Quantum photonic chips could transform future quantum networks and quantum computers, but the best quantum emitters and photonic materials are difficult to combine without losing light. A self-aligned heterogeneous photonic integration method overcomes this barrier by joining diamond quantum emitters and spins with integrated photonics at low insertion loss, advancing scalable quantum photonic technologies.

Roboticists at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and the University of Michigan have shown that elastic rods can be bent and twisted to repeatedly snap between shapes, releasing built-up energy that enables small robots to hop, flip and swim. The study, published in Science Advances, could offer a promising new approach to movement for robots constrained by size, weight and power output. The snapping mechanism could also help robots move across uneven terrain, on land and in water. 

Archaeologist have long debated how pottery from Native Americans of the Mississippian culture in what is now the Southeast United States wound up far beyond the boundaries of that culture in Tampa Bay, Florida. Now archaeoloigsts say they have the answer: a secretive guild of migrant artisans made the pottery hundreds of years ago and may have used their specialized knowledge to secure a place for themselves in their new community. 

Small bends in graphene’s two-dimensional, or one-atom-thick, structure can change the material’s electrical properties, according to a new study. Harnessing this property may allow scientists to one day power more responsive sensors and ultrathin electronic devices. 

Five University of Texas at Dallas faculty members received 2026 Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) awards from the National Science Foundation to support research aimed at making computer networks more resilient, developing next-generation electronics, strengthening software security and advancing mathematical understanding of complex systems.

The recipients of the five-year awards are Dr. Waseem Abbas, assistant professor of systems engineering; Dr. Sourav Dutta, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; Dr. Kirill Lazebnik, assistant professor of mathematical sciences; Dr. Kyle McCall, assistant professor of materials science and engineering; and Dr. Xinda Wang, assistant professor of computer science.

Rare earths aren’t truly rare—they’re just difficult to access. A WPI-led team has received a $3.3 million NSF award to explore whether processes inspired by diatoms, sea sponges, and plants could help extract rare earths and other critical minerals trapped in coal ash, red mud, and mine tailings.

MXenes are two-dimensional nanomaterials first synthesized at Drexel University in 2011.They have been recognized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry as an emerging technology with “true potential to transform our world.” But their widespread use has thus far been limited by the complicated process it takes to produce them. In a recent paper, researchers from Drexel, with collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania and Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., show that a process called chemical vapor deposition can be tailored to produce the nanomaterials in a form, quality and quantity — and potentially at a lower cost — that could one day allow them to be used in electronic, environmental and quantum technologies.