Measuring high aspect ratio and composite micro-trenches without damage is critical for advanced microfabrication, yet conventional coherence scanning interferometry often suffers from a low signal-to-noise ratio and limited lateral resolution. A team from Nanjing University of Science and Technology presents FP-CSI, a transmissive near-infrared interferometric modality that combines aperture synthesis from Fourier ptychographic microscopy with quantitative phase recovery of coherence scanning interferometry, enabling robust 3D morphology reconstruction without iterative phase retrieval.

Researchers demonstrate the first time-bin encoded quantum key distribution using a deterministic telecom quantum dot source (Figure 1). The system distributes quantum keys over 120 km of fiber and runs stably for 6 hours. It delivers the highest key rate reported for time-bin QKD with single-photon sources, validating a robust route toward scalable quantum-secure networks based on solid-state emitters.

3D printing could change how we build parts for jet engines and power plants, but the process leaves microscopic holes that cause the materials to shatter. Publishing in International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Prof. Fangyong Niu's team in Dalian University of Technology have fixed the problem by doing something unconventional: they added a microwave.

Publishing in International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Prof. Yanquan Geng's team in Harbin Institute of Technology have devised a way to carve variable-depth, three-dimensional trenches into gallium antimonide, a notably brittle semiconductor, using a microscopic tip vibrating thousands of times per second.

Materials with nearly identical atomic structures can exhibit strikingly different properties, a puzzle in glass physics. According to the researchers, from China and Denmark, the key lies not in geometry but in chemical-bonding heterogeneity. Deep-learning simulations and bond-order analysis reveal how electronic interaction variations regulate atomic mobility and β relaxation in Pd-based metallic glasses, establishing bonding heterogeneity as a fundamental driver of structure–relaxation coupling.

This study cross-applies d-band center theory from catalysis to stabilize zinc anodes in aqueous electrolytes. By adding oxalic acid, the d-band center of Zn is downshifted, fundamentally weakening hydrogen adsorption and suppressing hydrogen evolution. Concurrently, it optimizes the Zn²⁺ solvation sheath, minimizing byproduct formation. The Zn||I₂ battery enables a high Coulombic efficiency of and retaining 92.8% capacity after 10,000 cycles. This work pioneers a new paradigm for stabilizing metal anodes via surface electronic structure modulation.

A collaborative study published in National Science Review utilized an h-BN-encapsulated scanning tunneling microscopy technique to investigate twisted bilayer MoTe₂. Researchers directly observed electric-field-tuned topological moiré flat bands transitioning from a honeycomb to a triangular lattice and visualized Wigner molecular crystals, providing atomic-scale evidence for topological phase transitions and charge-ordered states in this material. The full study can be found in National Science Review.

HfO₂-based ferroelectrics are promising for embedded non-volatile memory, but typically require high crystallization temperatures. Researchers developed an in-situ ALD lanthanum-doping approach that enables robust ferroelectricity under low thermal budgets, delivering low-voltage operation, high breakdown voltage, and endurance over 10¹¹ cycles.