ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MARCH 2024 7 The team created a series of polymers that controlled certain types of architectures and backbones and then observed the way the polymer chains connected. Evans says the way the polymer chains are linked makes a big difference in tuning the energy dissipating processes at very specific time- scales, which in turn correspond to specific sound waves or vibrations. If chains are only linked at the ends, it’s not as effective as being linked periodically along the chain backbone. Evans indicates his group is now working on ways to engineer the polymer to be more of a self-standing material. In the future, they also aim to incorporate more dynamic bonds, so the polymer isn’t only tailored for a specific frequency, but for a much wider range of frequencies. illinois.edu. FIRST 2D HEAVY FERMION Researchers at Columbia University, New York, successfully synthesized the first 2D heavy fermion material. The new material, a layered intermetallic crystal composed of cerium, silicon, and iodine (CeSiI), is a van der Waals crystal that can be peeled into layers just a few atoms thick. This makes it easier to manipulate and combine with other materials than a bulk crystal, in addition to possessing potential quantum properties that occur in 2D. With its middle sheet of silicon sandwiched between magnetic cerium atoms, the researchers suspected that CeSiI might have some interesting electronic properties. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, they observed a particular spectrum shape characteristic of heavy fermions. The team then synthesized LaSiI, a nonmagnetic equivalent to CeSiI, and weighed the electrons of both materials via their heat capacities. CeSiI’s were heavier. By comparing the two—one with magnetic spins and one without—the researchers confirmed the creation of a heavy fermion. From here, the Columbia researchers will explore the quantum behaviors of their new material. quantum.columbia.edu. Electrons that interact with magnetic spins in heavy fermion materials have a heavier-than-usual effective mass. Courtesy of Nicoletta Barolini, Columbia University. TECHNICAL SUPPORT EPOXIES, SILICONES & UV/LED CURING CUSTOM FORMULATIONS Select the right adhesive www.masterbond.com 154 Hobart Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA• +1.201.343.898 • mainmasterbond.com
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