Researchers used a specially designed cavity to strengthen quantum vacuum fluctuations and enhance superconductivity in a thin material. Empty space is not truly empty. Even a vacuum contains restless quantum fluctuations, and researchers have now shown for the first time that these normally subtle effects can be engineered to strengthen superconductivity. The work, led by [...]

A hidden atomic structure formed on nickel oxide could enable powerful methane catalysts that use 10 times less nickel. Producing syngas efficiently from methane could become easier with a better understanding of what actually drives the reaction at the atomic level. Partial oxidation of methane (POM) is considered a promising industrial method for making syngas, [...]