensating for the significantly larger emittance in infrared. Under realistic PTC operating conditions (C = 82 suns, 1000 W m−2 incident flux, heat transfer fluid temperature of 250 °C), the monolithic nanotextured receiver achieves a thermal conversion efficiency of 78.6%, fully competitive with the best commercial vacuum-tube receivers (78.5%–79.4%), while eliminating all components prone to degradation. By replacing complex coatings with purely geometric light trapping on a single structural alloy, this design would promisingly offer intrinsic high-temperature stability (>500 °C), immunity to hydrogen-induced or oxidative degradation, and compatibility with scalable nanofabrication, paving the way for significantly simpler, lower-cost, and longer-lifetime parabolic trough systems for both power generation and solar industrial process heat. Levent Güner, Onur Taylan and A Alperen Günay 2026-08-16T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Levent Güner <em>et al</em> Levent Güner <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 035016 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae8e02/pdf 17/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 035016 10.1088/2515-7639/ae8e02 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae93fd Artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating materials prediction and design by enabling efficient exploration of chemical and structural spaces, with particular promise for novel materials discovery. However, novelty in materials discovery encompasses chemical plausibility, structural distinctiveness, property relevance and experimental realisability, making AI-driven novelty claims difficult to substantiate. We introduce a materials property hierarchy, from intrinsic, composition-determined properties to extrinsic, processing-dependent performance, to clarify deployment constraints and distinguish structural, physical and deployment novelty. This framework motivates an evidence-based view of multimodal materials data spanning chemical composition, microstructure, processing, and testing and characterisation, showing that current evidence remains concentrated in composition and idealised structure while heterogeneous, under-represented and weakly integrated modalities limit support for physical and deployment novelty. It also highlights the limitations of benchmarks based mainly on computational labels and proxy novelty criteria. Community-wide standards for data collection, modality alignment and evidence synthesis are needed to support multimodal data construction, process-aware multimodal modelling, feasibility-first generative modelling and deployment-aware benchmarking, so that generative and multimodal AI can design experimentally realisable materials with defensible scientific and practical novelty. Xianyuan Liu, Charles Anjah, Benjamin E Jolly, Jonathon F S Markanday, Joshua Berry, Haolin Wang, Nicola A Morley, Robert D J Oliver, Alexandra J Ramadan, Delvin Ce Zhang, Katerina A Christofidou and Haiping Lu 2026-08-16T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Xianyuan Liu <em>et al</em> Xianyuan Liu <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 031003 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae93fd/pdf 17/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 031003 10.1088/2515-7639/ae93fd https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae9228 To address the significant productivity challenges associated with the qualification and certification (Q&C) tasks of additively manufactured (AM) parts, which have traditionally relied on rigorous post‐build inspection and testing, we propose an integrated framework that combines model‐based qualification and certification (MBQ&C) with autonomous additive manufacturing (AAM). MBQ&C employs high‐fidelity predictive models, developed within the Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) paradigm, to simulate process–structure–property–performance relationships for assessing a part’s fitness for use. Since predictive models are commonly machine learning (ML)-based or reduced-order surrogates of validated physics models, they run efficiently, enabling timely inference. In parallel, the self-driving AAM utilises ML-based adaptive, closed‐loop control strategies to avoid, mitigate, or repair defects and anomalies during fabrication, thereby increasing the likelihood of producing acceptable parts. A key feature of the combined AAM-MBQ&C framework is that predictive models explicitly incorporate defects or anomalies that persist after the build, using instance-specific data captured via in-situ sensing. This customisation enables a build‐specific assessment of fitness for use, rather than relying on nominal or generic parameters. Such individualised evaluation provides a robust basis for Q&C-related acceptance decisions relating to each build. Additionally, the rapid solution capabilities of ML or reduced-order models enable the determination of a part’s suitability for service shortly after build completion. As the framework matures, it has the potential to substantially