News Releases

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed they can “write” ferroelectric regions into aluminum nitride by using a helium ion beam to create precise defects while keeping the crystal intact. Ferroelectric materials can store information without needing continuous power, so this could lead to more reliable, lower-energy memory made with processes already used in chip manufacturing. The defect patterning reduced the amount of voltage needed to switch the material between its two stable internal states (like 0 and 1 in digital memory) by about 40% and boosted the electromechanical response, which also benefits radio-frequency filters and resonators — parts in wireless devices that tune and stabilize high-frequency signals.Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed they can “write” ferroelectric regions into aluminum nitride by using a helium ion beam to create precise defects while keeping the crystal intact. Ferroelectric materials can store information without needing continuous power, so this could lead to more reliable, lower-energy memory made with processes already used in chip manufacturing. The defect patterning reduced the amount of voltage needed to switch the material between its two stable internal states (like 0 and 1 in digital memory) by about 40% and boosted the electromechanical response, which also benefits radio-frequency filters and resonators — parts in wireless devices that tune and stabilize high-frequency signals.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and collaborators found a new way to control how heat moves through certain ceramic materials. By applying an electric field, they changed the behavior of tiny vibrations in the material (called phonons), making heat travel much more easily in the direction of the field—nearly tripling thermal conductivity compared with other directions. The discovery could help create solid-state devices that manage heat more efficiently in electronics, energy systems and other technologies.

A paper published in Nature Communications shows how AI at Sandia National Laboratories is advancing beyond a mere automation tool toward becoming a powerful engine for clear, comprehensible scientific discovery.

Neuromorphic computers, inspired by the architecture of the human brain, are proving surprisingly adept at solving complex mathematical problems that underpin scientific and engineering challenges.

Researchers at ORNL have found that the geographic origin of poplar trees influences their cell wall chemistry, affecting the way the trees adapt to environmental changes. The discovery revealed a correlation between latitude and the expression of lignin, a plant polymer, which is responsible for plant structure and support.