reduce reliance on conventional point‐design approaches—such as time‐consuming post‐build computed tomography scanning and costly destructive testing. Thus, the AAM-MBQ&C framework represents a transformative, scalable strategy for quality assurance of AM components, as parts produced within a stable, validated, and certified envelope can be certified with reduced testing. Key benefits include: (1) significant gains in Q&C productivity through efficient, model-centric assessment; (2) performance-based classification of defects into critical and non-critical categories; (3) the ability to predict potential deviations in the performance of parts affected by real-time, adaptive process control interventions relative to those produced under a certified process, and (4) the enabling of virtual Q&C for service environments that are difficult, hazardous, or impractical to access or reproduce experimentally. Collectively, these capabilities strengthen the business case for AM, particularly for high‐consequence and mission‐critical applications. Finally, although this work focuses on powder-based AM, the proposed techniques could be extended to AM processes employing alternative feedstock forms. Dayalan Gunasegaram, Tarasankar DebRoy, Paul Greenway, Griffin Keller, Craig Brice, Amanda Barnard and Manyalibo Matthews 2026-08-06T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Dayalan Gunasegaram <em>et al</em> Dayalan Gunasegaram <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 031002 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae9228/pdf 07/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 031002 10.1088/2515-7639/ae9228 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae8eb4 Proximity-induced superconductivity in low-dimensional systems offers a powerful pathway to engineer topological superconducting phases in, otherwise, non-superconducting systems. These exotic phases are of fundamental and technological interest due to the presence of robust zero-energy modes, the Majorana bound states (MBSs). In this work, we propose a theoretical framework to realize MBSs from the edge states of a two-dimensional semi-Dirac system. This anisotropic system, under specific conditions, can host non-chiral edge states that propagate only along particular edges, effectively forming separated one-dimensional channels. We show that the interplay between Rashba spin–orbit coupling and a Zeeman field on this setup provides the right conditions to get an effective -wave pairing between the edge states by proximity with a -wave superconductor. In finite geometries, each edge can independently undergo a topological phase transition into a one-dimensional topological superconductor and give rise to four zero-energy modes localized at the strip corners. At low energies, the edge states subspace admits a description in terms of coupled Kitaev chains, providing a clear picture of the origin, robustness, and tunability of the corner Majorana modes. Our results establish semi-Dirac materials as a natural platform for realizing Majorana modes in two dimensions without relying on engineered nanostructures, vortices, or crystalline higher-order topology. Marta García-Olmos, Yuriko Baba, Mario Amado and Rafael A Molina 2026-08-03T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials Marta García-Olmos <em>et al</em> Marta García-Olmos <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 035015 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae8eb4/pdf 04/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 035015 10.1088/2515-7639/ae8eb4 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae9192 Interlayer excitons in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) heterobilayers possess a permanent electric dipole moment and long recombination lifetimes, making them a promising platform for exploring excitonic many-body physics. Here, we report dipolar interlayer excitons in a MoS Se /MoSe heterobilayer encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride. Low-temperature photoluminescence measurements reveal a distinct emission peak at eV, attributed to radiative recombination of interlayer excitons. The emission exhibits a blueshift with increasing excitation power, indicating repulsive dipole–dipole interactions. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements uncover nanosecond-scale lifetimes, consistent with the spatial separation of electrons and holes across the two layers. These findings establish chalcogen-alloyed TMD heterobilayers as a versatile platform for engineering dipolar excitons and tuning excitonic interactions in van der Waals materials. E Katsipoulaki, N G Chatzarakis, E Rigoutsou, D Katrisioti, T Taniguchi, K Watanabe, S Psilodimitrakopoulos, N T Pelekanos and I Paradisanos 2026-08-03T23:00:00Z Journal of Physics: Materials E Katsipoulaki <em>et al</em> E Katsipoulaki <em>et al</em> 2026 <em>Journal of Physics: Materials</em> <b>9</b> 03LT01 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae9192/pdf 04/August/2026 3 9 Journal of Physics: Materials 03LT01 10.1088/2515-7639/ae9192